Hiro Kitagawa joined Medical Marijuana 411 (MM411 Inc) as the Director of Partner Services after having developed a solid working relationship with the company. Highly analytical and perceptive, Hiro brings on the experience and bicultural skills gained over many years at a Japanese auto manufacturer in the U.S. He contributes to process improvement (kaizen), strategic planning, and promotion execution. Hiro also is one of the key contacts for the MM411 Asia Pacific division, being involved in various projects relating to translation, localization, and marketing.
Hiro was first introduced to cannabis through a close friend back in 2016. Though unfamiliar with cannabis at the time, he was able to have a very pleasant experience thanks to the proper guidance from the experienced friend. It was not until years later that he learned having such positive experience was not always a default, and that first-time users experiencing negative outcomes due to a lack of knowledge was a commonplace. With this newfound realization, and the desire to help people around him experience cannabis in the very same way he was able to, Hiro began learning about various aspects of cannabis – from product types to usage guide. It was then that he witnessed the therapeutic benefits of the plant firsthand through his friends and family members’ experiences.
Now more knowledgeable about the medicinal potential of cannabis, Hiro began sharing his knowledge on social media, hoping to portray the plant based on data, not stigma. Leveraging his bilingual capabilities, Hiro was also actively posting content for the people of Japan, where cannabis is illegal and highly stigmatized. It was this international outreach that eventually connected him to the MM411 Asia Pacific team.
Outside of his cannabis education sphere, Hiro can be found spending time at the local gym lifting weights, hiking on the beautiful trails, and reading comic books.
