Green Revolution: How Two Entrepreneurs Built a Cannabis Empire in Washington State
In the competitive landscape of Washington's cannabis industry, few companies have achieved the remarkable success and innovation that define Green Revolution. Founded by Leo Shlovsky and Edward Lafferty in 2016, this producer/processor has transformed from a modest four-person operation into one of Washington state's premier cannabis brands, with expansion into California and ambitious plans for nationwide growth.
The Visionary Behind the Revolution: Leo Shlovsky's Journey
Born in the Soviet Union during the Cold War era, Leo Shlovsky's entrepreneurial spirit emerged early. At just 13 years old, he launched his first business selling jeans in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). "I was in Leningrad and for eight months it's very cold there; your lemonade can get frozen," Shlovsky recalls with characteristic humor, explaining why he chose jeans over the traditional childhood lemonade stand.
After earning his degree in chemical engineering in the late 1980s, Shlovsky and his wife seized the opportunity that came with the fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of the Soviet Union, immigrating to New York City to pursue the American dream.
"When I came to New York, I was working three shifts in different restaurants as a bus boy and a waiter," Shlovsky shares. "After one year I started my own business."
That first American venture proved prescient—a commodity company trading edible oils including soybean and sunflower oil, foreshadowing his future in the cannabis industry. Over the subsequent years, Shlovsky built several successful businesses across different sectors, including software and outsourcing.
The Birth of Green Revolution
As the legal cannabis industry began taking shape, Shlovsky recognized what he calls a "huge opportunity" in the burgeoning market. "All my life, I've liked to do new things," he explains. "I like to explore things and I like to learn. It's a great opportunity to build something new."
In 2015, Shlovsky and his wife relocated to Washington state, where voters had approved recreational cannabis sales in 2012. Understanding the need for industry expertise, Shlovsky partnered with Edward Lafferty, and together they co-founded Green Revolution in 2016.
Their shared vision was clear: create consistent, high-quality products that provide consumers with repeatable experiences tailored to their needs. This partnership proved extraordinarily successful, growing from four employees to over forty professionals, including world-class chefs, professional cosmetologists, and nutritionists.
Building a Cannabis Powerhouse
Under Shlovsky and Lafferty's leadership, Green Revolution experienced remarkable growth, expanding their product lines and distribution networks across Washington state. The company now produces more than 100 SKUs and can be found in approximately 90% of cannabis retailers throughout Washington.
The rapid expansion has been impressive by any standard. According to Shlovsky, Green Revolution built out its production, sales, and distribution lines and achieved 400% revenue growth in just four years. Data from 502data.com, which aggregates sales information from Washington state's website, places Green Revolution among the top 25 highest-grossing cannabis companies in the state since the market opened.
A Scientific Approach to Cannabis
As a producer/processor, Green Revolution leverages Shlovsky's chemical engineering background to bring sophisticated processes and quality standards to cannabis production. The company utilizes a proprietary "TLC" (Terpene Love Cannabinoid) standardization protocol to ensure uniform terpene and cannabinoid profiles across their products, delivering consistent and effective results.
Their diverse product line includes tinctures, edibles, topicals, concentrates, and beverages, organized into four "experience" categories: Chill, Relief, Elevate, and Fly. "Every human being can find in our product line the product which is suitable for their moment," Shlovsky explains. "You want to get high? You want to relax? You want to chill? It's very easy to scroll through our product line and see what kind of experience you want to get in this moment."
The only flower product Green Revolution offers is its Joysticks line of pre-rolled joints. These are thoughtfully blended from multiple cannabis strains sourced from partner growers in their "Revolutionary Farmers Alliance." Each Joystick features hemp paper and a hemp filter, with packs including a Boveda humidity control pack to maintain freshness.
Award-Winning Innovation
Green Revolution's commitment to quality has earned them numerous industry accolades. Their all-natural, cannabis-infused fruit chews, Doozies, earned top honors at the 2020 Sun Cup in the best solid edible category. The fruit chews, featuring a 5:1 ratio of CBD:THC and an uplifting sativa terpene profile, impressed judges with their quality, taste, and effects.
One judge remarked, "One of the best tasting and most effective gummies I have had on the 502 market. They are also a nice little dose of CBD which helped with some ongoing pain I had that day."
Another judge commented, "The effect was also delightful. It's always refreshing to find delicious edibles that are made with full-spectrum cannabis extract! It lasted for well over 7 hours and I was able to stay awake the whole time to enjoy it."
The company also took home "Best Tincture" at California's WEEDCon Cup for their Deep Rest tincture, a formulation made with all-organic, non-GMO avocado oil base and a specific ratio of CBD, THC, and CBN.
Revolutionary Product Development
Green Revolution continues to push the boundaries of cannabis product innovation. Their water-soluble tincture, which dissolves in any liquid upon contact, was their first breakthrough product in Washington.
"Essentially, it took the tincture and the beverage categories and merged them into one," explains Joe Derr, Sales and Marketing Director at Green Revolution. "Whatever you want to call it, it's a product that's uniquely positioned for both categories and it was a foundational product for us."
This innovation led to Green Revolution becoming the dominant force in Washington's tincture market, responsible for seven of the state's ten top-selling tinctures over a three-year period.
More recently, the company has launched several groundbreaking products:
- Melatonin NightTime Doozies: A sleep-focused gummy featuring THC, CBD, CBN, and melatonin, utilizing nano-emulsification technology for faster onset and maximum bioavailability.
- 60:1 CBD:THC Fast Acting Vegan Gummies: Setting a new standard in the wellness edibles market with the highest CBD concentration available—600mg of CBD per bag, offering 60mg CBD and 1mg THC per serving.
- Wildside Cannabis Shots: Featuring unprecedented levels of minor cannabinoids (CBN, CBD, CBG, and CBC) that, in conjunction with THC, deliver potent, synergistic effects.
"There was a unique opportunity in the market to create a novel product for cannabis edibles and to create a ground-breaking experience that would showcase the power and benefits of minor cannabinoids," notes Shlovsky regarding the Wildside shots. "I am extremely proud of my team for taking on this challenge and creating a game-changing product lineup."
The Revolutionary Team
Both Shlovsky and Lafferty attribute much of their success to the exceptional team they've assembled. "One of the biggest achievements for me is we've built a great team of people," Shlovsky emphasizes. "They are not working for Green Revolution, they are part of Green Revolution."
This team-first philosophy extends to Green Revolution's partnerships with small, family-run cannabis farms using organic, regenerative practices. The company operates not as a vertical business but as an extraction-manufacturing-distribution hub in partnership with select family farmers.
"We're creating, essentially, an ecosystem of small farmers," explains Derr. "And we will only work with and buy from them, which ensures there's systematic, sustainable, consistent purchases being made to really support these farmers who are aligning with us."
Expansion and Future Plans
Building on their success in Washington, Green Revolution expanded into the California market in 2020, with Lafferty remaining CEO of the Washington business while Shlovsky took the helm as CEO of the overall company, including California operations.
Despite the challenges of entering a larger market with different regulations—compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic—Green Revolution has made significant inroads in California. Within their first year, they released nearly 40 products into the market, with plans to increase that number to over 100.
The company is currently finishing construction on its two-facility Palm Springs headquarters, which includes a two-story building housing "one of the fastest beverage lines in Cannabis," according to Derr.
Looking ahead, Shlovsky has set his sights on the East Coast, with the goal of introducing Green Revolution products to at least one Eastern state. The company is also developing a CBD line intended for nationwide and global distribution.
Environmental and Industry Leadership
Green Revolution has positioned itself as an industry leader in transparency and environmental responsibility. They were among the first brands in California to embrace packaging with QR codes linked to product testing reports, a practice now widely adopted throughout the industry.
"When we came in a year ago and started doing that," Derr recalls, "there were only two or three other companies doing it. Now there are probably over 100. There are a lot of companies watching us."
The company also recognizes its responsibility to continuously improve environmental practices, particularly regarding packaging. "We've sold millions and millions of units," Derr notes. "And we definitely want to do our part to continuously improve."
True to their philosophy of concrete action over words, Green Revolution is making substantial shifts toward more sustainable packaging sources across their product lines.
A Philosophy of Success
Shlovsky credits his entrepreneurial success to a personal philosophy that has served him well throughout his career: "You have to do things right and you have to work a lot. Take nothing for granted."
This work ethic, combined with his belief in honesty and team-building, has been instrumental in Green Revolution's rapid rise to prominence. Throughout the journey, Shlovsky has maintained a positive outlook that infuses the company culture.
"All my life I like to live positive and bring positive things in life to all people," he says. "We will do our best."
As Green Revolution continues to innovate and expand, that commitment to excellence and positivity positions them not just as a leading cannabis brand in Washington and California, but as a company poised to shape the future of the cannabis industry nationwide.
By Michael
Sources:
https://www.abc27.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/631401254/green-revolution-unveils-cannabis-shots-with-nations-highest-minor-cannabinoid-levels/
https://leafmagazines.com/profiles/green-revolution-wellness-mission-heads-south/
https://www.marijuanaventure.com/green-revolution/
WA States Advertising Disclaimer. Just In Case.
- "This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming.";
- "cannabis can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug.";
- "There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product."; and
- "For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children."
