By RQS Editorial Team

You’re about to hear from one of the leading activists and business minds in the cannabis space: Andrew DeAngelo. As a pioneer within the industry, Andrew co-founded Harborside, one of the biggest and oldest cannabis retailers in the game, known for excellent, award-winning flowers and top-tier consultancy. He also branched off to form his own consultancy business, and Forbes even included Andrew in its list of “The Top 5 Cannabis Industry Consultants You Need to Know”. Business aside, Andrew has also harnessed his visionary leadership to enact social change through the Last Prisoner Project.

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1. What was your initial approach to the cannabis industry? What potential did you see in it? (01:28)

I started my work as a trader of cannabis. What was really interesting was that people were so happy to get the cannabis in their hands. It was very hard to acquire cannabis in those days, and we had a very good product. But we didn't like trading underground. It was brutally difficult and the consequences were horrific. So we took the money we made and started activist groups in an attempt to change the laws. We were offering financial support and other support to that effort. We legalized medical cannabis in California in 1996, after doing so in the city of San Francisco in 1992. 

2. In high school, you wrote a paper advocating for cannabis legalization. Do you remember any arguments that you included? (09:02)

The argument was personal freedom—we have a right to put things in our body that we want to put in our body. Also—that alcohol and tobacco were legal, and they were clearly more harmful than cannabis. If I were to write that paper again today, I’d basically make the argument that this is medicine, and that you have an endocannabinoid system—we all do. We have the natural right to heal ourselves. That's the most basic fundamental right on Earth; when your body starts to break down, you have the right to heal yourself, and in the way that you want to. 

Sitting Down With DWC Specialist Sebastian

3. Medical cannabis has been the first step to legalization in many regions. Would you also support legalizing recreational cannabis? For what reasons? (16:58)

I truly, truly believe that all use of cannabis is medical. Even if the person is intending to “get high”. You have an endocannabinoid system, so the cannabinoids are going to hit those receptors, the system is going to be activated, and good things are going to happen. So that is why I believe all cannabis use is medical. There's kind of a big debate about that. It’s important to note that our world of stress is killing people and causing all kinds of issues and terrible behaviours.

4. What’s your stance on the construction of a legal cannabis market based on capitalism? (22:45)

What I envision is an ecosystem. Capitalism at its best is conscious, and conscious of communities. The UK and other places should seriously consider how to integrate nonprofit models from the beginning, because it keeps all that big capitalism, that global domination wing out. They do not want to be anywhere near anything called nonprofit. 

5. Big businesses are making big bucks, but the activism that catalyzed legalization also gave rise to an entirely different type of marketplace: small-scale, local, and artisan businesses. What can you tell us about sustainability and social justice in this field? (28:00)

You have to get it in the public policy, otherwise capitalism and the market forces will just wipe those folks out. So you have to get it in the public policy that those folks have a lower barrier to entry than everybody else. Because they get locked up more than everybody else. So it should be a very, very low barrier to entry, and then there should be mechanisms of support for those entrepreneurs. That’s really how you restore justice.

Sitting Down With DWC Specialist Sebastian

6. Which words could a teacher use to integrate informative cannabis values into classes? (33:23)

I think the way to frame it to children is that this is plant medicine. It's also important to let kids and adolescents know that it's intended for adults, just like alcohol, and there are some things that only adults get to do, and that's just the way it is in the world.

Tell them the truth, tell them the science, and also let them know about the science of alcohol and all intoxicants.

7. How can we help to break the stigma of the lazy stoner? (36:23)

The best way to create a more complex perception of the stoner is success. Success is the best revenge. Everybody has to achieve that. It doesn't matter if you're a stoner (and I don't care who you are), you have to try to reach some potential in yourself.

It's going to take maybe a generation or two for all of that to happen. But this is a good plant, not a bad plant. And it's that simple. It really is. If we can just educate and put in the hearts and minds of ourselves and our children that this is a good plant.

"A mistake I see a lot of brands making is they try to be like mainstream alcohol brands, or tobacco brands, or even perfume brands."

8. What examples of “fresh and positive representations of cannabis” do you think should be introduced into society? (41:31)

As we tell stories of cannabis, we need our protagonists to be seniors, people with disabilities, those dealing with life-threatening illnesses—people who have overcome things with cannabis. Those are the new faces of cannabis that I see. In the United States, we’re already starting to rebrand it really, and we've made a lot of progress away from the lazy stoner sitting on the couch. People understand that there are some pretty hard-charging, successful people like Elon Musk smoking weed with Joe Rogan on his podcast, and those guys have a net worth of more than probably everybody listening to this show. 

9. What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders looking to build their own unique cannabis brand? (46:16)

A mistake I see a lot of brands making is they try to be like mainstream alcohol brands, or tobacco brands, or even perfume brands or things like that; they try to emulate something that's trending in marketing or some other area of mainstream culture.

I don’t find that copycat thing very interesting. What I advise people to do when I consult with them is to create something authentic that comes from you, and perhaps your community.

Sitting Down With DWC Specialist Sebastian

10. What is your favourite strain at the moment? (52:54)

I'm very blessed right now because one of my clients is a man who collected strains from the early days of the 70s and 80s, and he and I are working together to get his strains to the market. So he's given me a couple of what we call landrace strains. One from Jamaica that's a pure Jamaican landrace strain, and the other to make an Afghan hybrid. I've been smoking those, and they're not available anywhere else for anyone else in the world.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: