Hopper Stories: Evan Eneman Interview

HR: Please introduce yourself and explain your role at Hopper Reserve.

EE:  My name is Evan Eneman and I have been directing the creation and development of Hopper Reserve.  I’ve worn every hat and been through every pot-hole that a new startup business goes through, on top of doing so in a start-up industry like the world of commercialized cannabis brands.  I act now as the interim-CEO, probably many other hats, but that’s the most succinct.

HR: How did you get involved with Hopper Reserve?

EE:  Through a friend actually.  Not sure I can say her name or company right now due to “new restrictions” on cannabis companies; it’s a tiring message to dispose of, nonetheless, it was an amazing introduction.  I immediately was very excited for what this brand could develop into.  It was a blank canvas, with tools and assets that have taken us down incredible journeys just putting this all together.  We very much look forward to bringing this brand to life and allowing it to grow into the positive force for cannabis liberation that we intend it to be.

HR: Why was Fiorello the right agency to bring Hopper Reserve to life? 

EE:  I grew up at the intersection of Elinor Road and Sands Lane.  Nothing very notable, other than the roots of who I am.  I founded Sands Lane when I moved out to Los Angeles almost 11 years ago.  It was a way for me to stay connected, to remind myself of my purpose.  When I first started working in the cannabis industry, I realized my life has been one led through the lens of hospitality.  Those who know me well may understand this a bit better.  It’s why the agency I created, also named to remind me of my roots (that’s for another post), was the right fit.  I care about the value I can create for others and with others.  I don’t view relationships as zero-sum, and I’ve been exposed to enough people like that now to know that entering the cannabis space, not only does the brand have to be authentic, but so does the architects behind it as well.

HR: What role does cannabis play in your own life?

EE:  A profound one.  I don’t mean that facetiously either.  It wasn’t until I moved to California and became immersed in a more open and accepting culture, that I understood what cannabis was for me.  Ironically and rather annoyingly so at the time, I had a close friend who was a roommate for some years when we lived in New York City, who would always tease that “Evan hasn’t had his medicine today.” either to me or someone he’s trying to “warn”.  Invariably it was over some benign topic or issue that I was frustrated by, or even just being an “Eyor” as I’ve been called.  I know now that cannabis is my medicine, it is my lift me up, it is my day-brightener, my sensorial companion, a plant that can change any moment to be more profound and introspective, like the feeling of a heavy bassline regulating your breathing or the most expressive joy and wonder you could imagine watching your toddler daughter smile who still can’t possibly know even the “words” for what she is smiling about.  That raw emotion is powerful, and I feel that better, in a more open and honest way, with cannabis in my life.  At the very least, I can express that sentiment better with cannabis in my life, and that’s crucial.  Being able to speak about the benefits while recognizing the realities of our certain limitations scientifically, I’m willing to take the thousands of years of use as a fair sign it’s rather peaceful, effective and benign.

HR: Do you think there’s a connection between creativity and cannabis? How do you see this reflected in Hopper Reserve?

EE: Creativity comes from within, but it’s inspired or directed by the worlds we live in.  Being able to focus and absorb all that can be perceived in any given moment is not intuitive, yet critical for developing the spark that’s required for creativity to live and thrive.  Cannabis can both remove inhibitions to open more pathways to receive information as well as help process that information into data that are then stored for later retrieval.  How we retrieve those data, recombine them, evolve them, regurgitate them, express them, that is the connectivity point for creativity, cannabis enables and stimulates that.  

I don’t so much see this reflected in Hopper Reserve, as much as I see it as reflected in Dennis Hopper.  He processed the world around him differently than others, and that enabled him to be the genius he was and leave the legacy he did.  Hopper Reserve draws from the roots of art and creative self-expression.  To give voice to those who may not have another one.  To narrate the cultural zeitgeist in real time.  That was Dennis Hopper, this is Hopper Reserve.

HR: Hopper Reserve believes in the power of creators and conversation to de-stigmatize cannabis use. What role do you feel art plays in this de-stigmatization process? 

EE:  We need to engage in real conversations.  We need to allow ourselves to understand each other and respect each other.  There are various mediums which allow intersectionality of differing ideologies and beliefs.  The expression of those messages are invariably through “art”, in whatever form that holds.  Art is the most demonstrative form of storytelling there is.  It’s something you can feel.  Whether on screen, canvas, negative, or in metal or stone, art is a connector.  Cannabis will only thrive as it should if we engage in more positive conversations.  We don’t need to “sell” our side, it’s not about either side, it’s about civil and social liberties.  Creators, the rebels, are the ones who thrive in taking those risks, or shy away from blooming until they have a muse.  We need art to continue the dialogue to de-stigmatize and decriminalize cannabis use, while making its existence, growth and consumption 100% legal around the world.  What we express through art is unique in its intent and reductive interpretation.

HR: Where would you like to see the cannabis industry 5 years from now?

EE: Where it should have always been, liberated.  There should be no difference in how cannabis based products are packaged and sold from any other product category.  Or how it should be made available to those in need.  There is more than ample evidence and support of the beneficial aspects of the plant, many of which have been proven out over thousands of years.  We are finally at an inflection point where we can hopefully admit, given that it’s well documented, that the failed war on drugs, specifically cannabis, was waged against certain groups of people, black, brown and indigenous.  Many others have been impacted, but none close to those communities.  We have a lot of wrongs to right, and there is no other time like the present to make this change happen.  The “powers that be” that determine how to commercialize and regulate can put in their roadblocks and play their games, but that shall not provide cover for their continued persecution of any person and their interactions with any plants.

HR: What role would you like to see Hopper Reserve play in that long-term vision?

EE:  At Hopper Reserve we may not be the first voice in the room; although our namesake was a very outspoken proponent of legalization and decriminalization for many years, calling out the negative impact it has had on the very communities its criminalization was designed to crush, but we will be a loud and supportive voice to continue and amplify  the conversation around cannabis use.  Art has the ability to transform conversations and cultures and we intend to provide a platform for all creators to embrace and leverage to support the positive impact cannabis will have in our daily lives and communities.

HR: What does the legacy of Dennis Hopper mean to you, and why do you think his work continues to resonate with fans old and new today?

EE:  Integrity.  He could only be real, all of the time.  It’s why he was such a brilliant method actor.  It may have been a film, something made up or borrowed from real life, no matter the role, he was that character.  He became one because it’s all he knew how to do.  The legacy of Dennis Hopper means something so fundamental that we all need to appreciate, be who you are, relentlessly so, no one  can take away your voice unless you let them.  His voice always stood for something, a better work, a more beautiful photograph, a commentary on his experience in the culture around him.  His work, his tenacity, his eye for complexity and beauty are timeless.  Whether you are his contemporary and grew up in the sounds and social climate of the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, or are doing so today, we are reliving our past and very few have the depth that he had in his artwork.

HR: Do you have a favorite Dennis Hopper film or character? Why? 

EE:  It’s an interesting question.  Rather than answering with a favorite, I’ll start with the most important.  My first experience with Dennis, mind you I never did get the honor to meet him and work with him directly, although maybe as important, was through his lens of Los Angeles in the late 1980’s, giving voice and sparking discussion around social criticisms that still loom larger than life today.  I was 11 or 12 at the time the film Colors came out, and I first learned of the film because of the eponymously entitled “Colors” from the soundtrack.  Back then growing up I listened to a lot of hip hop, mostly east coast, but I definitely knew the bigger artists on the west coast and around the country, and Ice-T was up there.  What I probably didn’t realize then is what I realize now, the power of storytelling. Character development is crucial, either in real life, or when portrayed on the big screen.  It didn’t matter that what was being filmed was “based on real stories” or completely fabricated, the character must be authentic for an audience to really connect.  For some reason I connected with that film and I was moved by the determination of Hodges to build relationships and trust with the community he chose to protect and serve.  He knew there was a fine line between changing someone’s life for the better, giving them a pathway in whatever direction they decide to take.  I was hooked and I was interested to learn more.