Cannabis media company Leafly has cut 18 percent of its workforce, laying off a total of 54 employees, according to a GeekWire report. In a statement, CEO Tim Leslie said the move was an effort by the company to more “closely align [its] business operations with the market realities of the technology and cannabis sectors.”
“Today is a hard day at Leafly. We wish our colleagues the best as they pursue the next steps in their careers. We look ahead to continued innovation in service of our customers and the cannabis industry.” – Leslie, in a statement, via GeekWire
Leslie joined the company in March following the removal of former CEO Chris Jeffery. He previously served as an executive for Amazon Prime Video. Late last year, Leslie indicated Leafly would be slowing down its hiring and limiting spending; according to the report, the company hired 150 new employees last year, which doubled the firm’s size. It has been operating independently since February after being spun off by Privateer Holdings.
Leslie pointed out that the company was coming off “a banner year for innovation” in 2019 when they launched the Leafly Cannabis Guide and Leafly Market and expanded its Leafly Pickup service.
“In 2020, you can expect Leafly to deliver even more innovation in helping people learn about, find and buy cannabis while empowering the businesses of retailers, doctors, and brands,” Leslie said in the statement.
Leafly is the latest cannabis media company to initiate layoffs. Last year, all 16 of cannabis lifestyle magazine Civilized’s workers were laid off after the company was acquired by cannabis analytics company New Frontier Data. High Times also fired the entire DOPE magazine staff based in Seattle, although some of those employees were offered positions at High Times’ Los Angeles, California office. High Times had laid off more than a dozen employees in 2018.
Cannabis delivery company Eaze also laid off about 30 people last summer and is reportedly preparing for more layoffs as it faces a cash crunch.
Some cannabis producers are also laying off staff, including Medmen Enterprises, a U.S. operator which cut more than 190 jobs in November, and Canadian licensed producer Hexo Corp. which fired about 200 workers in October.
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