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. Rappers rapped their praises, and Guzman's weed achieved a street cred most brands can only dream about.

Today Guzman's brand, Sherbinskis, seems to have become one of the rarest things in the cannabis industry: An underground crossover success. Late last year, it opened a store on Los Angeles' trendy N . . .