Tina Ulman first discovered cannabis 20 years ago when she needed some help sleeping, and she’s been a devoted consumer and advocate ever since. After working in sales and marketing for Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, she moved back to Nevada after recreational cannabis was legalized in the state in 2017. While she was launching Old Pal in Las Vegas, Tina decided she wanted to also get involved on the policy side of things to change some antiquated drug laws.
This led her to start the Chamber of Cannabis in 2020, a professional business association focused on equitable commercial expansion and restorative justice while they “put the grass in grassroots.” In her four years at the Chamber of Cannabis, Tina and her team ended up changing four state laws in as many years, and they raised over $100,000. Tina says her time there was “the most fulfilling and most challenging of my career,” especially since it was all volunteer time.
Her passion for drug policy reform began close to home. “I have family members convicted of nonviolent drug charges currently serving time,” she says. “Failed drug policy really affected me personally.” In her work with the Chamber of Cannabis, Tina wanted to change laws and policies that affected so many people negatively and unfairly. One of the laws she focused on and eventually changed was a law prohibiting former drug offenders from getting jobs. “We worked hard to change the hearts and minds of numerous Republican congresspeople to get these changes passed,” she says.
In 2022, along with her advocacy through the Chamber of Cannabis, Tina returned to her sales and marketing roots by founding the Grow Up Co-Op. “The cannabis market was compressing and pushing out small businesses, especially women, minority, and veteran-owned businesses,” Tina says. “I always wanted to fight for the little guy.” The cooperative model allows people to share in both costs and benefits. “It gives small brands a chance to stay alive and gives them more resources,” she says. To further cooperation, the Grow Up Co-Op works with one client per category in the broader cannabis space, allowing their businesses to be complementary instead of competing with each other.
One of the brands Tina worked with through Grow Up was Palmos, a hemp-derived THC beverage company that she recently helped launch at Total Wine & More throughout Arizona. “I was able to speak with so many folks who would have never considered using the plant if their only access to it was at the dispensary,” says Tina. “Many seniors are uncomfortable going to dispensaries, so this opened up a new consumer demographic. It brings new people to the plant and grows the consumer base to include more people who aren’t in the ‘smokers’ circle’”.
When asked about some of her favorite cannabis products currently, Tina raves about the Palmos 750ml spirit. “It’s by far one of the most innovative and approachable products that consumers can use in their own home, or bars and restaurants can offer it for their clientele,” she says. Cannabis spirits allow people to make creative cocktails and to make them more affordable, offering an alternative to alcoholic spirits. While there are many options on the market when it comes to canned cannabis beverages, there aren’t a lot of canna spirits on the market yet. “I love some of the canned beverages,” Tina says, “but the price can still be a bit high for the average consumer on a budget.”
“Right now, I’m most excited about low-dose hemp-derived THC beverages and non-combustible products,” Tina says. “It’s the one thing that will expand the consumer base and reach folks that might not have ever been brought to the plant. It’s exciting, fulfilling, and emotional to hear people’s stories about how they stopped drinking alcohol and started drinking these low-dose beverages.”
She’s also excited about the opportunities in her own backyard, working to reform policy to be able to one day serve THC beverages in Vegas casinos. “This would be a gamechanger for not only the hospitality industry but also for consumer habits, driving demand, tax revenue, jobs, and general economic development,” Tina says. “We could stop a lot of the illicit market activity on the Strip with legal access.”
On being a woman in the cannabis industry, Tina is grateful for the close connections she’s gained with other women in the industry. “I have colleagues who have become supportive friends, mentors, allies, and encouragers,” she says. While Tina says she’s worked for some great male leaders, “it’s been a challenge navigating a space where the majority of licenses are owned by rich men who unfortunately don’t have a solid understanding of the plant, the market, and consumer demand,” she says. Her silver lining? “I’ve learned I never want to work for someone who doesn’t appreciate or value me. It gave me the grit and ambition to start my own company, so I can pick and choose the people I work with now. I only work with brands that have exceptional leaders and exceptional products.”
However rewarding, Tina’s work with Grow Up has also been riddled with challenges. Most recently, the Arizona Attorney General came after her and shut down her work with Palmos, causing her business to take a huge hit. They’re currently waiting to see about an injunction hearing and working with the state’s hemp association (HITA AZ) to restore access.
The Grow Up Co-Op offers sales execution, field marketing, trade marketing, and government affairs involvement, and they’re currently taking new clients in Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico. Tina works with a team of “very talented smokesmodels (spokesmodels in the cannabis industry) and young creatives who bring the brands to life on social media and in the city,” she says. “I’m very proud of my team.”
To learn more about Tina and how you can work with her, you can check out the Grow Up Co-Op’s website or reach out to Tina on LinkedIn.
