Derek BurtonThere’s a saying that opportunity doesn’t knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door.
This phrase seems particularly apt for Derek Burton, who went looking for a job in cannabis on his 21st birthday, the very minute he was legally able to work in the industry, according to Washington state law.
Burton’s ambition and work ethic — coupled with some luck in knocking on the right door — helped him work his way up the Sweetwater Farms hierarchy from trimmer in 2016 to operations director and part owner in 2025.
“I think my passion’s been the biggest thing,” Burton says. “I don’t really even smoke any more, but I’ve still got such a passion for cannabis. Having that passion and that background of always wanting to learn more have helped me to get to where I am.”
Although Washington is one of the most competitive markets in the country, Sweetwater Farms has been able to not only stay afloat, but expand in the challenging industry. The company now has two Tier 2 licenses and continues to make a name for itself as one of the few indoor farms in the state using living soil and organic cultivation techniques.
Burton says Sweetwater Farms truly feels like a family, and says one of his proudest moments of the past decade was earning an equity piece of the business earlier this year.
“I’ve always wanted to be an owner of a farm,” he says. “It’s pretty exciting: I can finally say I’m a cannabis business owner.”