Enjoy this interview series recorded live on the showroom floor of MJBizCon 2025 in Las Vegas. We partnered with Respect My Region to spotlight the operators and creatives shaping the cannabis industry—from retail experience to brand identity. Catch the highlights in this blog and watch the full series on Respect My Region’s YouTube.
Who’s in this episode
Respect My Region speaks with Jasmine Marin, Creative Director for Cheech & Chong’s cannabis company and dispensary network. The conversation focuses on modern cannabis retail, brand storytelling, and how the Cheech & Chong legacy translates into real dispensary experiences today.
What Jasmine actually does: “I just love making things”
Jasmine shares a straightforward reason she enjoys her work: she likes creating.
After nearly a decade in cannabis, she’s worked across different parts of the industry. What stands out now is the freedom to build alongside people she trusts—something she notes isn’t always common in cannabis operations.
The host points out why that matters: the cannabis industry often struggles with micromanagement, especially when teams are still learning how to solve “first-time problems” under regulation.
Cheech & Chong dispensaries: this is bigger than most people realize
A key reveal in the interview is the scale of the retail footprint.
Jasmine explains they have nine dispensaries open, with plans to open ten more. She also lists markets where the brand has presence, including Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Oklahoma—and then adds Montana as the newest expansion.
The most recent openings
- A dispensary opened recently in Missoula, Montana
- More locations are planned in Montana
- Another dispensary is in progress for Maine
For buyers and operators, the takeaway is simple: this is not a “logo licensing” project. It’s a growing retail network.
The retail philosophy: stop making weed feel like an Apple Store
This is the strongest theme in the episode, and it’s a real point of view.
Jasmine describes the Cheech & Chong identity as something that helped shape the look and feel of cannabis counterculture over generations. She wants dispensaries that feel:
- Vibrant and fun
- Polished, but not sterile
- Designed with intention, even if it looks effortless
She also calls out a trend many consumers feel but rarely say out loud: cannabis retail got “blocky” and suffocating when the industry tried to look less counterculture. In her words, she doesn’t love buying weed in an Apple Store vibe.
Her balance is clear: keep the fun, keep the color, and still execute at a high level.
Collaboration over control
Jasmine describes her preferred working style as collaborative.
She values teammates who bring ideas and build solutions together—rather than a top-down approach.
That matters because retail rollouts across multiple states are complex. As expansion accelerates, creative and operations teams have to move quickly without losing consistency.
What they want to be known for in 2026
Jasmine frames the brand mission in a clean way:
They’re taking an idea from the past—counterculture—and adapting it into what people want now.
In other words, it’s not nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. It’s modern retail built on a legacy, without stripping out the personality.
How involved are Cheech & Chong today?
This is the question everyone asks about celebrity cannabis brands, and Jasmine answers it directly.
Her main points:
- They are involved
- They create content regularly
- They get weekly updates
- They are aware of how deals and operations are structured
- They are enthusiastic participants—especially when samples are around
The host summarizes it well: they care, and they stay in the loop.
Where to follow Cheech & Chong
Jasmine keeps it simple:
- “Cheech and Chong” on most platforms
Sponsorship note
This interview is part of the Respect My Region MJBizCon 2025 coverage. Canna Brand Solutions supported the broader series as a sponsor.
