Rapper, entrepreneur, CEO: Gilbert Milam Jr., or Berner as he is more commonly known, wears many hats. Through music, fashion and most notably cannabis, the San Francisco native has built a business empire valued in the hundreds of millions.
Cookies, the brand he co-founded in 2010, operates a licensing system that spans more than 70 stores and dispensaries, across six countries, selling award-winning cannabis, branded clothing and weed paraphernalia.
The growth of the brand has coincided with Berner’s music career. A string of high-profile collaborations with rappers like Snoop Dogg, not to mention Berner’s two million-plus Instagram followers, have built a formidable marketing reach.
This growth has not proceeded untested, however. At time of writing Berner and Cookies faced a number of lawsuits from former investors, business partners and competitors.
Yet Berner remains one of the highest-profile names in the global cannabis industry. In 2022, he became the first cannabis executive to appear on the cover of Forbes magazine.
What would you say to cannabis operators looking for outside funding to grow their business? In any business, whether it be cannabis or music, be careful.
You should do your full research on that (investment) group’s history, the people they invested in. How are things going with the people they invested in? Do they have a lot of problems? Is there a pattern? Get to know your investors and make sure your investors are in line with your vision and what you want to do and how you’re going to do it. Make sure they not only believe in you, but respect you.
And understand that wherever you’re at in your business, whether you’re small or tall, that the reason why you are wherever you are at is because of what you did prior to money.
What should potential investors consider when backing a cannabis businesses? You want to go with people that have actual hands-on experience and passion. Anyone can build a brand, anyone can start a business, anyone can look at a playbook and try to follow it. But who’s got real recipes? That’s what I would look for if I was a VC.
If I was the head of a huge fund, I would look for real, actual talent. Not whether you can make a pretty bag or have marketing experience from Sprite or Nike. That’s not tight. Who’s been selling weed, who’s been cultivating weed, who’s been running stores? That’s what I’d look for.
Cannabis is a unique industry. What should external people know about working in it? Marijuana people speak a different language. It’s just a whole different world.
So take the time to learn about what makes weed good, what makes weed bad. Learn about what’s a hype flavor profile. Why is this flavor profile popping? Understand weed, smoke weed. Even if you don’t smoke weed, whatever, smoke some weed. Experience it, understand how it makes you feel, understand taste. See if you can tell the difference between tastes.
If you don’t take the time to learn about it, then you’re not going to be good at it. You can’t get in the boxing ring without learning how to fight.
You’ve faced some well-publicized legal challenges recently. Has this been the most difficult period of your career? No, I’ve had bigger challenges.
Challenges in business are just a reminder that there’s nothing easy about being successful. Things come with success and then there’s a bunch of bumps in the road. But that’s what we’re here for. If you’re not making noise you won’t have any challenges. If you’re not making a difference or making an impact, you won’t have any challenges.
If people are hating on you, you’re doing something right. So I’m blessed to have challenges and struggles because that means I’m still in business.
You’ve maintained a high output through various work and life challenges. How are you feeling right now? I feel stronger than ever. Things that affected me before don’t affect me now. And you kind of realize where things are and when they’re really not. So mentally, I think I’m stronger than I’ve ever been.
I just beat the big C, so I kind of feel like Iron Man and I’m not really worried about anything except what I can control. And you control what you can control and whatever you can’t control, is in the universe’s hands. But mentally, I feel great right now. I feel like I’m probably stronger than I was five years ago. Two years ago. A year ago.
How do you reflect on your experience with cancer? It was a very hard experience mentally and physically. Honestly, I hate to say this and sound weird, but it was probably the biggest blessing I’ve ever had as a human because I look at things in a whole different perspective now.
My purpose here is way stronger and I just appreciate a lot more things than I did before. It really makes you realize that we’re not really here for that long and while we are here, it’s very precious and very important to be happy and be doing things that you like.
As a San Franciscan, what do you make of the current state of the city? I think there’s some good things about S.F., but the whole bipping (car break-ins) thing is out of control. I’m a hustler. I come from getting money the hard way. But robbing is really petty in my mind. No one feels safe coming to the Bay anymore, getting their windows broken, getting their things taken while they’re shopping.
The city has changed in a really weird way. It got gentrified, it got ghosted. Now (city officials) are just allowing anything. It’s almost like they just don’t care.
It makes me want to run for mayor one day.
What’s your favorite Bay Area restaurant? It’s tough to name just one. But my first has to be Marnee Thai on Ninth and Irving. I would probably order angel wings, some basil chicken, barbecue pork fried rice and chicken pad thai. That was if I was being a bad boy. My second favorite would probably be San Tung on Seventh and Irving and I would get the dry fried chicken wings, green beans, rice and pot stickers, I don’t really touch anything else there. It’s fire every time. And my third favorite restaurant in S.F. would probably have to be La Taqueria on 25th and Mission. Give me a carnitas tacos super and a carnitas super burrito.
Where would you take tourists for a Bay Area day out? I’d take them down Haight Street. Then go get high down the Embarcadero right there along the water. I would definitely like them to see Sausalito. Sausalito’s a vibe. And then just for a quick reality check the Tenderloin, sit in the backseat and drive around the Tenderloin for a bit. The Tenderloin is a big reality check on where the world is at right now.
ABOUT BERNER
Age: 41
Born: San Francisco
Residence: Bay Area
Most streamed songs on Spotify: “20 Joints;” “El Chivo” (feat. T3r Elemento); “Ayy” (feat. YG & Logic)
Artists collaborated with: Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, G-Eazy, Nipsy Hussle, and more.
ABOUT COOKIES
Founded: 2010
Founders: Berner and cannabis breeder and cultivator, Jai, aka “the cannabis whisperer”
HQ: San Francisco
Funding: Cookies closed an undisclosed Series A round in 2023, its most significant funding since launch
Number of stores: Over 70
Best selling cannabis strain: Cinnamon Milk Flower
Did you know: the Cookies brand name comes from an infamous cannabis strain, “Girl Scout Cookies”
H/T: www.bizjournals.com
