Not just a bunch of stoners! How medical cannabis entrepreneurs pro-actively shape an emerging industry

This teaching case focuses on the influence of contextual features—including regulations, norms, and cultural beliefs—on entrepreneurial activity and the strategies through which entrepreneurs can shape such features in a way that benefits their venture. Drawing on qualitative secondary data from sources such as media outlets, corporate blogs or policy documents, the case recounts the story of Ora Pharm, a New Zealand medical cannabis start-up, and its founder, Zoë Reece. The case elaborates how Ora Pharm and others were not discouraged by prevailing stigmas or restrictive regulations that created barriers to their entrepreneurial aspirations. Instead, they proactively lobbied for regulatory change, educated patients and health professionals and challenged prevailing stereotypes through opinion leadership to facilitate the industry's growth. In doing so, the case sensitises students to the intricate relationship between contextual conditions that influence entrepreneurial activities and the potential of proactively shaping these conditions in a way that benefits a broad set of stakeholders.