Guardians of Ganja: The Cannabis Insurance Company Covering Your Grass 

Even though the American cannabis industry became a multi-billion-dollar industry years ago, a decent number of insurance companies are still hesitant to work with cannabis businesses. Whether it’s due to the federally prohibited status surrounding cannabis or certain internal policies among the larger insurance providers that dictate which risks will be insured, the process of finding a quality and reliable insurance provider for licensed cannabis businesses can be quite arduous.   

Especially with the multimillion-dollar cultivation and manufacturing operation setups and subsequent wholesale transactions that are equally lucrative and costly, having dedicated and thorough insurance policies in place is now beyond necessity.       

Luckily for those cannabis businesses, Guardians of Ganja is a top-tier insurance agency with a memorable name whose operations and robust policies are created and tailored specifically to the very necessary and precise requirements of those cannabis businesses.   

“One of the best things about cannabis is its ability to free your mind from the constraints of life,” says Jason Ascheman, co-owner of the agency solely focused on the cannabis industry. “After some research, we found the industry was grossly underserved. Guardians of Ganja started with the desire to find something no one else was doing, something that was equally unique, challenging and something that we wholeheartedly believe in.” 

The agency’s primary location of Billings, Montana, is certainly a preferable one from both a cannabis and agricultural standpoint. The state legalized adult-use cannabis back in 2020 (for a second time) and has had a vibrant adult-use market for well over 3 years, surpassing $1 billion in total sales at the end of 2024. Similarly, the state’s agricultural industry is nothing short of massive, being a major producer of cattle and several varieties of wheat.   

Prior to entering the insurance industry, Guardians of Ganja’s second co-owner, Dalton Knutson, held a variety of interesting and honorable positions, including everything from selling solar panels to bravely serving as a firefighter. Unfortunately, his diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease from his childhood worsened, and after major surgery, he had to resign from his role as a firefighter.    

“But it was after this that my belief in cannabis became stronger, the more I experimented with different treatment methods,” Knutson says. “It became something I wholeheartedly believed in and supported.” 

Knutson soon teamed up with Ascheman, who has over 8 years of experience in the insurance industry. While they both share a passion for the plant, Ascheman’s hands-on insurance experience combined with Knutson’s entrepreneurial and service-oriented nature gave them an edge. “We both realized the market was underserved,” Knutson explains, expressing how they truly have a desire to help cannabis-related companies protect what they have built.  

With the clever tagline of “Covering Your Grass for a Greener Tomorrow”, the services offered by Guardians of Ganja include policies that have been uniquely designed for every different plant-touching sector of the cannabis industry, along with ancillary businesses—everything from cultivation to manufacturing to retail to vital testing labs, even Lessors Risk policies for landlords with cannabis exposures. From the intricacies and detailed coverage options provided by their policies, it’s clear that the team at Guardians of Ganja has several years of experience working directly in this nascent yet heavily regulated industry. 

With liability coverages alone, so many common circumstances and situations that arise in compliant cannabis operations would be insured. A full spectrum of services is offered, from general liability to product liability and the very crucial professional liability.  

Some other very worthwhile sectors of successful cannabis operations covered through Guardian of Ganja’s policies are product deliveries of all varieties, as well as the transportation vehicles themselves. All types of deliveries, from individual home deliveries to large-scale deliveries, from cultivation facilities to dispensaries. Given how heavily monitored and documented every single cannabis delivery is via platforms like METRC by state regulators, regardless of size, the Guardians of Ganja team ensures that every element of the delivery process is diligently insured is of utmost importance.     

Even crop insurance—a vital safeguard that protects farmers’ investments from unexpected disasters—is available through Guardians of Ganja. Every single stage in the cultivation process is covered, from vegetation and harvest to the pivotal drying and curing stages.     

“We pride ourselves in creating personal connections and relationships with our clients to not only be their agent, but a trusted confidant and partner that has their best interest at heart,” Knutson says with pride.  

As the American cannabis industry evolves and expands at a more rapid pace than just about any other industry, the experienced team at Guardians of Ganja is committed to staying up to date on all those constant changes.   

“Along with this, we are continuously educating ourselves on the intricacies of the industry to ensure our recommendations are well-informed and knowledge-based. It’s our belief that putting the needs of the clients over anything else is always a win in the end,” Knutson explains. “To sum things up, GOG means so much more than just insurance. It’s real people with real experiences with cannabis that want to genuinely make a difference both personally and business-wise.”