Tell us about your company
We started I Got The Munchies (IGTM) in 2015 after visiting Denver to see how the legal industry functioned. After attending some cannabis training classes in Las Vegas later that year, we decided to get into the cannabis business and wanted to help others get into the industry as well. Over the next five years, we traveled the country gathering information and building a hands-on network.
IGTM developed recipes and methods that we structured classes around to teach people how to infuse their own products at home or on a small business level. We initially started with a plant-based infusion method and then went on to develop methods to infuse food products with a clean BHO infusion method. With this method there is no plant by-product in your food item.
On Jan. 20, 2025, IGTM released our first products —lollipops — to the Illinois market. They can currently be found in 33 dispensaries in Illinois. Our lollipops come in 12 flavors and each package comes with four individually wrapped lollipops. We have the sweet spot for dosage, with our suckers dosed at 25 mg a piece – not too high, not too low. Last, but not least, we currently have the only licensed lollipop in the state of Illinois.

What motivated you to get involved in the cannabis space?
I was attracted to the cannabis space because it had a ground level entry point to get into the business through Illinois’ social equity program. I saw a lot of missed opportunities in the past, such as the internet boom, social media, crypto currency, and real estate. I knew that Illinois’ cannabis industry would be a multi-billion-dollar business, and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to get involved in the space.

What excites you about the industry?
Many things excite me about the industry, one of them being the opportunity that cannabis has created. Being involved in the cannabis industry has allowed me to employ and create opportunities for others in the space and to help minorities attain licensing in the state of Illinois. The other thing that excites me is the growth of our state’s cannabis industry. Despite COVID and downward trends in other industries, Illinois’ cannabis industry has defied the odds and continues to grow.

What are the biggest challenges facing Illinois’ cannabis industry?
The regulation cost is huge. It costs a lot of money to get into the cannabis industry, as well as to maintain and thrive in the space.

What do you want policymakers to know?
There are a lot of opportunities available, but we need some adjustments to the current model. Home delivery and marketing rules need to be much more relaxed, and the consumption lounge issues need to be resolved for the entire cannabis model to work in Illinois.

What advice would you give new or aspiring cannabis operators?
Partnering is KEY. No one can do this alone; you literally will need a team of 10 or more people. If you can’t work with multiple people, then being an operator might not be for you.