Berner becomes first cannabis exec to make the cover of Forbes August 17, 2022 By Griffin Coop Berner, the California cannabis entrepreneur whose name graces a Little Rock dispensary, has become the first cannabis executive to be featured on the cover of Forbes Magazine. The 38-year-old Berner, born Gilbert Anthony Milam, Jr., is a Bay Area rapper who co-founded the Cookies cannabis brand and serves as the company’s CEO. A dispensary in West Little Rock, called Berner’s by Good Day Farm, bears his name. Good Day Farm cultivation produces Cookies products in Arkansas and sells them at select dispensaries across the state. Berner’s by Good Day Farm carries the widest selection of Cookies products in the state, according to the folks at Good Day Farm. We wrote about Berner and Cookies as well as other celebrity cannabis brands in this month’s issue of the Arkansas Times. The Forbes Magazine article is only available to subscribers. Here’s the press release from Cookies: SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Forbes’ recent magazine covers have featured notable leaders and trailblazers including Vice President Kamala Harris, Spotify CEO and co-founder Daniel Ek, and brothers John and Patrick Collison, the co-founders of Stripe. And now, for the first time since the magazine launched in 1917, a cannabis executive will grace the cover of Forbes. Cookies Co-Founder and CEO Gilbert Anthony Milam Jr., also known as Berner, is featured on the August / September 2022 issue of Forbes. The editorial decision to spotlight the 38-year-old rapper and cannabis entrepreneur by one of the world’s most respected business publications represents yet another powerful milestone for the $72 billion cannabis industry. “It’s every entrepreneur’s dream to make the cover of Forbes, but the reality is very few founders and CEOs of the largest companies in the world will actually get a chance to achieve that goal,” said Berner. “I’ve been in the legal cannabis industry for 20 years and have dedicated most of my life to this fight. To be selected as one of the faces for federal legalization in our country is a huge compliment to my work. I’m extremely humbled, excited and motivated to keep pushing the cannabis industry forward and to continue representing minorities in the space. This is just the beginning for Cookies and I want to thank Forbes for helping us share our story.” The significant editorial marker follows AdAge naming Cookies one of the “Hottest Brands of 2021,” the first time the advertising industry’s top-tier publication honored a cannabis business with the annual accolade. Forbes staff writer Will Yakowicz, one of the most seasoned and accomplished reporters covering the complex and dynamic cannabis industry, said his story takes a closer look at the industry’s regulatory and commercial landscape, and illuminates Cookies as a successful brand navigating the often challenging environment. “This story is about how the federal government continues to botch opportunities to legalize the cannabis industry and lift a $72 billion economy out of the shadows,” said Yakowicz. “In a decade, Berner has built Cookies into the buzziest global brand in cannabis—despite massive overregulation and overtaxation.” The August / September issue of the magazine will be available on newsstands on Aug. 16. To read the full story, visit: https://bit.ly/3buLdvX
