Fast Take With Kevin Kuethe, Chief Cultivation Officer, Lume Cannabis Co.

Kevin Kuethe, chief cultivation officer for Lume Cannabis Co., a vertically integrated cannabis company with indoor and outdoor cultivation plus more than three dozen stores in Michigan, digs into the most challenging and rewarding aspects of working in the industry in this Fast Take interview. Kuethe was featured in the Cannabis Business Times January/February 2024 cover story in a profile about Lume's strategic rise in the Michigan market and its first attempt to expand operations outside of its home state.

Read the January/February 2024 CBT cover story here. 

RELATED: The Yes Factor: Lume Cannabis Co. Chief Cultivation Officer Kevin Kuethe’s relentless positivity and incessant desire to learn, improve and give back to the community have enabled him to oversee the company’s breakneck growth at its Evart, Mich., facility while ensuring the team is ‘always smiling.’

Jolene Hansen: What’s the biggest challenge in launching or maintaining a cannabis business?

Kevin Kuethe: “There are so many challenges! I think one of the biggest challenges is dealing with the consistent rule changes. There's a rule change every day and a half or something in the cannabis industry. So, staying on top of that, making sure that you are being efficient and following the rules, and also translating that to your employees because it takes new training and comprehension every time something like that happens.

“I always say if you can operate successfully in the cannabis industry, you could probably run any business because there are more regulatory changes and operational changes that happen than any other industry. And it's consistent because they're still learning as we go.”

JH: What’s something that would surprise most people about running a cannabis business?

KK: “How difficult it is. I think a lot of people think ‘Oh, it's a marijuana grow. Those guys are probably hanging out walking around inside in board shorts and flip-flops and smoking doobies.’ It's not like that. It's not like that whatsoever. It's like a hospital, mixed with a surgery center and a science lab. And, for the regulatory side and the cash side, it's almost like a casino. To be able to function and operate, you have to be on point at all times. And the larger your company is, the more difficult that can be because all of that stuff has to be translated to the employees as well.”

JH: What keeps you up at night?

KK: “Nothing anymore. I have my second in charge, my right-hand man. His name is Marlon Mallas. He worked for me in Las Vegas as well, and he was my general manager there. He's now my general manager here, so we've worked together for years now. He is as sharp as they come and as reliable as they come. So, I sleep well at night having him by my side and helping me to operate and run these facilities. And I'd be lying if I didn't say the rest of the team as well.

JH: I think you just answered this one: What helps you sleep at night?

KK: “That’s it!”

JH: Any advice for others considering a cannabis business?

KK: “I think your team is everything. I look at my partners here at Lume and the guys that I started out with here, and I wouldn't have done it if they weren't here. So, surrounding yourself with able people that have experience. Proven experience, not just people that say, 'Oh, I can do that. We're going to do this. It'll be huge. It'll be great.' But people that actually have proven experience in this industry or other industries and know business.

“I think the industry has developed enough to require a standard of high-quality business practices—professionalism, kindness, consistency—to be able to be successful. I think that really is the most important thing, to me.”