Google Executive Quits Job to Join the Marijuana Industry

The former head of Asia-Pacific sales at Google, Alan Gertner, says that marijuana is the new Internet and quit his lucrative position at Google to launch the marijuana business Tokyo Smoke with his father. Tokyo Smoke has a coffee bar and its own branded clothing. It also offers marijuana-related paraphernalia such as rolling papers.

Gertner reflected on his overall happiness and fulfillment from life while in Ghana, working on national Internet infrastructure. During that time, he spoke about losing focus and feeling unfulfilled with a Ghanian tour guide, SF Gate reports.

He said, “For the first time in my life, the excitement of another promotion or more money was non-existent. I felt empty, in need of change, despite having the dream job I always wanted.”

With a background based upon analytics, Alan created a spreadsheet to measure the metrics of the happiness and meaning in his life. The results showed that his three main passions are marijuana, clothing and coffee.

One year after realizing what his true passion is life in, Gertner said, “Today, I’m not distracted with the career ladder but instead stimulated by the power of beginning a meaningful journey doing something I genuinely love.”

In article penned by Gertner himself for The Globe and Mail, he said, “I believe cannabis is the next Internet – an immense and untrammelled new market opportunity – and Tokyo Smoke is gearing up to take advantage of it. At least 10 per cent of North Americans consume cannabis on a regular basis and consumer product brands have yet to enter this enticing, mainstream, rapidly legalizing space.”

(Photo: digitaltrends.com)