A Cannabis Industry Maverick
Cameron Forni is the President of Select at Curaleaf, as well as the former CEO of Cura Cannabis Solutions and the Co-founder of Select Oil. In May of 2019, Cameron led Cura Partners Inc.’s Select brand through the largest acquisition in cannabis history, cementing his position as one of the biggest power players in the industry. In a record-breaking, billion-dollar deal, Curaleaf acquired his brand, essentially becoming the largest legal cannabis company by revenue.
Before establishing Select, Cameron Forni pursued a plethora of entrepreneurial ventures—starting when he was just a child. To Cameron, entrepreneurship and business is in his blood. As a four-year-old, he sold flowers on the side of the street in Milwaukie, Oregon. In high school, he ran a car detailing business, then, during college, he built an event company. Entrepreneurship presents constant obstacles—opportunities to solve problems that no one has ever dealt with before—and Cameron has always been up for the challenge.
After graduating from college, he made a goal to create jobs, not just take one. His official foray into entrepreneurship came when he co-founded TextNoMore, an app that rewarded drivers who avoided texting and driving, and TryEco LLC, a patented, starch-based, biodegradable superabsorbent polymer used primarily for agriculture. Cameron Forni’s focus has always been to create businesses that enhance people’s quality of life, and it was that goal that led him to cannabis.
As the owner of a medical and caregiver card, Cameron’s entrepreneurial brain began looking into the future of cannabis. His research led him towards a focus on safety and vaporization, as combustion seemed like an unsustainable long-term option for the majority of cannabis users. He began researching and deconstructing every vaporizer pen the market had to offer, quickly learning that silica fiberglass was used in a majority of the cartridges. From there, he built a new cartridge—one free of fiberglass, innovated with unique absorption systems and organic cotton—thus began Select.
Cameron Forni launched Select in 2015 and quickly began carving a significant space for his brand in the market. Now, only five years later, the cartridge he developed has become the industry standard, Select Oil is the #1 selling cannabis brand in the U.S., as well as the leading brand and retail chain on the east coast.
His success with Cura Cannabis Solutions and the Select brand has earned Cameron numerous honors. In both 2018 and 2019, he was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Cannabis by High Times Magazine and was featured in Marijuana Venture Magazine’s 40 Under 40 to Watch in 2018. With the acquisition by Curaleaf, Cameron will continue to lead his brand’s rapid expansion across the country. Fueled with a relentless pursuit of progress, he will continue to innovate better hardware, establish a healthier supply chain free of pesticides, and help build a company that offers stellar health insurance, benefits, and a higher minimum wage.
For more information on Cameron Forni and his insight into the cannabis industry, check out his blog!
