An Interview with Calvin Johnson Jr., NFL Hall of Famer and CEO of Primitiv
Most elite athletes struggle with their identity towards the end of their playing days. Unwilling to make the leap into the great unknown that is their post-playing career, we’ve seen countless NFL athletes hang on one or two many extra seasons, or struggle with finding purpose once their cleats are hung up for good.
Calvin Johnson Jr. is different. Having already locked up a trip to the Hall of Fame by his ninth season in the league (His 5,137 receiving yards from 2011 to 2013 are the most by any player over a three-year stretch in pro football history), he left the NFL on his own terms and quickly moved on to the next chapter of his life: becoming a cannabis industry executive.
Teaming up with fellow NFL alum Rob Sims, Johnson launched Primitiv in 2021 after several years of effort to get open. In addition to operating it’s own cultivation center, the company also runs a retail store in Niles, Michigan, and has quickly made a name for itself in the Wolverine State.
I got the chance to sit down with Calvin last week at MJBizCon in Las Vegas, where we discussed life in the cannabis industry, the state of the market in Michigan, and what he’s learned so far in his time in the marijuana space.
So, honestly, what do you think of MJBizCon?
I love it, man. This is my second year here. I love to just come out and see if there’s any new innovations, just being able to see what’s coming, what’s new and how we can apply it.
It’s kind of crazy to see the scale of the conference, isn’t it? It’s a little bit intimidating?
It is. I came here last year for the first time and I was like “Whoa!”
For me, I’m a kid in a candy shop. There’s so much to learn, and the industry is so on-tap here.
What made you make the jump into the industry? I know you were always a consumer, but what made you actually pull the trigger to jump in?
In Michigan, we were in the real estate industry when “green zones” (cannabis-zoned properties) came online, and we we’re like okay, let’s grab one of these properties and get a tenant in there to start paying rent. But then we realized we know what a good team looks like, so we put a team together to go after [the license ourselves]. Just putting those plans together, putting those goals out there, there’s really nothing that stops us when we put our mind to it. Through all the ups-and-downs of football and all the learning, we just put out what we want to do, and then try to make A and B meet. We’ve been in the industry about four years now.
We were in a position where we were able to go after our own license, and at the end of the day there has to be an end-game. To benefit the most, you have to have ownership.
What have you learned in your time in the cannabis space?
I’ve learned a lot about the endocannabnoid system, and how cannabis better effects your body. But business-wise? That’s where the most learning has come from.
We bumped our heads a lot. We had a lot of setbacks, whether it was the city or state denying us for reasons that were technically BS, or just having to pivot from our initial plan. Sometimes you see the industry doing something and you have to correct course. I think being nimble is the biggest key to being in this industry.
What are your thoughts on the current state of the cannabis industry in Michigan?
It’s moved faster than I thought it would. Two years ago, we were selling products for just under a $1000 a pound. Now, I can literally buy product for the cost that I can grow it. In some places, if you’re a retailer right now, it’s kind of advantageous. You almost simulate being vertically integrated because if you can make something for $700 and then sell it out your own door for $1500, that’s a big deal.
In terms of diversity, there’s a lot of talk about social equity and what regulators can do, but what can business owners in the space do to improve that situation?
They got to have a social equity program themselves. It’s got to be something you keep an eye on. We have a cultural officer in our company that keeps an eye on that, and he lets us know when we’re out of whack with our diversity and inclusion.
It’s hard though. In Michigan, a lot of black folks don’t live in these rural areas. You want to pull talent from the areas you’re working in, so for us in that capacity it can be tougher. But we do try to keep conscious of it, and we’re sure to go out of our way to hire people from different backgrounds.
What other cannabis brands or companies do you respect or appreciate?
There’s a lot. Speaking in general terms, it’s tough for minorities in this business. You need to have a lot of financial backing, and for the most part, a lot of minorities who are in the business currently are celebrities who can fund their own companies.
I love the caregiver model, and it sucks because it’s going away a bit. The people who were there when the industry was black, they were the pioneers. To see their opportunities going away, it sucks. So we definitely advocate for those people.
Do you ever want to expand into other markets, and what do you think of the MSO (multi-state operator) game in general right now? “MSO” has almost become a derogatory term in a lot of ways. Do you agree with that?
MSOs are different, man. It’s tough, because regulations in each state are so different. That creates headaches in terms of your SOPs and how you operate as a business.
But for us, we still want to get into more states. That’s happening now. We’re in the process of doing licensing deals, not necessarily brick and mortar deals, unless those happen to make sense.
Any states in particular you’re targeting?
I kind of feel like I’d be violating my non-disclosure agreement if I get into that! [Laughs.] We’re looking to get onto both the East and West Coasts though.
What would be your advice to other celebrities who are looking to get into the space?
You got to be authentic. If you’re not coming from a place of authenticity, you’re going to get found out.
And it’s not hard! Why do you like cannabis? What about cannabis keeps you up? What about cannabis makes you happy? What about cannabis pisses you off? Find your passion through that lens if you’re coming into the space, because there’s a lot of celebrities where it’s just a money grab, and that’s obvious. Those guys come and go; you hear about them last year and they’re gone this year. If you’re in the industry for real, it’s 24/7.
You got people, you got numbers, you got all these things to worry about. For me, it’s making sure my people, my numbers, and my culture are right. It never ends, there’s always an issue with your team, there’s always something you could tighten up, there’s always a process that could get better. If you’re a celebrity and you’re just a face put on a bag, you don’t really understand that.
You got to talk to Ricky Williams today. What influence did he have on your career — both as a football player and in the cannabis space? Did you face any similar backlash?
Ricky was my favorite running back coming up. He was a little less than ten years in front of me, so I was able to see his whole career. I was using cannabis, and I was able to see how he was demonized for doing the same thing.
All the time, I thought it was bullshit. I learned about cannabis when I went to college and was able to partake in cannabis then, but growing up in the South and the Bible Belt, the stereotypes were strong. I had family who were put in jail for cannabis. So for my family, this was a huge no-no. It was taboo.
I thought I was going to get disowned by my mom when I got into the industry, because she was so against it. But now, we’re at the point where’s she asking me for the cannabis topical cream we’re producing, because it helps her.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
If you enjoyed this interview, consider subscribing to Burn After Reading. A free subscription gets you access to my weekly newsletter.
And if you would like to help support my young career in cannabis media, please consider [a very reasonably priced] paid subscription. I’m going to be dropping my first piece of content that is for paid subscribers only sometime next week.