John Watson

Director of Production

Acreage Holdings, NY

John Watson is a seasoned operational leader in the cannabis industry with 15+ years of experience spanning cultivation, manufacturing, and process optimization. In his current role as  Director of Production for Acreage Holdings in New York, he oversees large-scale cultivation and manufacturing operations that cultivate plants and create products for The Botanist brand.

Gaining interest in cannabis through legacy market experience in California and Oregon, John began his career in the regulated cannabis industry in Denver, CO in 2013 as one of the first 10,000 cannabis workers licensed by the Colorado Medical Marijuana Program. Starting as a hand trimmer for classic Colorado medical grows such as Pinkhouse and The Clinic, John was then hired to leadership positions for Cure (Denver, CO) and Leaph (Seattle, WA) - developing key performance tracking systems and training high performing teams across all post-harvest operations.

John was hired in 2018 to move to Pennsylvania as an original member of the Prime Wellness of Pennsylvania team that launched the Prime brand to the PA Medical program. Success in his role as Sr. Processing Manager lead to promotion to Director of Production for PA in 2022 and additionally serving as Director of Production (NY & PA) in 2023.These roles were responsible for managing end-to-end operations including supply chain management, quality assurance, product development, and regulatory compliance. John spearheaded the launch of over ten new Prime SKUs while leading the introduction of The Botanist SKUs to PA in 2023.

John holds an Associate Degree in Hospitality Management from Santa Fe College in Florida. Known for his commitment to operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and sustainable growth, John continues to drive innovation and efficiency within the rapidly evolving cannabis industry.