About Parallel

Parallel is one of the largest privately-held, vertically-integrated, multi-state cannabis operators in the United States with a simple mission -- to bring well-being and an improved quality of life through cannabinoids. We are an inclusive, people-centric company that puts our associates’, customers’ and communities’ well-being as a priority. 

We aim to provide our customers with a wide variety of high-quality and innovative cannabis brands and products with a best-in-class customer experience. Our leadership has proven business experience and are invested in developing the talent and opportunities for all team members in all areas of the company including cultivation, production, distribution and retail. We truly believe that to be the leader in the cannabis industry we must incorporate a diverse array of experience, perspective and backgrounds.

Timeline

2000

November
  • Nevada voters legalize medical cannabis.

2012

November
  • Massachusetts voters legalize medical cannabis.

2014

June
  • The Florida Legislature enacts the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act of 2014, allowing for low-THC medical Cananbis.

2015

September
  • First sale of medical cannabis in Western Massachusetts at NETA Northampton.
November
  • Surterra Wellness awarded 1 of Florida's 5 medical cannabis licenses.
December
  • The Apothecary Shoppe opened its doors in Las Vegas, Nevada.

2016

February
  • NETA Brookline opens as a medical dispensary.
October
  • First Surterra Wellness store opens in Tampa, Florida.
November
  • Massachusetts and Nevada voters legalize recreational cannabis.

2017

May
  • Surterra Texas receives conditional approval for 1 of 3 medical cannabis licenses in Texas.
December
  • Surterra Texas obtains medical cannabis license for pediatric epilepsy.

2018

November
  • NETA Northampton opens for Adult Use cannabis sales.
December
  • The Apothecary Shoppe joins forces with Surterra Wellness.
  • Surterra Texas launches "Tranquil", it's first product for patients with intractable epilepsy.

2019

January
  • Surterra Wellness and NETA join forces.
March
  • Smokable flower approved by the Florida Legislature.
  • NETA Brookline opens for Adult Use customers.
June
  • Surterra Wellness partners with Intrexon to advance technology, science and R&D in cannabis.
October
  • Parallel is born! (4 states - FL, MA, NV, TX) and 3 retail brands (Surterra Wellness, NETA and The Apothecary Shoppe.
  • MA CultivatED program, the nation's first jobs program in the cannabis industry is announced with NETA as one of the founding members.
November
  • Float brand launched.

2020

March
  • All states adapted business models to COVID-19.
August
  • Parallel / goodblend wins Pennsylvania medical license and announce R&D Partnership with the University of Pittsburgh.
  • Florida DOH allows for production of edibles.
September
  • Surterra Texas launches the state's first edibles.

2021

April
  • Parallel expands into Illinois cannabis market with agreement to acquire Windy City Cannabis
  • Launched goodblend Texas retail brand and broke ground on state-of-the art cultivation, processing and retail facility in San Marcos, Texas

Corporate Social Responsibility

We are dedicated to corporate social responsibility.

Parallel is committed to advancing social equity through meaningful actions and partnerships that positively impact the communities where we live and work. In all the markets in which it operates, Parallel focuses on economic empowerment, diversity and inclusion through job fairs, skills-building training and seminars, fellowships, and social equity grants, among other actions.

Parallel is committed to increasing its diverse 1,700-person workforce, which is currently comprised of approximately 30% of minority and female-identifying employees, and approximately 40% of Parallel’s leadership team consists of female and minority representation.

We recognize there is more to do, and we will continue to take positive steps that make a difference.

01

Social Equity

Internally, we've created Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to ensure diversity and inclusion initiatives reflect the desires of employees as well as provide input on ways we can reflect different perspectives in the way we operate.

Our ERGs include:

- Black Empowerment Network (BEN)

- PRIDE@Parallel

- Women’s Impact Network (WIN)

- Patriots of Parallel

- Awarded a $25,000 Security Equipment Grant in 2021 to provide financial support for a social equity certified applicant in Massachusetts to help lower cannabis industry entry cost barriers.

- As a founding member of CultivatED in Massachusetts, a first cannabis industry jails-to-jobs program, hosts fellows to give them on-the-job experience and workplace preparedness training.

- Partnering with the Minority Cannabis Business Association in 2021 to host job fairs, skills building programs and expungement events in Pennsylvania to help increase equitable opportunities.

- Collaborating with CannabisLAB in Florida to educate, connect and empower people to increase equitable opportunities in the cannabis industry.

- In 2020 we launched a Get Out to Vote campaign, providing employees tools and resources to exercise their civic duty safely.

02

We are an active community partner in our markets.

- Introduced Green Team efforts in 2018 to conduct employee volunteer community clean-up efforts in Massachusetts and conducted Earth Month 2021 campaign for environmental education and volunteering efforts.

- We strive to enrich our communities in many ways, including annual food and clothing drives organized around the holidays to help give back to those in need.We also have supported our communities through giving and volunteering related activities such as disaster relief, hunger and homelessness, medical causes, and social cause awareness building initiatives.

- We also support local women and minority-owned businesses and conduct annual holiday food and coat drives to give back in local communities.

03

Giving and Volunteering

- We have an employee-centric giving and volunteering program called Parallel Cares, which is designed to support the diverse interests of our employees and the causes that matter most to them. When employees give and volunteer, the company provides matching donations.

- We introduced an Employee Relief Fund in 2020, which is a program where employees can donate to a fund that provided extra support to fellow employees in times of need.

Culture of Compliance and Performance

Parallel seeks to build a leading well-being company through attracting the best talent, focusing our values, expanding our trusted and recognized brands, investing in science and technology-based innovation, and a relentless commitment to execution and continuous improvement.  

We hold ourselves to the highest standards of compliance in everything we do, while also finding efficient and innovative solutions to set new standards and drive the industry forward. All of this allows us to better serve our customers with the products they rely on for well-being.

Advancing Cannabis Science

We seek to improve our consumers well-being and quality of life through a diverse portfolio of high-quality, proprietary consumer brands in a variety of formats today, while at the same time we aim to continue to innovate through science, technology and R&D to support new product development going forward.

Parallel engages in advanced cannabinoid research, partnering with renowned domestic and international research institutions such as the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, one of the leading medical research schools in the world, to address biological research and drug discovery. The research partnership with University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine will initially focus on clinical trials evaluating the impact of medicinal cannabis on chronic pain patients as well as on various symptoms of sickle cell disease.

Through our internal R&D arm, Parallel Biosciences, we conduct cutting-edge cannabis research, leveraging novel delivery platforms and the unleashed potential of rare cannabinoids to create next generation products. Our R&D activities take place in our facilities in Massachusetts, Florida, Texas, and through an exclusive partnership also at a facility in Budapest, Hungary.

Everyone is
welcome here.

Each of us are unique, and that’s what makes us amazing. We believe in inclusiveness and in celebrating each person’s individuality in everything we do. Because there’s power in bringing people with different points of view and life experiences together. Because when we feel safe and comfortable being ourselves, there’s no limit to what we can achieve.

We are hiring for hundreds of new jobs across our company in many different locations.

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO). All applicants are considered regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation.

Leadership

Meet the minds shaping the industry.

PHIL HARRIS
BARRY JONES
PHIL HARRIS
Chief Legal Counsel

Phil has over 30 years of legal practice and general counsel leadership experience.

BARRY JONES
Chief Financial Officer

Barry is approaching three decades of experience in public accounting, investment banking and as a CFO in financial services, industrials and consumer products.