Jason Erkes is the Chief Communications Officer at Cresco Labs and has been with the company since it started. He is also very active in both the National Cannabis Roundtable and the United States Cannabis Council helping drive their communication strategies. He is responsible for shaping and directing Cresco Labs’ internal and external communications strategy and serves as its media spokesperson.

As a seasoned Communications strategist, Erkes has helped position Cresco Labs’ leadership in cannabis through education, transparency and relationships cultivated with influential journalists. His innovative efforts have helped build a company culture dedicated to connection, authenticity and community. In 2020, he developed a media strategy that attracted international media attention of the first adult-use cannabis sale at the company’s Sunnyside dispensary in Illinois. The initiative garnered over 2 billion impressions, significantly increasing visibility of Cresco Labs and its national retail brand. As the company’s spokesperson, Erkes has conducted hundreds of media interviews sharing both the company’s and industry’s narrative with local and national media outlets.

Mr. Erkes has been a journalist, political advisor, entrepreneur, turnaround expert, community leader and philanthropist. In 2020, he was named one of the “Top 10 Most Influential Communications Professionals to Watch in Cannabis” by Green Market Report. Crain’s Chicago Business recognized him as a “Rising Star” in its 40 Under 40 list; he has won Emmy Awards for excellence in journalism while representing ABC News and FOX News; and he has received national political recognition as a recipient of the prestigious Reed Award from Campaigns & Elections Magazine.