After retiring from the U.S. Freestyle Aerial Ski Team, Jason Saunders used his passion for skiing to begin an entrepreneurial journey as a co-founder of an outdoor adventure travel company. That business did spark his entrepreneurial spirit, but it was the marijuana industry that he eventually decided to call home.

 

“The early 2000s saw the rise of the medical cannabis industry and with it came many new and lucrative opportunities,” said Saunders. His first exposure to this emerging market was through a family friend who had recently been diagnosed with cancer.

 

“Our family came together, along with a close family friend, and Chronic Therapy was born,” said Saunders.

 

In 2009, Saunders and his team risked everything to purchase a small licensed cultivation facility in Denver. By 2013, Saunders acquired a retail license, along with a new cultivation facility in Wheat Ridge. The next five years saw the opening of a new cannabis extraction facility, another cultivation license, as well as a second retail location. Chronic Therapy now has 66 employees, five operational licenses, numerous awards and a well-above average retail market share.

 

“From its birth, the Chronic Therapy team adopted a vertical growth strategy and a core value system centric around the belief that the manner in which a company grows is equally important as the growth itself,” said Saunders.

 

According to his colleagues, Saunders has been the integral force keeping Chronic Therapy on track with both of these goals. “Jason’s instincts paved the path to his current success while countless others who tried fell victim to the unknowns that surround the marijuana industry.”

 

Saunders’ humble attitude is one of the most distinguishing characteristics of his leadership style, his staff said. His ego does not prevent him from calling in expert assistance when augmentation of his team is necessary.

 

“I believe that effective leadership only comes with being a part of the team and creating strong bonds and genuine enthusiasm,” said Saunders. He subscribes to the idea of Richard Bronson’s quote: “Train people well enough so they can leave and treat them well enough so they don’t want to.”

 

His leadership and willingness to foster growth has led to Chronic Therapy earning numerous awards and recognitions, including the 2019 Connoisseur Cup, 1st place at the 2019 Rooster Magazine THC Classic and 1st place in potency at the 2018 Grow Off.

 

Saunders is committed to being vertically integrated and being a team player, even as a leader. That’s why he has been named a Titan of industry.