With the launch of the highly anticipated Cannabis 2.0 — comprising edibles, topicals and concentrates — cannabis is really having a moment right now. And like any budding industry, cannabis has gained many leaders and followers through the various stages of legalization.

British Columbia — the home of the world-famous B.C. Bud, a variety of high quality, premium cannabis — is no different. Here are seven cannabis influencers you need to know.

Dan Sutton

Founder and CEO of Tantalus Labs, Dan Sutton.

Vancouver-based Dan Sutton has been operating as the head of Tantalus Labs since 2012. With Tantalus, Sutton is working to take cannabis cultivation operations out of the basements and into the sunlight.

A vocal cannabis advocate, Sutton in 2015 spoke at the TEDxVancouver conference about the cannabis industry, and the need for sustainable cultivation practices such as Tantalus’ trademark, sun-grown cannabis. Previously, Sutton worked as a financial advisor, and holds a degree in economics from the University of Victoria. In 2016, Sutton made it to the list of Top 40 under 40, an industry-wide compilation by Marijuana Venture.

You can follow Dan Sutton on Twitter here.

Barinder Rasode

Founder of Grow Tech Labs, Barinder Rasode. Peter J Thompson

Barinder Rasode wears many hats.

Rasode is the founder of Grow Tech Labs, a B.C.-based cannabis company that also has a dedicated program to promote indigenous entrepreneurs. She is the founder of NICHE Canada, a not-for-profit that deals with cannabis production and use; the founder of BotaniQ magazine, a cannabis-centric magazine; the co-founder of Cannabis Wise, a Canadian company specializing in the quality assurance business; and the cofounder of SheTalks, a platform for women in cannabis.

You can follow Barinder Rasode on Twitter here.

Remo Colasanti

President of Remo Brands, Remo Colasanti. Darryl Dyck for National Post

Operating under the name Urban Remo, entrepreneur Remo Colasanti is based in Maple Ridge, B.C.

In 2001, Colasanti received a license to grow marijuana plants at home for medicinal purposes. In 2014, he created Remo Nutrients, a cannabis line that helps others do the same.

“Winner of Top Nutrients Company by the Canadian Cannabis Awards (CCB) 2018 and nominated for Top Cannabis YouTuber 2018, Remo Nutrients was able to leverage social media for brand promotion before the laws became stringent post-Oct.17. The brand’s YouTube following currently stands over at 200k,” The GrowthOp reports.

You can follow the company on Twitter here.

Bethany Rae Cornish

Founder of Flower & Freedom, Bethany Rae Cornish. Photo provided

Currently working as an instructor at MacEwan University, Bethany Rae Cornish teaches marketing in the strict and highly regulated world of cannabis. In 2016, she founded the cannabis wellness platform Flower & Freedom that aims to break down the stigma associated with cannabis use. “I find cannabis helps me keep a healthy body weight by reducing inflammation and muscle pain; it even helps me recover faster from exercise,” Cornish told The GrowthOp in 2019.

Through Flower & Freedom, Cornish hopes to help others understand the variety of ways cannabis can be used for wellness purposes.

You can follow Bethany Rae Cornish on Twitter here.

Don Briere

CEO of WEEDSgg, Don Briere. Twitter

Vancouver-based pot advocate, Don Briere is the CEO of WEEDSgg, an online cannabis accessories platform that also supports cannabis advocates, artists and entrepreneurs.

In 2001, Briere landed a four-year jail sentence for growing and trafficking cannabis, as well as possession of a firearm. But serving jail time certainly didn’t come in the way of setting up his pot empire.

Briere soon earned “the reputation of owning the Tim Hortons of cannabis”, VICE reports, for his massive business. He was recently in the news for reapplying to open up eight pot shops in B.C. And just this month, he was featured in High! Canada Magazine as one of the Top 50 Canadian cannabis heroes.

You can follow Don Briere on Twitter here.

Gill Polard

Founder of The Her(b) Life, Gill Polard. Twitter

Gill Polard is the founder of The Her(b) Life and The GrowthOp contributor. The Her(b) Life is an online platform that aims to elevate women in the cannabis industry. Polard also manages the social media channel for Shelter Cannabis, a community advocating for small farmers in the pot business among other things. At the University of Mount Royal in Calgary, Polard teaches a course on cannabis education, and she is also the co-host of the High Friends podcast.

You can follow Gill Polard on Twitter here.

Alexzander Samuelsson

Chief science officer for Melabis, Alexzander Samuelsson. Twitter

Alexzander Samuelsson — popularly known as Alex The Chemist on social media — works as the chief science officer for Melabis, a cannabis company, and is the founder and president of Development Catalyst Strategy Corp.