David Tran’s Mission to Building a Cannabis Legacy

David Tran’s journey from a Vietnamese immigrant as a kid selling weed in college to a celebrated cannabis industry titan is a story of grit, vision, and community. As the co-founder of Dope Magazine and creator of The Emjays awards, Tran has spent over a decade reshaping how the world sees cannabis. His 2018 Forbes feature wasn’t just a personal milestone, it was a turning point for an industry long relegated to the shadows. Reflecting on his path, Tran’s story reveals the heart of an entrepreneur who turned losses into lessons and built platforms that uplift others.

The Forbes Moment: A Win for the Industry

When Forbes spotlighted Tran and Dope Magazine in 2018, it wasn’t just a nod to his hustle—it was a validation of cannabis as a legitimate business space. “That feature was huge,” Tran recalls. “Cannabis had been stuck in the dark, misunderstood, with bad press overshadowing its benefits. To be in a publication I’d always admired felt like a celebration of how far the industry had come.” For Tran, it wasn’t about personal glory. The moment amplified his team’s work and gave Dope Magazine a platform to educate skeptics. “It showed we were building something real,” he says. That exposure fueled the momentum for his later ventures, like Farechild and The Emjays, by proving cannabis could command mainstream respect.

Tran’s advice to entrepreneurs eyeing their own “Forbes moment” is clear: don’t treat it as a trophy. “Use it to elevate your team, your community, your industry,” he urges. “That’s where the real impact happens.”

Measuring Success: Beyond the Bottom Line

Success for Tran isn’t just about revenue, it’s about impact. He measures his wins through three lenses: his team’s well-being, his mission’s integrity, and his personal life. “If your employees aren’t thriving, there is no company,” he says, emphasizing the human foundation of his ventures. Next comes staying true to the mission. Dope Magazine succeeded because it tied its growth to the success of the businesses it covered. “Their wins were our wins,” Tran explains. “We were in the same grind, so we became better partners.” Finally, family keeps him grounded. “My wife and kids make every win worth celebrating,” he says. “If you come home happy, nothing else matters.”

These metrics have evolved since Tran’s early days. As a kid in a traditional Asian household, success meant good grades and a stable job. But cannabis rewrote that script. “It was painted as something that’d ruin you,” he says. “Instead, it gave me identity, community, and purpose.” That purpose carried him from opening one of Seattle’s first medical dispensaries to co-founding Dope Magazine, a publication that became a voice for the industry’s pioneers.

Turning Losses into Legacy

The cannabis industry, with its shifting regulations and stigma, handed Tran plenty of “L’s.” But he sees those setbacks as the bedrock of his success. “We took hits all the time,” he admits. “But those lessons built everything.” One pivotal moment came early, selling weed in college. It was a risky leap for a strait-laced kid, but it opened his eyes to the plant’s power to connect people. “I met folks from every walk of life,” he says. “Cannabis didn’t drag me down—it lifted me up.” That leap led to his dispensary, Dope Magazine, and ventures like Farechild, Cowgirls Inc., and Daisy Ranch. “Without that risk, none of this exists,” he says.

The Emjays, born from Tran’s eight years hosting MJBiz after-parties, filled a gap in cannabis recognition. “Every other industry had award shows to spotlight great work,” he says. “Cannabis needed that, too—no pay-to-play, just real integrity.” From local award shows in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and California to The Emjays’ national stage, Tran’s platforms celebrate the ancillary businesses and behind-the-scenes trailblazers who rarely get their due.

Looking Forward: A Legacy of Impact

If Forbes revisited Tran today, he’d lead with the story of The Emjays’ growth, a testament to his commitment to community over competition. “We’re here to honor the people moving the industry forward,” he says. Fatherhood has also redefined his wins. “My kids remind me why I do this,” he says. “It’s about building something that lasts, something that makes the world better for them.”

Tran’s advice to the next generation of cannabis entrepreneurs is rooted in his own journey: embrace the grind, learn from the losses, and build with purpose. “The industry’s still young,” he says. “There’s room for everyone to leave a mark—just make sure it’s one worth leaving.” From the black market to the bright lights, David Tran’s legacy is proof that cannabis can be a bridge to something bigger—a community, a purpose, a movement.

By Katy Ebbert Watson