How Jamie Pearson transformed from cannabis skeptic to international CEO

Growing up during the Just Say No 1980s, Jamie Pearson viewed her marijuana-growing father as a “loser” who risked everything for the plant.

But over time, she came to recognize her father as a pioneer.

He valued cannabis’ medical benefits after discovered during his Vietnam War service.

“He knew that it made him feel better, calmed his anxiety, helped with ADHD,” Pearson told MJBizDaily.

Now president of Montana-based global cannabis consulting firm New Holland Group, Pearson grew more accepting of the plant through another family tie: her cousin, DJ Muggs of the hip-hop group Cypress Hill.

Pearson initially partnered with Muggs in real estate deals to supplement her modest teacher’s income. Later, as legalization caught on, he sought her help evaluating cannabis business opportunities.

She was hesitant at first. But Muggs reminded Pearson of the cannabis knowledge she gained through her father. “You’ve forgotten more about cannabis than most people will ever know,” he told her.

Encouraged, Pearson immersed herself in the industry, attending events like MJBizCon to learn the ropes.

Cypress Hill’s vision was to create a meaningful cannabis product, rather than just licensing their name.

That led her to edibles manufacturer Bhang Inc. in 2016, where she worked with the band to develop a few products that immediately sold out.

“They were collectors’ items – it was a done deal, and Bhang asked me if I would come on just to run that project,” said Pearson, who was named president of Bhang in 2019, the year the company went public.

After leaving Bhang, Pearson founded New Holland Group in 2022.

The global consulting firm draws from Pearson’s extensive expertise in both the cannabis and real estate sectors. Her expertise spans the global supply chain, from cultivation to distribution and New Holland’s services include strategic planning, capital raising and executive coaching.

She sees opportunities for American cannabis cultivators in Europe, pointing to Canada-based Aurora Cannabis Inc.’s earning “plant variety rights” for two of its proprietary cannabis varieties.

“In the 37 European states, they control those two strains,” Pearson said. “That means if they come into the U.S. post-rescheduling, they will be able to trademark those strains immediately because they’ve already got evidence that they own those trademarks.

“If I were a brand in the U.S. growing a specific cultivar, I’d get myself over to Europe and get that registered.”

Pearson believes federal cannabis rescheduling will open up global free trade for the industry.

She who views it is through the lens of mainstream pharmaceuticals. Consumers who want certain over-the-counter drugs can order online and have it shipped directly to their doors without visiting a doctor.

She believes pharmaceutical-grade cannabis should be treated the same way.

“We do free trade in pharmaceuticals and all of that goes back and forth across borders,” Pearson said. “If they allow (cannabis) to be a true Schedule 3 drug, you’re just gonna see the cross-border activity explode.”

Pearson recognizes the challenges of navigating international markets, from understanding the litigious nature of American business practices to respecting the cultural priorities of saving face in Asian countries.

“We approach business relationships from the perspective of knowing that everything’s litigious, but we don’t necessarily realize that’s the filter,” she said.

“On the other side of that is the people of other cultures are like, ‘Why is the contract written like this?’”

Pearson strives to stay ahead of market trends.  She’s an avid consumer of industry news and constantly monitors legislative changes and emerging opportunities.

Anyone in the industry should be doing the same, she said.

At the moment, Pearson is monitoring the oversupply of cannabis in Germany. During the second quarter of 2025, German cannabis imports increased by 15% to 43.3 tonnes, up from 37.5 tonnes in the first quarter, according to Business of Cannabis.

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Industry stakeholders are grappling with the effects of market saturation, leaving them with little choice but to lower their prices. The average price for medical cannabis flower dropped from 8.2 euros ($9.74) per gram to 5.2 euros in 2025, according to Cannamonitor.

“I’m watching that with a careful eye,” she said.

“As people are figuring out that Germany’s been growing robustly, the people who are late to the party are trying to find buyers in Germany.”

Margaret Jackson can be reached at margaret.jackson@mjbizdaily.com.