Norm Ives is an old-timer in the world of insurance and cannabis.

That isn’t very long considering the relative newness of the industry, but he talks like he’s been doing it forever.

Ives is a broker and cannabis practice leader at wholesaler Worldwide Facilities LLC. He was previously cannabis program manager for Mosaic Insurance Alliance. He got his start in the insurance business with Farmers as a commercial sales specialist more than a decade ago.

Ives began placing cannabis-related policies following marijuana legalization in Washington and Colorado in 2012, and he hasn’t looked away from the blur of state-by-state legalization since.

Norman Ives

Cannabis isn’t just his business. He spends some of his free time serving on the board of the Cannabis Alliance, a Seattle, Wash.-based group working to advance the cannabis industry.

Ives spoke with Insurance Journal about his experience as a cannabis broker.

Insurance Journal: Why did you get in the cannabis and insurance space?

Ives: I stepped into the cannabis insurance space because it was an underserved market that desperately needed coaching on insurance options. Having been in the industry for the last eight-plus years, I cannot imagine working in any other segment.

IJ: Has this been a good financial decision so far?

Ives: Yes, it has been very rewarding on a personal level and a positive move for my insurance career.

IJ: What’s the hardest thing hardest thing about the cannabis industry to deal…