From Lacrosse to Cannabis: How Dave Morrow Built Michigan’s Largest Weed Empire

Dave Morrow has always been a game-changer. From revolutionizing lacrosse equipment to building one of Michigan’s most successful cannabis companies, the former Princeton lacrosse star turned CEO of Lume Cannabis Co. has proven himself a master of disruptive innovation.

With Morrow at the helm, Lume has grown from $2 million in revenue to nearly $200 million in just four years. The Michigan-based company is now a powerhouse in the cannabis industry, boasting 38 retail stores, 300,000 square feet of indoor cultivation, and seven million square feet of outdoor grow operations. But how did a lacrosse legend end up leading a cannabis empire?

Morrow’s journey begins far from the cannabis world, in the competitive fields of college lacrosse. A Michigan native, he overcame the odds to rise to the top of a sport traditionally dominated by East Coast athletes. While at Princeton, Morrow earned Player of the Year honors as a defenseman, one of the few players to achieve this in the sport’s history. He went on to represent the United States on the national team for seven years.

But Morrow’s legacy extends beyond the field. Frustrated by the limitations of traditional lacrosse sticks, he developed a titanium shaft that revolutionized the sport. In 1992, he turned this breakthrough into a dorm-room startup called Warrior Sports, which he grew into a global brand before selling to New Balance in 2004. It was all about creating something better,Morrow says. That’s what I took from my time in lacrosse—finding a way to innovate and improve.

Morrow’s pivot to cannabis came years later, spurred by a trusted friend’s suggestion to explore Michigan’s newly legalized market. Intrigued by the challenge of building another consumer brand, Morrow founded Lume Cannabis Co. in 2019, leveraging his experience in product development, branding, and scalable manufacturing.

I didn’t know anything about cultivating weed, but I understood one thing: If you make a great product, people will come back. If you make a bad product, they won’t, Morrow says. Despite his entrepreneurial expertise, starting a cannabis company wasn’t easy. Accessing capital proved especially challenging, as traditional financing options were out of reach due to cannabis’s federally illegal status.

Morrow relied on friends, family, and personal connections to raise nearly $250 million. We never did any sponsored raises, private equity, or hedge funds, Morrow explains. “It was all friends and family. Hearing no so many times was tough, but we got through it. Lume’s success lies in its focus on quality, scalability, and innovation. Morrow applied the lessons he learned at Warrior Sports to the cannabis industry, emphasizing high-volume production with consistent quality at competitive prices.

By investing in technology and automation, Lume cut production costs by 50%, enabling the company to thrive even as Michigan’s cannabis market faced plummeting retail prices. Today, Lume offers a diverse range of cannabis products, from flower and edibles to topicals and CBD, catering to everyone from casual users to connoisseurs. Morrow’s forward-looking approach has positioned the company for future expansion, including plans to enter Florida and explore emerging product categories like smokeless alternatives.

I think the future of cannabis is beyond flower, Morrow says. Look at what’s happening in big tobacco with vapes and pouches. Cannabis has similar potential with drinks, topicals, and other innovative products.

For Morrow, building Lume isn’t just about profits—it’s about making cannabis accessible to a broad spectrum of consumers while maintaining quality and affordability. He envisions a future where cannabis products are as commonplace and accepted as any consumer good. We want to make people happy and create products that fit into their lives, whether they’re looking for relaxation, pain relief, or just a good time,Morrow says.

As Lume continues to grow, Morrow’s entrepreneurial spirit remains the driving force behind its success. From his groundbreaking days in lacrosse to his leadership in cannabis, one thing is clear: Dave Morrow knows how to win.

Do athletes make better entrepreneurs? Dave Morrow’s success says yes—what do you think?