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While the cannabis industry remains one of the most difficult industries to conquer, US Navy veteran JM Balbuena did it in one of the most amazing ways possible. Now, Balbuena owns five companies with total annual revenues of over $12 million namely Synergy Studios, Boycott Shitty Weed, Jaxx Cannabis, Palenque Provisions, and Divana Mushrooms.

Synergy Studios is a full-service cannabis consultancy firm focused on license acquisition, compliance management, marketing, and business development.  Boycott Shitty Weed, on the other hand, is a cannabis advocacy lifestyle brand, while Prime Harvest, Inc. is a legal cannabis company focused on tech. It’s based in Southern California.  Jaxx Cannabis is a black-owned and operated legal cannabis dispensary in San Diego, while Palenque Provisions is a family-owned and operated Latinx Food producer in New Jersey. Lastly, Divana Mushrooms is a medicinal mushrooms e-commerce store with an organic line of products.

In 2021 alone, Palenque Provisions’ revenue reached over $8M.. Jaxx Cannabis’ revenue soared to $3M+ in the same year, while Synergy Media and Consultancy made over $130K. JM Balbuena is also the author of Successful Cannapreneur, a book about the ins and outs of the cannabis industry. The book guides those who want to enter the industry and educates them about building compliant cannabis companies.

 

Given Balbuena’s seven-year experience in the cannabis space, the book was a godsend for those navigating the space. When asked why she entered such a challenging industry, Balbuena replied, “Cannabis is medicine. I suffered an accident while I served in the military. Upon leaving the service the TBI from that accident disrupted my sleeping and eating habits, and I also experienced chronic headaches and back pain. All of which led to anxiety and depression.”

“I was introduced to cannabis as medicine and it saved my life as it helped me to regulate sleep and eating and helped me to manage the physical and mental pain. Many veterans suffer just like I did, and cannabis can help,” she continued..

 

What’s more impressive is Balbuena built her companies while coping with PTSD and all the ramifications stemming from the traumatic brain injury she suffered while in the military. Despite these immense challenges, Balbuena did not fret. She stumbled many times, but she chose to stand up and keep going. This shows how passion, motivation, and grit become when combined. JM Balbuena is an embodiment of that.

Photo Credit: JM B.