POWER PLAYERS: MARIO GUZMAN A.K.A. MR SHERBINSKI
Fifteen years ago, Mario Guzman, better known by his alter-ego Mr. Sherbinski, was a neophyte grower working out of his San Francisco garage. Then his strains, like Sunset Sherbert and Gelato, became the stuff of underground legend.
Today, Guzman’s brand, Sherbinskis, is one of the rarest things in cannabis: A crossover success from the legacy market. Late last year, it opened a store on Los Angeles’ trendy N. Fairfax Ave.
For this week’s Power Players interview, we discussed cannabis as a civil rights issue, the new markets Guzman is eyeing and what he has in common with the artist Banksy. For a longer conversation with Guzman, check out his appearance on the WeedWeek podcast.
On globe-conquering streetwear brand Supreme:
I think the biggest thing with Supreme and us is just the supply and demand. They only make 75 shirts. So when the kids are there in the line, it sells out before the line’s even done. It’s not that I didn’t want to supply the whole state, but even now [we sell out very quickly] because the California market is so insatiable.
On cannabis and social justice:
If you look at the people that I hire, they’re very diverse. All these things have been a part of our brand. It’s a civil rights issue, cannabis, like who you can marry, what kind of medicine you can use. I feel like this has always been our fight, what the brand represents.
