Frequently Asked Questions

A: We make money several ways:

• We charge a monthly fee of $50 to access membership features of the platform. We feel that this price is fair because those specific features have the most potential to generate revenue, and the margins here are good. If one additional pound is sold by using these features, it’s paid for itself.
• Qualifying bulk wholesale transactions have no Higher Origins platform transaction fee. Completed retail-ready platform sales carry a 5% seller-paid fee across Marketplace and qualifying Menus. The verified small-cultivator Marketplace exemption remains available. See pricing, billing, and exemptions.
• We’ll make deals. We have a platform, traffic, content, and the attention of users like you. If we’re offered a mutually beneficial deal that leverages our platform to help us, you, and a trustworthy third party to get ahead, we’ll take that deal. Got ideas? Hit us up, let’s make some money together, we’re not afraid of some capitalism.

A: We’re spending our own money, and what we get from members like you. Higher Origins is founded by two people who are the sole owners of the company:

• Matthew Browning: Main founder, computer programmer, compliance expert, raised on a legacy Mendocino County cannabis farm, owner of a terrifyingly sketchy Jeep truck.
• Daniel Cook: Co-founder, writer, process engineer, born and raised in Mendocino County, nerd and strategist, currently based in Oregon, amateur fencer.

Neither of us have worked in investment banking, closed an investment deal, worked for a tobacco company, or invested in any MSO cannabis company. We’re two guys with roots in cannabis country who feel like we have at least half an idea of how to help growers. If we’re wrong about something, let us know - we’ve screwed up before, we’ll do it again, and fix it.

A: We envision an industry that gives everyone from the brokest dirt farmer to the richest high roller an EQUAL shot at having their cannabis products truly express their potential to consumers with the least amount of arbitrary bureaucracy getting in the way. Sure, some will win and some will lose, but if they are given an even playing field and are willing to do the work, that’s show-business baby. Currently, everything is stifled by blindly applied rules that aren’t based in fact, and good money is being thrown after bad in desperate attempts to reach market targets that didn’t even exist 5 years ago and only exist on paper. We remember a time not even that long ago (we’re both under 35) when cannabis was about paying your mortgage and having some cash at the end of the year to donate to the local school fundraiser. Are we idealistic? You bet your ass, but so was the first enterprising hippy who left the Bay in the 60’s with a pocket full of seeds and hitchhiked North to what would become the Emerald Triangle. If not for a bit of reckless romanticism, what would the weed industry be?