Cookies CEO Lands Forbes Cover, First for Cannabis Industry Executive

The CEO of cannabis brand Cookies and Taylor Gang Entertainment, Berner, is the first head of a cannabis company to appear on the cover of Forbes magazine. Berner, real name Gilbert Milan Jr. shared the cover via Twitter. 

The cover carries the caption “Marijuana Meltdown,” described Berner as the “$150 million cannabis king,” and includes the quote from Berner, “It’s hard to sell legal weed.”

In a statement, Berner said, “It’s every entrepreneur’s dream to make the cover of Forbes, but the reality is very few founders and CEOs of the largest companies in the world will actually get a chance to achieve that goal.”

“I’ve been in the legal cannabis industry for 20 years and have dedicated most of my life to this fight. To be selected as one of the faces for federal legalization in our country is a huge compliment to my work. I’m extremely humbled, excited and motivated to keep pushing the cannabis industry forward and to continue representing minorities in the space. This is just the beginning for Cookies and I want to thank Forbes for helping us share our story.” — Berner in a press release

Forbes staff writer Will Yakowicz, who wrote the feature, said in a statement that “Berner has built Cookies into the buzziest global brand in cannabis – despite massive overregulation and over-taxation.”

“This story is about how the federal government continues to botch opportunities to legalize the cannabis industry and lift a $72 billion economy out of the shadows,” Yakowicz said.

On Twitter, Berner said he was “humbled” by landing the cover of the 105-year-old magazine.

“Extremely humbled and blessed to be one of the faces for federal legalization in our country,” he wrote.

In 2021, Ad Age named Cookies one of the year’s hottest brands.