40 Under 40
For the past five years, the Marijuana Venture staff has compiled an annual list of some of the brightest young leaders and influencers in the cannabis industry. As in past years, we have narrowed the list from hundreds of worthy candidates to present 40 individuals from the vast and ever-changing business in the United States and Canada.
It is our honor to share their stories.
Matt Janz
Age: 29
Company: The+Source
Title: Director of THC Marketing
After four “very fulfilling” years working in legal cannabis and nearly a decade removed from an “uninvited and unwelcome” visit from the police at an earlier, uh, pre-legal venture, Matt Janz is having a “geek-out moment” after being hired by The+Source, a job he says he used to daydream about.
“They were always my dream job,” Janz says, noting the six interviews he had to go through before becoming the company’s marketing director in May 2019, which changed in August to director of THC marketing, making him the lead of the two-store chain’s communications efforts, ad strategy, public relations and messaging.
It’s his third industry job and his favorite so far, though he is still proud of the work he did for his first two. At The Apothecarium, he worked as marketing manager, helping promote the brand’s Las Vegas store. At The Oasis, he describes his role as a “helpful wrecking ball”; as vice president of marketing and operations, he helped redefine the brand with a new logo, website, strategy and point-of-sale system, resulting in a 150% increase in store traffic, a 233% increase in deliveries, a 180% increase in sales and a 19% increase in margin.
It was enough for the store to earn a Best of the City award from Desert Companion in 2019 and for him to get noticed by the folks at The+Source.
He’s already made his mark at the Nevada retailer, as last quarter’s revenue was up 38% from the one before, the company’s SMS click-through rate increased 80% and the number of Instagram followers doubled. He directed The+Source’s successful holiday campaign and spearheaded a partnership with High Times for the 2019 Las Vegas Cup.
It’s a long way from his original “distribution” business and looking back, Janz says the crazy thing is that after his run-in with the police, he got on the straight and narrow, only to wind up back near where he began, only this time legally.
“Cannabis found its way to me,” he says.