{"id":2452626,"date":"2019-12-26T14:07:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-26T21:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=318212"},"modified":"2019-12-26T14:07:00","modified_gmt":"2019-12-26T21:07:00","slug":"high-country-high-q-owner-renee-grossman-reflects-on-making-snowmass-village-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/high-country-high-q-owner-renee-grossman-reflects-on-making-snowmass-village-history\/","title":{"rendered":"High Country: High Q owner Ren\u00e9e Grossman reflects on making Snowmass Village history"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.755376344086\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-318212-484\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/HighQ-atw-122619-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/HighQ-atw-122619-2-1024x684.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Renee Grossman poses for a portrait in the newly opened High Q Recreational Marijuana Dispensary in the Village Mall in Snowmass on Tuesday, December 17, 2019. \" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Renee Grossman poses for a portrait in the newly opened High Q Recreational Marijuana Dispensary in the Village Mall in Snowmass on Tuesday, December 17, 2019. <\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/HighQ-atw-122619-2-1024x684.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Renee Grossman poses for a portrait in the newly opened High Q Recreational Marijuana Dispensary in the Village Mall in Snowmass on Tuesday, December 17, 2019. \"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/HighQ-atw-122619-2-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/HighQ-atw-122619-2-1-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Mountain views can be seen from the large windows in the newly opened High Q in Snowmass Village Mall on Tuesday, December 17, 2019. \" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Mountain views can be seen from the large windows in the newly opened High Q in Snowmass Village Mall on Tuesday, December 17, 2019. <\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/HighQ-atw-122619-2-1-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Mountain views can be seen from the large windows in the newly opened High Q in Snowmass Village Mall on Tuesday, December 17, 2019. \"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/HighQ-atw-122619-2-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/HighQ-atw-122619-2-2-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Marijuana is displayed in glass canisters in glass cases around High Q in the Snowmass Village Mall on Tuesday, December 17, 2019. \" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Marijuana is displayed in glass canisters in glass cases around High Q in the Snowmass Village Mall on Tuesday, December 17, 2019. <\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/HighQ-atw-122619-2-2-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Marijuana is displayed in glass canisters in glass cases around High Q in the Snowmass Village Mall on Tuesday, December 17, 2019. \"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/HighQ-atw-122619-2-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/HighQ-atw-122619-2-3-1024x611.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Marijuana products are displayed against windows with a mountain view in High Q Recreational Marijuana Dispensary in Snowmass Village Mall on Tuesday, December 17, 2019. \" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11\">\n<p><strong>Marijuana products are displayed against windows with a mountain view in High Q Recreational Marijuana Dispensary in Snowmass Village Mall on Tuesday, December 17, 2019. <\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/HighQ-atw-122619-2-3-1024x611.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Marijuana products are displayed against windows with a mountain view in High Q Recreational Marijuana Dispensary in Snowmass Village Mall on Tuesday, December 17, 2019. \"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/high-country-high-q-owner-renee-grossman-reflects-on-making-snowmass-village-history\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/high-country-high-q-owner-renee-grossman-reflects-on-making-snowmass-village-history\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Despite Colorado legalizing marijuana for adult use, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2014, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westword.com\/marijuana\/navigating-weed-and-hemps-alphabet-soup-of-cbd-cbn-and-more-11575503\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"approximately only 30% (opens in a new tab)\">approximately only 30%<\/a> of the state\u2019s towns and cities currently allow cannabis sales. The Elk Mountains enclave of Snowmass Village was one such municipality hesitant to move on marijuana, swiftly adopting a moratorium on marijuana retail six years ago \u2014 even with its small population passing Amendment 64 with 72% of voters in 2012. But now, and just in time for the Christmas week rush of vacationers, the Town of Snowmass Village is officially open for cannabusiness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">High Q, locally owned by Ren\u00e9e Grossman, not only toasted to the opening of its <a href=\"https:\/\/highqrockies.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"third location (opens in a new tab)\">third location<\/a> on Dec. 14, but also celebrated the end of a yearslong undertaking. Two members of Snowmass Town Council (including Mayor Markey Butler) had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/marijuana-sales-moving-forward-in-snowmass-village\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"contentiously opposed (opens in a new tab)\">contentiously opposed<\/a> marijuana previously, citing fears ranging from tarnishing the resort\u2019s family-friendly image to negatively impacting children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Ultimately, after voting in favor of a moratorium extension three times since 2013, Town Council approved the zoning ordinance along with a set of carefully crafted regulations for marijuana dispensaries operating in the village <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/snowmass\/pot-passes-snowmass-council-oks-marijuana-ordinance-rules-in-3-2-vote\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"in March (opens in a new tab)\">in March<\/a>. Six months later, Grossman presented a comprehensive business plan for High Q and was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/officials-ok-first-smass-dispensary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"unanimously approved (opens in a new tab)\">unanimously approved<\/a> to operate the first-ever dispensary in Snowmass \u2014 one of 11 applicants the Romero Group vetted to lease its space on the second level of the Village Mall.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Grossman came to Colorado after two decades on Wall Street as an investment banker. She was commuting for nearly five years when the legal industry started to take shape and decided to embark on an encore career in cannabis. The Wharton MBA graduate started High Q in 2014 with her first store in Silt, later expanding to Carbondale in 2018.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">Meanwhile in Aspen, marijuana was embraced from the beginning. The downtown core is known as having the state\u2019s highest density of dispensaries per capita with eight stores (about one shop for every 900 full-time residents). Like Aspen, Snowmass did not institute a cap to the number of dispensaries it will allow. Grossman says she expects (and welcomes) at least two more stores in the next two years. Assistant Town Manager Travis Elliott said, \u201cHigh Q has been a model business for the future from the town\u2019s perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">During a break on her already-busy second day in business, I sat down with Grossman in-store at High Q to get her reflections on making ski town history in Snowmass Village.<\/p>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\"><span>On perseverance:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cThis whole process has been long, but it\u2019s been great because it was really about hard work, perseverance and dedication. Being selected was an amazing moment \u2014 and that it was because of merit as opposed to politics. The first time I saw the name on the door I thought, \u2018This is real, this is actually happening.\u2019 Snowmass was cautious and took their time and I\u2019m proud that I\u2019ve changed their perception into a positive one. The promise here is one that\u2019s going enhance the community and be a resource for loyal locals as well as tourists that still might be new to cannabis. It\u2019s been encouraging to see an outpouring of support so far.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\"><span>On High Q\u2019s high quality:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cThe flower that we sell is grown in a living soil using organic cultivation practices, which produces a better product. When plants are grown the way nature intended, they take their nutrients up from the micro-organisms directly, which means more cannabinoids and a higher terpene profile. The curing process is also important because like a fine wine, it enhances the smoking experience. We also only prepackage our flower about a day in advance at most. As other stores scale larger, it\u2019s usually sitting in containers for weeks and it is sold dried out. And we carry the cleanest concentrates without any additives \u2014 no (legal) marijuana companies in Colorado are permitted to use what\u2019s caused the recent health scare.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\"><span>On women in cannabusiness:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cI\u2019d say the only business that\u2019s more challenging for women than finance is energy (Grossman also has previous experience as a coal industry executive). When I saw marijuana being sold legally, I saw it as a huge consumer products opportunity. The first industry I covered in finance was retail, so I knew it was a lower cost way for me to get into the space. I attended an early Women Grow conference where I met so many great women running cannabis businesses \u2014 I was so excited because I had never seen such support for women before in any industry I had worked in. But there\u2019s an evolution happening, where the maturation of this industry means more male executives coming into cannabis with a lot of capital. I never had a mentor, so I love meeting young women in cannabis who look at me and say, \u2018Wow, you did it, so can I.\u2019 I\u2019m 52 years old and that is the most rewarding for me \u2014 it was so much harder for women before.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\"><span>On the corporatization of cannabis retail:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of consolidation starting in the marketplace right now. This year, the state allowed public company ownership, so we\u2019re seeing more money come into the state to buy up smaller stores and build larger chains. High Q has a successful retail model, but the changing dynamic in the industry is making it harder for smaller companies like us.. We believe in the \u2018shop local\u2019 mentality \u2014 you\u2019re going to get a higher quality experience when you support your local businesses. I know all of my (29) employees \u2014 and probably too much about them \u2014 I never had children, so they\u2019re like my kids. I don\u2019t want to be a big chain. I am happy being a nice little regional player.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\"><span>On what\u2019s next:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cI was very fortunate that I was able to open my first two stores on my own using some of my savings. Snowmass was a much bigger undertaking with extensive renovations, so I brought in two outside investors who\u2019ve been incredibly supportive of the business. We are reinvesting together and raising capital now to build a local grow facility and solvent-less extract lab in the next year. This will predominantly supply my stores, but we will also be expanding to the wholesale market.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\"><span>On finding her forever home:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\">\u201cI loved living in New York City when I was younger. We would vacation in Aspen \u2014 I was a typical yuppie. I thought, \u2018Wow! The people who get to live here, look how lucky they are.\u2019 I moved to Old Snowmass about three years ago and knew it was my forever home. It\u2019s more rural, but you have the best of both worlds here \u2014 I have water buffalo roaming behind my house, but am close to Aspen with access to one of the best arts and culture scenes in the country. To me, (the Roaring Fork Valley) is the best place on Earth to live. And that I was able to open a High Q store in my backyard? I\u2019m just so thrilled.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Special Sections-ATW-ATW_Body_Serif\"><span>Katie Shapiro can be reached at <a href=\"mailto:katie@katieshapiromedia.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"katie@katieshapiromedia.com (opens in a new tab)\">katie@katieshapiromedia.com<\/a> and followed on Twitter <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/bykatieshapiro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"@bykatieshapiro (opens in a new tab)\">@bykatieshapiro<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/high-country-high-q-owner-renee-grossman-reflects-on-making-snowmass-village-history\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Renee Grossman poses for a portrait in the newly opened High Q Recreational Marijuana Dispensary in the Village Mall in Snowmass on Tuesday, December 17, 2019. Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times Mountain views can be seen from the large windows in the newly opened High Q in Snowmass Village Mall on Tuesday, December 17, 2019. Kelsey [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2452626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-19 00:06:18","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2452626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2452626"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2452626\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2452626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2452626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2452626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}