Mike Khemmoro, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Mango Cannabis – Interview Series

Just about every cannabis business owner will admit that expanding into new state markets rarely goes smoothly or without unforeseen roadblocks. Regardless of a company’s size, its familiarity with different state regulations, or the budget dedicated to its growth, expansion is almost always an arduous journey fraught with unexpected challenges—especially in newly operational markets.

To explore what this expansion process looks like across different regions of the U.S., and to discuss the transferable business lessons between a family-owned grocery store and a multi-state cannabis operator, mycannabis.com sat down with Mike Khemmoro, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Mango Cannabis.

What were the most important lessons in retail operations and customer and vendor service that you learned while working in your family’s neighborhood market?

Working in my family’s neighborhood market taught me retail from the ground up. There was no ego in the work. If something needed to be done, you did it. Stocking shelves, helping customers, cleaning, taking out trash, dealing with difficult situations, whatever it was, nothing was beneath you.

Working for my father was not easy. He did not treat me differently because I was his son. If anything, he was harder on me. At the time, that was difficult, but looking back, I am thankful for it because it gave me discipline, perspective, and a real work ethic.

Retail humbles you fast. There are moments you deal with in a neighborhood market that most people would never want to touch. But that is the reality of operating a business. You cannot only show up for the clean, exciting, or profitable parts. You have to respect every part of the operation, including the parts nobody sees.

That experience shaped how I lead today. It taught me to have no ego, to respect the people doing the hard work, and to understand that great customer service starts with the basics: a clean store, a stocked shelf, fair vendor relationships, and a team that takes pride in the details.

When did your experience with cannabis first begin? When Michigan legalized medical cannabis in 2008, how did that moment spark your interest in cannabis cultivation and possibilities?

My first experience with cannabis started before I ever looked at it as a business. In high school, I was drawn to the camaraderie around it. I always preferred the environment of smoking with friends over drinking alcohol. It felt more relaxed, more social, and more connected.

When Michigan legalized medical cannabis in 2008, that was the first time I started to see cannabis differently. It was not just something people enjoyed privately anymore. It was becoming an actual industry with patients, caregivers, cultivation, compliance, and real business opportunities.

That moment opened my eyes. Cannabis had culture, community, medicine, retail, agriculture, and entrepreneurship all wrapped into one space. I could see there was something bigger happening, even if the rest of the world had not fully caught up yet.

In your own words, how would you describe the “crash course” that your cousins gave you in cannabis cultivation and harvesting? How did you later use those lessons in the operations of Mango Cannabis?

The crash course I got from my older cousins was not some formal or scientific training. I was young, around 18 or 19 years old, and I was basically there as a grunt. I did anything and everything that needed to be done, at all hours of the day. I was there to learn, to help, and to be around something that felt bigger than me.

At the time, it was exciting, but it was also scary. There was a lot of gray area in the industry then. Looking back, we were pioneers without even realizing it. We were involved in what was essentially one of the early co-op grow models in Michigan, before the rules and structure around cannabis were fully understood. A legal matter involving the business created challenges that were difficult to navigate, and I experienced a few panic attacks as I dealt with the unknowns. The matter was ultimately resolved without further action, but the experience changed the way I viewed cannabis.

It made me realize cannabis was not going anywhere. Not in Michigan, and not in the country. The industry was too real, the demand was too strong, and too many people believed in it. That experience gave me the confidence years later to help start Mango Cannabis, but it also gave me respect for the seriousness of the business.

When we built Mango, I carried those lessons with me. I understood the plant, the culture, the risk, the compliance side, and the importance of operating the right way. It taught me that passion gets you started, but structure, discipline, and compliance are what allow you to scale.

What were your family members’ reactions when you told them about your field of work? Did you experience any initial pushback or concerns from them?

There was definitely some initial concern. I come from a family of immigrants and business owners, so work ethic and reputation are very important. Cannabis still had a stigma around it, especially in the beginning, and I understood why some family members were cautious.

But I also think they knew me. They knew I was not approaching it recklessly. I was looking at cannabis as a legitimate business opportunity, and I wanted to do it the right way. Once they saw the discipline, the compliance, the jobs being created, and the seriousness of the operation, their perspective changed.

Over time, the conversation shifted from “Why cannabis?” to “How far can this go?” That meant a lot to me. Family support matters, especially when you come from a family where reputation and hard work are everything. I wanted them to see that we were not just building dispensaries. We were building a real company.

How did all your prior experience in cannabis become handy when co-founding Mango Cannabis?

My prior experience helped because I had already seen different sides of the industry. I understood the plant, product quality, customer expectations, and the difference between cannabis as a product and cannabis as a retail business.

When we co-founded Mango Cannabis, we wanted to bring a more professional, high-volume, customer-focused model to the industry. A lot of cannabis retail at the time was either too clinical, too intimidating, or too unorganized. We wanted Mango to feel approachable, exciting, efficient, and serious.

My background helped me connect the dots between product, operations, vendors, customers, pricing, staff training, and compliance. In cannabis, you cannot just be good at one thing. You have to understand how all the pieces work together. That is what helped us scale.

What are some unexpected issues that you and the Mango team have faced when expanding into other state markets? Were certain states more arduous to apply for licenses in than others?

One of the biggest surprises in cannabis expansion is that every state is basically its own country. The rules, applications, regulators, municipalities, taxes, testing requirements, packaging, product limits, real estate challenges, and customer behavior can be completely different from one market to the next.

A strategy that works in Oklahoma might not work in Michigan. A product mix that works in New Mexico might need to be adjusted for New York. Even basic things like signage, store layout, delivery rules, promotions, banking, insurance, and vendor terms can change dramatically by state.

Some states are more difficult because the application process is highly competitive and documentation-heavy. Other states may be easier to enter but harder to operate in because of price compression, oversupply, or enforcement pressure. The lesson is that getting a license is only the beginning. The real challenge is building a profitable, compliant, scalable operation after the license is awarded.

From your experience, what is so unique about the Oklahoma cannabis industry and market? What is currently preventing the state from going fully recreational?

Oklahoma is one of the most unique cannabis markets in the country because it developed as a very open medical market. It allowed a lot of entrepreneurs to enter, and that created heavy competition, aggressive pricing, and a very educated cannabis customer.

The Oklahoma customer knows value. They know products. They know pricing. You cannot fake it in that market. If your flower is not right, your pricing is not competitive, or your service is weak, the customer has plenty of other options.

As far as recreational cannabis, I do not think the issue is demand. I think it is politics, public safety concerns, concerns around illegal grows, and the fact that the medical market is already very accessible. Oklahoma has had adult-use efforts, but getting voters, lawmakers, law enforcement, rural communities, and the industry itself aligned has been difficult. Until that alignment improves, I think Oklahoma will remain a very strong medical market before it becomes a full adult-use market.

What factors are behind the Michigan cannabis industry’s insane sales success? How are the prices so low, yet the sales figures are so massive?

Michigan is a great example of what happens when you combine strong consumer demand, broad access, a competitive licensing environment, and a mature retail market. The customer base is real, and cannabis has become a normal part of consumer behavior in the state.

The reason prices are so low is supply and competition. There is a lot of cultivation, a lot of retail, and a lot of operators fighting for the same customer. That pushes pricing down. But lower pricing also drives volume. When customers feel like they are getting strong value, they buy more frequently and they are more willing to try different categories.

So Michigan can have massive sales numbers while operators still feel margin pressure. The market is huge, but it is not easy. You have to operate very efficiently. You have to buy well, manage labor, control inventory, market correctly, and give customers a reason to choose you over the next store down the street.

What are your regular duties as COO of Mango Cannabis? What have been some notable achievements and goals that you’ve celebrated while serving in the COO role?

As COO, my job is to make sure the company operates the way the vision says it should operate. That means overseeing store operations, staffing, inventory, vendor execution, marketing coordination, compliance, training, pricing strategy, construction timelines, new market launches, and making sure our teams are aligned.

A big part of my role is problem-solving. In cannabis, something changes every day. It could be a regulatory issue, a vendor issue, a staffing issue, a pricing change, a system problem, or a new market challenge. My job is to keep the company moving and make sure the stores have what they need to win.

Some of the achievements I am proud of are helping Mango expand into multiple states, building high-volume retail stores, creating jobs, improving systems, and helping turn Mango into a recognizable cannabis brand. But I also celebrate the smaller wins: a store hitting a new sales record, a manager growing into a leader, a customer having a great experience, or a vendor partnership turning into something meaningful. Those are the things that build the company day by day.

Being from a family of immigrants and a family of business owners, why is operating Mango Cannabis so special to you?

Operating Mango Cannabis is special to me because it represents sacrifice, opportunity, and legacy. My family came from an immigrant background, and like a lot of immigrant families, business was not just about making money. It was about survival, independence, and creating a better future for the next generation.

Growing up around family businesses teaches you a different kind of work ethic. You see the long hours. You see the stress. You see the whole family involved. You learn that nobody is coming to save you, and if something needs to get done, you do it.

Mango is special because it takes those same values and applies them to a new industry. We are building something in a space that did not exist like this when our parents were starting out. To be able to create jobs, build a brand, serve communities, and represent our family in a new industry is something I take a lot of pride in.

How do you envision the partial federal rescheduling of cannabis impacting Mango Cannabis and the states you operate in? Do you think certain state markets will be more impacted than others?

I think federal rescheduling would be an important step, but it is not the finish line. It does not mean cannabis is federally legal overnight, and it does not automatically fix banking, interstate commerce, taxation, or the differences between state markets.

The biggest potential impact is financial. If rescheduling creates relief from 280E for cannabis businesses, that could be a major improvement for operators who have been paying taxes under rules that do not treat cannabis like a normal business. That could free up capital for hiring, expansion, pricing, systems, and better customer experiences.

I do think the impact could vary by state. Medical markets may feel the benefit differently than adult-use markets, depending on how the rules are implemented. For Mango, we are watching it closely, but our approach does not change: stay compliant, operate efficiently, build strong stores, and be ready to adapt. Cannabis is still a state-by-state business, and the operators who survive are the ones who can adjust quickly.

Thank you for joining us, Mike! For more information on Mango Cannabis, please visit its website.