S4 Ep56: Lauren Fontein - Co-Founder and Chief Compliance Officer at The Artist Tree

Lauren Fontein is the Co-Founder and Chief Compliance Officer of The Artist Tree, a distinctive brand in California's cannabis industry that blends art, culture, and cannabis. 

Lauren's commitment to merging the worlds of cannabis, art, and culture is evident. Before establishing The Artist Tree in 2018, she led a cannabis manufacturing enterprise in Los Angeles and gained legal experience as a corporate attorney. Now, Lauren is at the forefront of transforming cannabis consumption into a normalized, stylish, and community-integrated experience.

With deep-seated connections in the cannabis realm, The Artist Tree's founders, which include Lauren, Avi Kahan, Mitchell Kahan, and Aviv Halimi, have operated licensed dispensaries for over a decade. The vision for The Artist Tree was to break the conventional stereotypes associated with cannabis by offering spaces that not only sell cannabis but also promote local arts and culture. With a rich history of cannabis inspiring artists, The Artist Tree's outlets underline this natural partnership, featuring rotating exhibitions from local talents and an array of art-centric events.

We sat down with Lauren to talk about the most recent failed cannabis cafe bill in California, and what the future of the state's consumption lounges will look like in this episode of Conversations in Cannabis.