Working from a trailer on a property Monday along Highway 25, where he does business as the entrepreneur behind California’s Finest marijuana cigarettes, Scott McPhail recalled his latest experience in the high life.
“A couple weekends ago, we went to see Willie,” said McPhail, while his wife and daughters handled business duties in the background.
That’s the Willie, as in Willie Nelson—the legendary musician behind such hits as On the Road Again and Georgia On My Mind. Nelson, though, is more than a music legend. He’s a cannabis icon, too.
“I was invited to go see Willie—we usually go and smoke out about four times a year with him,” said McPhail, pointing to one of the prizes in his collection of celebrity memorabilia. “He gave me this when I was there.”
Standing in the trailer was a guitar signed by Nelson. McPhail marveled at it, and for good reason. It was another symbol of his growth into someone who mingles with celebrities like their old pals, an ascent that’s taken him from running an everyday dispensary to now licensing marijuana-related products for a growing range of big names.
The list of deals or strong connections made by McPhail, since his foray into celebrity marijuana licensing began in 2013, goes on like a joint wrapped in gold: Jimi Hendrix, Anthrax, Motorhead, Rob Zombie, Florida Georgia Line, Nick and Nate Diaz, Slayer and Pantera are some of the household names.
McPhail’s business sells a signature marijuana pack, which come in a box like those used for cigarettes. His packaging, however, includes the range of celebrity names and their special designs.
While McPhail has made serious inroads into the licensing business, he has ambitions to grow significantly from this point.
“I would like to be the top marijuana cigarette company in the world,” said McPhail, who has branded California Finest as the “America’s First Medical Marijuana Cigarette Brand” on his company’s website. “That’s what we’re striving for.”
Reaching for Stars
Outside of his own tendency to out-hustle others in the business, McPhail’s connection with Purple Haze CEO Andrew Pitsicalis based in Hollywood has helped a great deal on the licensing push. Pitsicalis’ company has rights to stars such as the late Hendrix and Bob Marley, along with Nelson and others. So big names are now within earshot for McPhail.
“I created a licensing program around the country allowing manufacturers the ability to utilize Jimi Hendrix,” Pitsicalis said by phone. “That was the first celebrity we started with.”
His company does licensing deals, providing territorial rights, with businesses like California’s Finest. He has gotten to know McPhail pretty well through the industry at prominent events where the two have won prominent awards for their cannabis products.
Pitsicalis represents a portfolio of clients, and so any of those celebrities would have the option of doing deals for marijuana goods. He now owns a piece of his partner’s Hollister-based business.
“I made a lifetime deal with Scott believing in what a great businessman he was,” he said. “I did that in part by getting a small equity in California Finest.”
Stepping Up
All this progress has McPhail driven.
“The endgame is being in the stock market or being acquired by a big tobacco company 10 years down the line,” he said. “I can’t do this forever.”
For now, though, he’s continuing to innovate. One way to keep growing is by diversifying the product line, which McPhail has done. His company’s offerings include such categories as clothing and smoking paraphernalia, and he’s explored partnerships to produce high-roller cannabis cigarettes using 24-karat gold papers.
“It’s not flammable but it’s smokable,” he said. “It’s ingestible.”
He’s pushing to explore promotional events in town, too, and plans to possibly bring in a music stage for the biker rally in July. His company had a booth at the 2016 rally.
“Our main thing is branding,” he said.
He’s also partnered to offer products using the Charlotte’s Web strain comprised of high amounts of CBD, the cannabis component that will ease pain, anxiety and other issues but won’t get someone high. It’s one of the strains highlighted for scientific progress in treating children’s epilepsy.
“It’s been grown here for many years,” McPhail said.
Back in Business
One area where McPhail wants to expand his horizons is by going back in the dispensary business. He was the first owner of a dispensary in Hollister before running into a legal battle with the city, and then the county when he moved the business. As part of a deal made with the county, he agreed he wouldn’t run a traditional dispensary but he could operate California Finest.
He hopes to eventually reopen the Purple Cross dispensary in the Fastenal building along San Felipe Road near Fallon Road. City council members recently approved allowing two dispensaries in town, but they’re still ironing out details for related regulations.
With the state voters’ November approval of recreational marijuana, the industry is bound to grow locally and statewide.
“I want to grow opportunities where we could hire people to basically make more of these products,” McPhail said.
On the Web:
Californiafinest.com
purplehazeproperties.com
