As the newly appointed executive co-chair of Arizona Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, Kim Prince is working to remove the stigma of using cannabis.
“So, a mom doesn’t have to feel guilty when, instead of a glass of wine, she may be prefer to visit her vape pen,” said Prince, the founder and CEO of Proven Media.
Prince, who was appointed executive co-chair of AZC3 in November, began working in the industry about nine years ago. She has since worked with clients in 14 states.
When her senior neighbors found out about her line of work, they knocked on her door seeking information.
“They wanted to understand cannabis,” Prince said. “So many people want to know about it, but they don’t know who to ask and how to ask.”
She said the chamber strives to ensure that the public understands cannabis businesses are legitimate.
“It’s a legitimate, vibrant, fun and a needed industry,” Prince said. “And here, in Arizona, it’s here to stay. It’s a great business, a legit business.”
Jayson Meyerovitz, chamber board member and membership chair, said the organization is dedicated to its cause.
“It’s a way to support and give back, and to help and kind of educate business owners and people getting into the industry,” he said.
Meyerovitz, who is the enterprise district sales manager for Paychex, compared it to his day job, which tackles education, teaching and training.
“That’s really where we want to be,” he said.
The cannabis industry creates jobs and tax revenue for the state. The Arizona Department of Revenue reported that October saw nearly $74 million of adult-use taxable revenue and $31.4 million in medical marijuana taxable sales. The excise taxes brought in over $85 million for Arizona that month, too.
Chamber board member Parisa Rad, Fourtwenty Collections president, said the organization helps her network.
“(And) the first-hand information we will get kind of before the public, so I feel like for those reasons alone, it is super valuable for me to be donating to the board and helping facility events,” said Rad, who has been with AZC3 for several months.
“That way business owners like myself will have opportunities to network with other business owners and further their relations, and hopefully find another professional that you might need to utilize their services.”
Many of the chamber members’ businesses assist in a cannabis brand or a license holder, which is important to Rad.
“As a license holder and a manufacturer, that’s very beneficial for me to be able to connect with other folks like attorneys, HR specialists, marketing specialists and PR specialists,” Rad said.
“It’s been really great for our brand.”
Fourtwenty Collections manufactures edibles and pre-rolls in Phoenix and is a vertically integrated license holder in New Mexico, where they have a retail, manufacturing and growth facility, as well as a courier service.
Rad said the chamber helps everyone involved.
“So, by us having events and inviting more of the community, they are able to access that information and further their businesses’ networking and relationship as well,” she said.
“It’s a win-win situation. I haven’t been a board member for very long, but I have been getting value from the chamber. It is a great opportunity for us folks especially in cannabis, where opportunities like this are limited more for us in cannabis.”
AZC3 board member Bryan McLaren, chairman and chief executive officer for Zoned Properties, said his company can help in the cannabis industry.
“Zoned Properties is based here in Arizona, we focus on the real estate and community development,” he said.
“So our role in the industry is to help clients, help real estate investors, real estate owners on how do you find a site to open as a cannabis facility? Whether it’s a retail dispensary, a large scale cultivation site. Ultimately, how do you work with the local community to confirm your zoning, to get your permitting, build your building and start operating successfully to face these big challenges?”
Prince’s Proven Media has been dedicated to the cannabis industry and serving those marijuana companies since 2014. Like other PR companies, Prince’s firm served the general community, such as restaurants and hardware stores, but she said she felt uninspired. She followed her real passion — cannabis.
“I went to a cannabis conference in Las Vegas by myself,’ she explained. "I went to the conference and came back with my first cannabis client.”
Since then, Proven Media now serves only and all types of cannabis-related businesses.
Established in 2019, the chamber unites Arizona’s cannabis businesses with its member-companies and cannabis organizations to provide education, support and networking with those involved in the state’s growing cannabis industry.
What sets AZC3 apart from other similar entities is its inclusivity.
“So, it is open to license holders, but indeed it’s becoming more for ancillary brands, or companies,” Prince said. “We try to bring education to the table with a business slant.”
She explained that cannabis license holders are very exclusive, with about 130 licenses in the state. Of those, many are held by companies with multiple licenses, but "there’s also a huge robust economy beyond just the license holders.”
The chamber members’ businesses include law firms; the real estate industry, such as, title and zoning; insurance businesses; media/PR firms; cannabis industry business owners; and many others.
Prince said the chamber is trying not to be political and remain inclusive.
“We’re trying to spread the good word about cannabis in terms of what it’s doing for our economy,” Prince added. “AZC3 is just a nonprofit dedicated to creating a robust cannabis economy in Arizona… We really just want to ensure that Arizona’s cannabis economy remains strong.”
Arizona Cannabis Chamber of Commerce
