Everett Smith, Co-Founder and CEO of Presidential – Interview Series

For a cannabis brand to be successful in the massive $4.6B California cannabis industry, the brand itself needs to not only grab the consumer’s attention but also stand out. Among hundreds of cannabis product lines, Presidential continues to achieve success even though the brand itself is well over a decade old. For a better understanding of the Presidential brand and how to succeed in a massive ocean of other brands, mycannabis.com had the pleasure of speaking with Everett Smith, Co-Founder and CEO of Presidential.

What subjects did you study at Southwestern Oregon CC and Dakota State University? How do you feel those courses and subject matter prepared you for the many duties and obstacles in running a cannabis brand as popular as Presidential?

I was a Business Administration major, which included all the accounting, economics, and statistics courses. However, I focused on marketing and management, taking courses that helped me understand customer behavior, branding, as well as team leadership, organization, and understanding how people interact within groups.

Today, as CEO of Presidential, these courses were extremely helpful in allowing me to build a successful brand and team. On a daily basis, we work to market the brand to retailers and new markets, while internally managing the team flow to ensure the business stays successful.

Few cannabis professionals I’ve met can say they’ve played sports at the professional level, much less in other countries at that. How did you end up playing for the FIBA, and how would you describe that overall experience? What honors/accomplishments did you receive while playing in FIBA?

After graduating in 2009, I was presented with the opportunity to play overseas. I grew up playing basketball my whole life, and I jumped at the chance to continue my career and also experience living in a different country. It was a great experience, I was there for almost 3 years, and saw a lot of success. While on Hannover Korbjaeger, I averaged 19 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. I also played in 17 games on the News Release Basketball Germany Showcase tour, averaging 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game.

I loved my time playing basketball in Germany, but unfortunately, due to injury, I had to stop my career and come back to the States.

How does professional basketball in Germany (and other European nations you played in) differ from American basketball? And does German basketball have the large fandom that the NBA does?

It’s very similar. Just like the NBA has players from different countries, my experience going to play professionally in Germany exposed me to so much talent. I met many German players who were among the best players in the country and were very well known, but did not have the desire to pursue an NBA career. German basketball does have a large fandom, and it opened my eyes to so many talented players all over the world.

What initially caught your interest about working in the cannabis industry after 3 years of playing professional basketball in Europe?

I stopped playing basketball in Europe due to injury, and when I returned, I began working full-time in marketing. Truthfully, I wasn’t enjoying it very much, and while at a convention in Las Vegas, I was connected with a few folks working in the cannabis industry. It immediately caught my interest, and so I eventually quit my job and moved to California to pursue it full time.

What inspired you to start the Presidential brand, and what are some of its values and virtues?

When I first moved to California, I was working with a different brand, helping them to white-label products. I didn’t think to venture out and start my own company until I met John Zapp, my now business partner. He is an extremely talented entrepreneur, and he has taught me everything I know in terms of sales and how to build a business. After meeting him, I felt inspired and started to see the vision of Presidential.

Presidential’s values include simplicity, consistency, and high quality. We have a motto – “keep it simple” – which allows us to offer a consistent product to consumers every time, leaving them happy with our products and ready to buy more.

What are some of the most notable and/or popular products under the Presidential umbrella and how do you ensure that quality is consistent throughout the products?

Our most notable product is our Infused Moon Rock Blunts, known as the “World’s Strongest Prerolls”. The Moon Rocks are top-shelf flower, infused with premium THC distillate, and coated in high-quality kief.

To ensure quality and consistency, we combine cutting-edge science and technology to create the safest and most reliable products, and we are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of cannabis innovation.

What have been some of the most important awards and accomplishments that Presidential and their products have won, and why were those awards important for the brand?

We are constantly ranked a top-selling preroll and blunt in the markets we serve. We’ve also won various High Times Cannabis Cups throughout the country for our infused products.

As a Co-Founder of a cannabis brand born and bred in California, what are some advantages that the California cannabis industry has over the neighboring states? Adversely, what are some disadvantages and common problems that the California industry has?

We were very lucky to launch in California, and the state has been great to us – honestly, I see no disadvantages. In fact, we are actively working to make our presence in California stronger, as many cannabis brands are trying to get out and move East.

Being from California has made our expansion to Arizona, Nevada, and Oklahoma a lot easier, since “California Cannabis” carries a legacy reputation. I always tell people that having a cannabis brand from California is like having a wine brand from Napa, or a whiskey brand from Kentucky. Certain regions or areas of the country are known for certain things, and California holds that distinction for cannabis.

Lastly, the cost of raw goods in California is lower, which helps improve our margins.

What are some noteworthy plans that the Presidential brand has for 2025? As the American cannabis industry expands, how does Presidential plan on expanding with it?

We are excited to launch Presidential in New York this spring, and are planning to launch our single mini blunts in Nevada later this year. The cannabis industry is constantly evolving, and our goal is to keep meeting customer demand and bringing the brand to new markets, ultimately establishing Presidential as a household name.

Thank you for joining us, Everett! For more information on the Presidential products and future plans, please visit it’s website.