Cannabis Recruiting Firm Admits It Has Been Circulating One Man Named Bob Since 2019

DENVER, CO - A leading cannabis recruiting firm quietly admitted this week that it has not been staffing the industry with a diverse network of professionals, as previously claimed, but has instead been circulating one man named Bob across nearly every major cannabis company since 2019.

According to internal documents and a spokesperson who looked visibly tired of lying, Bob has been placed in at least 47 roles across cultivation, compliance, sales leadership, operations, and “strategic advisory,” often under slightly different versions of the same LinkedIn headline.

“We thought we were seeing patterns,” said one cannabis executive who requested anonymity. “Turns out it was just Bob. Same guy. Different quarter-zip.”

Who Is Bob?

Bob is described as:

• Former CPG executive (unclear which product)

• “Passionate about the plant” (does not smoke)

• Has “built teams at scale” (left before consequences)

• Extremely comfortable saying “This industry reminds me a lot of beer in the 90s”

Bob’s resume shows experience at Curaleaf, Cresco, GTI, Trulieve, a failed SPAC, a stealth startup, and three companies that no longer exist but still send emails.

Despite being fired or “mutually parting ways” from most roles, Bob continues to reappear - refreshed, rebranded, and inexplicably more senior.

“He just keeps coming back with a new title,” said one HR manager. “VP of Operations Bob. Interim GM Bob. Fractional Bob. Advisory Board Bob. At one point he was ‘Chief Scaling Officer,’ which I don’t think is a real thing.”

Recruiters Say It Wasn’t Intentional

The recruiting firm insists the situation was accidental.

“We didn’t mean to only send Bob,” said a recruiter, nervously adjusting a Patagonia vest. “But every time a client asked for someone with cannabis experience, leadership background, and ‘not too weedy,’ Bob just… made sense.”

When asked why Bob’s name appeared on so many candidate slates under different aliases, the recruiter explained that Bob has “a very versatile LinkedIn profile.”

Sometimes he’s Robert.

Sometimes he’s Rob.

Once, briefly, he was listed as “B. Thompson” to avoid detection.

Companies Are Beginning to Notice

Several cannabis companies confirmed they’ve unknowingly hired Bob multiple times over the years.

“One day it clicked,” said a COO. “Same cadence. Same ‘I’ve seen this movie before’ line. Same weird obsession with org charts.”

Another executive reported recognizing Bob mid-onboarding.

“He was giving the same 90-day plan I’d heard in 2021. Same slides. Same joke about how cannabis is ‘still the Wild West.’ That’s when I knew.”

Bob Responds

Reached for comment, Bob denied wrongdoing.

“I don’t see the issue,” Bob said. “The industry needs leadership. I go where I’m needed.”

When asked why he continues to cycle through companies rather than stay and build something long-term, Bob paused.

“Look, cannabis moves fast,” he said. “Sometimes you need to exit before accountability sets in.”

Bob has reportedly already accepted a new role starting next month as SVP of Transformation at a company currently “rethinking its strategy.”

Industry Experts Weigh In

Analysts say the Bob phenomenon highlights a larger problem in cannabis hiring: a shallow talent pool, over-reliance on familiar faces, and recruiters incentivized to recycle “safe” candidates rather than find actual operators.

“This is what happens when everyone hires for education instead of results,” said one industry consultant. “You don’t build companies. You just pass Bob around.”

At press time, Bob was reportedly updating his LinkedIn headline to read:

“Helping Cannabis Companies Scale Sustainably | Available for the Right Opportunity.”