Brian Ruden is an attorney and one of the pioneers of the legal marijuana industry in Colorado. He earned a J.D. from the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law, and began his cannabis career in 2010 with the acquisition of Tree of Wellness, a medical marijuana center in Colorado Springs with an associated cultivation operation in Denver.

In 2013, Mr. Ruden founded Starbuds, which has become one of the largest marijuana dispensary brands in the Colorado marketplace. The Starbuds brand now encompasses eight retail marijuana dispensaries, with three additional locations under construction, a cultivation operation, and a manufacturing facility that produces a comprehensive range of marijuana concentrates for wholesale distribution statewide.

Mr. Ruden’s legal training has given him a competitive advantage in navigating the complex layers of administrative regulation which govern the marijuana industry. He has successfully managed compliance across roughly a dozen separate marijuana regulatory jurisdictions, each with its own unique requirements for operations, safety, and security.

The seed-to-dispensing marijuana experience and legal background gives Mr. Ruden unique understanding and qualification in the marijuana industry. Due to this, he has become a sought-after consultant and is personally involved in teams pursuing marijuana opportunities in other states. Mr. Ruden also has ownership in licensed marijuana businesses in Hawaii and Washington D.C. and now Louisiana with The Apothecary Shoppe.