Erin Wallace
Alabama is not exactly the best state for would-be cannabis entrepreneurs. Without a recreational or medical marijuana law, the marijuana economy there remains entirely underground.
It was in that environment that Sirius Extracts co-owner Erin Wallace got her start, growing at home and making oil on the down-low. When the opportunity arose to move to Oregon, Wallace and her husband Frank jumped. By the time they arrived, family members had already purchased supplies for them to keep growing and making oil.
“We started the day after we got here,” Erin says.
The couple named their company “Sirius,” after a star believed to be the home of the cannabis plant by the Dogon tribe in Africa.
The company’s oil and shatter quickly grew in popularity. At one point, Sirius products were available in more than 60 dispensaries throughout the state. However, the switch from medical to licensed recreational sales led to a temporary shutdown, but the Wallaces are finally ready to get their product back into stores, including their own, Gram Central Station.
Today, Sirius owns a 10,000-square-foot building in Portland with solar panels, reducing both its carbon footprint and energy costs. The company is expanding to Southern Oregon and is looking at California, but the ultimate goal is even bigger.
“Our dream would be to do this in Alabama too,” Wallace says.