Adolphus Busch V named Executive of the Year
In any organization, from a family to a boardroom, leadership plays a crucial role in navigating challenges and fostering growth. Nowhere is that more accurate than in the cannabis industry, and few exemplify that statement like a man who embodies both the spirit of entrepreneurship and stewardship, Adolphus A. Busch V.
For Busch, CEO of TEAL Cannabis, 2024 was a year of milestones, perseverance, and strategic expansion.
Recognized as Executive of the Year by readers in the Greenway Best of the Industry awards, Busch has demonstrated a commitment to innovation, teamwork, and community engagement. In addition to Busch, this year TEAL and in-house brand HiGH FiVE were both selected as Best of the Industry winners as well – Best Concentrate – Diamonds for TEAL Amaze Orange, and Best Edible – Mixer for HiGH FiVE STiRiBLES.
We recently sat down with Busch to reflect on his journey, the unique aspects of the cannabis industry, and his vision for the future.
A year of growth and challenges
“2024 brought a lot of challenges, but out of those challenges came a lot of great lessons that our team learned from and that we will approach differently when faced with them in the future. The consolidation of retail licenses in the Missouri market has probably been the largest challenge any standalone manufacturer has experienced in this market so far. The increased consolidation of retail licenses in MO has led to reciprocity for those who have cultivation and/or manufacturing paired with retail stores. This has made it harder to maintain strong relationships with some retailers as a standalone manufacturer. On the other side of the coin, we have strengthened and grown relationships with retailers who have supported us since the beginning. We have seen their sell through increase as loyal customers to our three brands, TEAL, HiGH FiVE, and Kusch, have been willing to shop elsewhere to buy our products.
“We were awarded our first dispensary license in May of 2024. This was a huge accomplishment for the Teal team. In the end, our appeals efforts resulted in a dispensary in Congressional District 2. Our dispensary brand is Current Cannabis and we are hoping to open our doors shortly before 4/20/2025. We chose a location close to the intersection of Interstate 255 and Telegraph Road in Oakville, Missouri, which we are excited about and eager to open once construction is complete and we receive our ATO letter.
“Our team worked on sourcing and implementing more automation for key product lines within our facility in 2024. Some of those key product lines included Teal and Kusch pre-rolls and the HiGH FiVE STiRiBLES line. We were successful in our hunt to find the right automation and spent a lot of time in Q4 2024 making sure the automation was running properly and our staff was trained on the equipment. It is exciting to enter into a new year with this automation in place and the opportunity to present to the large retail chains in 2025 with the hopes of expanding our distribution network in Missouri. Our team has done an amazing job increasing our production capacity and expanding our customer support bandwidth in order the support a larger distribution network.
“We successfully launched the Kusch brand and several new products under our High Five brand in 2024. The Kusch launch was a success and is positioned to be our cost-conscious brand of cannabis products with some exciting unique SKUs slated to launch in late 2025 or 2026. For now, the Kusch brand consists of 1g distillate cartridges, 1g distillate all-in-one vapes, and two different sizes of pre-roll packs, the weekend 3-pack and the weeklong 7-pack. Under the High Five brand, we launched our high potency STiRiBLES product, Citrus Punch 1:3 CBG gummies, and our Sour Lemon Lime 1:10 CBD gummies.
“Most importantly, our team continued to grow closer together in 2024 and strengthen our culture at Teal. We have an amazing team that works well together regardless of the task at hand. There is nothing more important in business than a cohesive team of colleagues that work together to accomplish the goals put in place. I could not be happier with the team we have built at Teal and the values we have continued to live by as a team. No one can navigate this industry alone and the team we have created is a true testament to how important a healthy team environment really is.”
What makes the cannabis industry unique from your perspective?
“In my opinion, the most unique parts about the cannabis industry are the ever-changing regulatory landscape and opportunities available due to the infancy of the industry. It is not often that you get to partake and help shape a new industry like the cannabis industry. Each state, and the stakeholders and policy makers within each state, have the ability to shape a new market with the best intentions in mind. During the infancy stage of these new markets comes once in a lifetime opportunity to help shape the industry and/or become a part of the industry and help lead the way. There are always challenges and not everything always pans out the way you had hoped, but the lessons you learn along the way will make you stronger and help shape your business strategies for future success. Whether you have the desire to start your own cannabis business or a business that provides services to the cannabis industry, the opportunity and upside potential are endless in this budding industry.”
Where does your passion for cannabis come from?
“I have been passionate about cannabis for a long time. My family used to travel to a few places each year when I was younger, that each had different and unique cannabis cultures. The western United States was one of those places. My family used to road trip out west each summer and spend a few weeks traveling through Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana, with the stopping point usually being somewhere in Idaho. As I learned more about cannabis, I started to seek out the cannabis cultures more on those trips out west and grew to love them and truly respect the plant.
“The other two places that really deepened my knowledge and respect for cannabis and the different cultures are Key West, Florida, and a little island in the Bahamas called Crooked Island. I spent a lot of time in the Keys, specifically Marathon and Key West, in my teenage years. My dad lived there for the majority of the year and I visited a couple of times a year. For those who know Key West, they know that cannabis has always been a big part of the culture in Key West. I learned a lot in those years, visiting the Keys and spending time on Duval Street in Key West.
“Crooked Island in the Bahamas has a special place in my heart. I am not sure how many times we have had the pleasure of visiting Crooked Island, but it was once per year and enough years of my childhood through my early 20s to get to know a good handful of the ~300 local Bahamians who live on the island. It is hands down one of the coolest cultures I have ever been able to experience first-hand. The people are incredibly nice and they rely almost fully on the land and the ocean for survival. Ganja in their culture is very spiritual and is used for healing the body and the mind. Experiencing cannabis in their culture changed my entire perspective on the cannabis plant, and so did my love for Bob Marle,y which is always very present in the islands as well.
“Somewhere along the line, I talked my mom into buying me the Cannabible books by Jason King. If I had to guess, I was probably 14 or 15 years old. I studied those books a lot because I was fascinated with the different strains of cannabis and where they came from all over the world. If you are not familiar with the books, Jason King’s three-book series documents his travel all over the world visiting different cultures that are known for their cannabis, trying different strains, and documenting the experiences. My mom is an amazing lady and has always supported me in all of my interests. I still believe that these books helped shape my path into the cannabis space.
“At the end of the day, I believe in the healing powers of the cannabis plant and each culture I have been able to experience or read about over the years has helped deepen my understanding of another and the different reasons people use and enjoy the plant. I enjoy cannabis for a number of reasons, but most importantly, it makes me a better person.”
Can you tell us about your approach to community involvement?
“I have always been extremely passionate about the outdoors as you can probably tell with some of our brand names and brand identities. There are so many positive efforts in the cannabis industry focusing on raising money for and giving back to communities to create a positive impact. Our community involvement efforts are largely focused on the environment and doing what we can to leave this world just a little better than we found it. We are also involved with a few local charities for specific awareness events that we are excited to get more involved with in 2025.
“From a cannabis community standpoint, we engage with each Missouri cannabis industry community monthly. It is important for us to show love to and give back to the local cannabis industry communities in Missouri that support our brands and products. We truly care about them and want to show support by giving back through events where we get to connect and engage with industry workers throughout Missouri. Without the rest of the industry and the front line that represents our brands in dispensaries, we would not be able to do what we love doing, making some of the best cannabis products Missouri has to offer.”
What do you consider your greatest success or achievement in 2024?
“From a growth standpoint, acquiring our first dispensary in 2024 was probably the biggest achievement. With the market consolidation taking place in Missouri, it is crucial for us to get into the retail side of the industry. Our brands are not yet nationally recognized and therefore it is important to further establish our company as a Missouri staple by increasing our licensure in a smart way. I am aware that one dispensary will not change things overnight for us and our relationships with the large retail chains in Missouri, but it is one step in the right direction. Through strategically growing our retail footprint and never losing sight of quality, consistency and innovation within our brands and products, I am confident we can continue to grow and remain an industry leader.
“With that said, I believe that our greatest success is our team. We have one of the best teams out there. There is so much passion and love for the cannabis plant and the community within our team, that everything else comes out shining at the end of the day. If you put together the right team and stay true to your values, the rest will work itself out.”
Leadership and insight
Given that Busch’s peers see him as not only a valuable asset to the industry, but as one of the best examples of leadership in the market, we felt it appropriate to ask for his thoughts and philosophies on some of the key aspects of organizational management and guidance.
What makes a good leader?
“In my opinion, a good leader comes from those who they choose to surround themselves with. I have said it a few times, but no one can do this alone and the best way to achieve success in the business world is to work with people who lift you up, who have the same passion and drive, and who share similar values. Our team works well together because everyone challenges one another to be better. Don’t get me wrong, there are always challenges and hurdles to overcome, but the right team helps you navigate those challenges and come out better in the end.
“I will also give some credit to Brene Brown. Her studies on courage, vulnerability, shame and empathy are important as a leader and in everyday life. ‘Clear is kind, unclear is unkind’ is one of her quotes and that is powerful in life and interactions with other people. I am certainly not perfect and have a long way to go before I would consider myself a good or great leader, but her books certainly have given me some helpful tips.”
How do you define success?
“I define success as waking up each morning excited to go into work and see my team. I am thankful that I found my passion and am excited to go to work every day. Our team certainly helps with the excitement every morning since they are basically family now and I enjoy seeing them 5, maybe 6, days of the week. If you find what you love, it does not feel like work.”
What advice would you give to others in the cannabis industry?
“Oh man… I would say that if the next 11 years are as crazy as the last 11 that I have experienced, then get ready for a crazy roller coaster ride of regulatory and market changes and a fast pace environment with challenges and obstacles to overcome regularly. Familiarize yourself with the rules, stay diligent, and focus on quality and community.”
What differentiates TEAL from others in Missouri?
“I have mentioned this multiple times already, but our team’s passion for the plant shows through in everything that we do. Our consistent high quality and attention to detail makes us stand out in the Missouri market.
“Our focus on the environment is another aspect of our company that differentiates us from others. I truly believe that not enough companies in all industries are focused on improving our environment through their community engagement efforts and their own business practices. We are certainly not perfect, but every effort counts and we need to start paying more attention to this for our future generations.
“Lastly, our team is really focused on scaling our water soluble powder line. We were first to market in Missouri with a water soluble powder under the HiGH FiVE brand called STiRiBLES. I love this delivery method as it is so convenient and versatile. Our team has a lot of expertise in extraction and as we continue to grow our extraction knowledge and strengthen our processes under the TEAL brand, we are also able to further perfect and expand our HiGH FiVE STiRiBLES line of products.
What do you see as the greatest obstacle in leading a cannabis business?
“At this time, it truly depends on the market. With the different regulatory landscape and licensure structure in every state, the greatest obstacles change depending on the state that you are operating in. I would say that the greatest obstacle for Teal has been the rapid market consolidation on the retail front and the reciprocal relationships that take place in Missouri. Without more to offer than just buying power at the manufacturing level, large dispensary chains who also have cultivation and/or manufacturing operations are less inclined to save shelf space for those who cannot carry their products at the retail level as well. This has become our largest obstacle in Missouri, but we remain heads down with a focus on quality, consistency and customer support.
Generally speaking, I would say that the largest obstacles in the cannabis industry are going to stem from the regulatory landscape and the licensure structure. It is important to understand the regulatory and licensure landscape of each market before considering starting a business or working in the cannabis space. If you are wanting to start a business, understand the market landscape and then tailor your business model to the market accordingly.
Lastly, the access to capital to grow quickly is also hard to come by in the cannabis space. Timely payments have also plagued this industry, and if you are a small operator without the retail component, you have to operate very efficiently and keep a close eye on receivables so you can handle them before they get out of control. Access to capital and slow paying makes it very challenging to operate a small business in the space.”
Spending time with and talking to Busch it’s easy to understand how his leadership has not only propelled TEAL Cannabis forward but has also contributed to the broader industry’s growth in Missouri. A thoughtful speaker and a straight shooter, Busch has fostered an environment of likeminded people to help carry forward his passion for not just the cannabis plant but the world and community it is rooted in. As TEAL continues to expand its footprint, Busch remains dedicated to maintaining high standards and fostering a culture of excellence, positioning himself and his company as true leaders in the cannabis space.
Brandon Dunn contributed to this article.
