Eric Hammond, CEO of Highsman – Interview Series

Eric Hammond, is the CEO of Highsman, the official cannabis lifestyle brand of entrepreneur, thought leader and one of the most electric NFL running backs of the century, Ricky Williams. Once scrutinized by sports pundits and fans alike for using cannabis to “take care of his body”, the formerly infamous #34 is flipping the script with his new line of personally curated cannabis products, apparel, and accessories.

What initially attracted you to the cannabis business?

I have a dual passion for building brands and cannabis as a plant. Cannabis has been a part of my daily self-help ritual for nearly two decades. As a consumer of the plant, consummate advocate, as well as an extremely passionate businessman and brand builder, being able to have those two worlds collide to help build a really unique community driven brand was super exciting for me.

Could you explain what Highsman is and how its positioning itself at the intersection of sports and cannabis?

Highsman is a lifestyle brand founded by Ricky Williams, an entrepreneur, thought leader, and one of the most electrifying NFL running backs of the century. Highsman is so much more than another cannabis brand in that we want to connect with our consumers on a deeper level and serve as a platform for people to share their journey through cannabis and sports. Fans of the brand feel like they're a part of something very few cannabis brands have been able to do. Highsman has the ability to do this through cannabis and sports, two things that people feel very passionate about in their own respects.

Where does the name Highman originate from?

The Highsman name is a double entendre in that it represents someone's use of cannabis to unlock the highest being of themselves, but it also represents someone being high. It’s about elevating the consumer's everyday life, whether it's from a healing standpoint, creative standpoint or simply a recreational standpoint.

How does Highman differentiate itself from other celebrity brands?

It was really important that we didn't get lumped into that category of celebrity brands where it feels like people are kind of chasing money or just adding their name to something. The difference here is this is Ricky's real life. Ricky pioneered the use of cannabis as part of his daily self-help regimen. He was a passionate and outspoken advocate of cannabis decades before it was accepted by the mainstream, and now it’s his time to help other people own their relationship with cannabis. This isn't just a celebrity putting his name on something. This is a person utilizing his life experiences and passions to try and help others. Ricky is intimately involved in all aspects of the business from strategy, to strain selection to branding. He is a very active participant in everything the brand puts out.

Highman offers three product types: Pregame, Halftime, and Postgame. Could you elaborate on what these are and what consumers should expect?

Highsman has developed some nomenclature over standard naming within the cannabis space, some of which are a little bit outdated in my opionion— indica, sativa, hybrid. For Highsman, that's our Pregame, our Halftime and our Postgame respectively. Each strain is designed to be used at a different time of the day. Our Pregame is a little more uplifting, the Halftime strains or the hybrids are a little more balanced. Postgame is to help wind down and to be used for some pain relief, insomnia relief. But all of these will then go a step further and they're all strain-specific. We have strain-based skus within each category and each have been cleverly renamed with a fun sports leaning angle: Peanutbutter Souffle has been renamed to Ken Jiffy Jr; Cherry Pie is now Cherry Rice; Jesus OG crossed with Watermelon Zkittlez has been coined Jesus Zkittlezworth in homage to Jesus Shuttlesworth. Everything has been meticulously thought out to help build the community and get people to really engage.

What are some challenges that you have faced with operating a cannabis business?

The biggest challenge that differentiates the cannabis business from other industries is that it's still federally illegal, forcing brands to operate in state regulated markets. It’s a unique business case with its own subset of really strict rules and regulations. Scaling becomes much more complicated than a traditional CPG business. For most businesses, if you've got a great product or great website, you can capture the eyeballs of the globe relatively easily. In the cannabis space it's market by market; each one is different from state to state. There are multiple layers to get the product on retail shelves.

What states is Highman currently serving, and what states are next in line?

Highsman has launched a global merch and apparel site, and then our cannabis is currently available for sale in Oregon and California, with our sites set on Nevada, Arizona, and then making our way east heading into 2023.

Is there anything else that you would like to share about Highman?

The merch and apparel side of the business is a major differentiator for Highsman. There’s a lot of cannabis brands out there that sell t-shirts or hoodies or some merch alongside, but it serves more as a promotional vehicle for them. The Highsman merch and apparel business is really that Trojan horse to help us gain brand affinity in markets well ahead of our cannabis. The Highsman lifestyle is gaining traction and as it becomes more known, people [in markets without legal cannabis] are going to want to be part of the community. Cookies has done a good job of this within their own demographic, and I think we have the ability to do that through our sports connection. As Highsman cannabis gains momentum, you'll see our merch and apparel business really evolve as a staple of our business strategy.

Thank you for the great interview, readers who wish to learn more should visit Highsman.