“We believe that a primary understanding of the product is essential, and so 420 in our office is R&D time,” says Joyce Cenali wryly — almost scientifically.

A decade ago we’d likely never hear a venture capital partner utter such a phrase — at least not in public. But times have changed. For some cannabis brands, in fact, these are “high times,” and coincidentally counted among Cenali’s investments through Big Rock Partners is the  media conglomerate, High Times.

Grit Daily caught up with Cenali to get the full scoop on how she went from music to cannabis — and who and what are powering Big Rock’s latest investments.