Justin Kerson is a multidisciplinary artist, author, filmmaker, and cannabis pioneer with over two decades of experience at the intersection of culture, healing, and innovation. A graduate of Humboldt State University (BFA Studio Arts, Botany minor), he studied under legendary canopy biologist Dr. Stephen C. Sillett, grounding his creative practice in ecological consciousness.
Kerson began as a Master Grower and hydroponic engineer, rising to prominence as curator of San Francisco’s Divinity Tree Dispensary (2006–2012) while consulting across California, Oregon, Alaska, and Nevada. In 2009, he founded TOTT Global—a visionary platform merging cannabis and art through eco-conscious puzzles, dice, dominoes, and playing cards featuring artists like Camilla d’Errico, Jeremy Fish, Tara McPherson, and Buff Monster. TOTT’s “Turkey Bags” oven bag cookware line was acquired by Left Coast Hydro in 2015.
In 2017, he launched Tools of the Trade SF, a boutique branding agency for wine and cannabis, followed by The Purple Bucket Project (2018) and 1-800-Pot-Junk (2019), pioneering solutions for cannabis packaging waste and environmental responsibility.
His curatorial and creative work spans major cultural institutions—Art Basel Miami, Burning Man, RVCA, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and Cory Helford Gallery. Kerson co-directed The Detroit Project, a street art documentary starring Ron English that debuted at MoMA NYC, and has exhibited globally from White Walls Gallery to pop-ups and festivals. His work has appeared in Artillery Magazine, Arrested Motion, and in podcasts like Audio Adventures. with Mike Giant.
In 2023, he published The Bedtime Story of Falling Rock, illustrated by Eloy Bida, continuing his lifelong exploration of myth, nature, and storytelling.
In 2024, Kerson founded Apiary of Dreams, a sacred dreamwork community inspired by bees, hives, and collective consciousness. The project helps people unlock lucid dreaming as a tool for healing and inner growth.
Also the founder of Upwook, Kerson is an elite California-based dog trainer with over 18 years of experience, specializing in working breeds and behavior transformation.
From sacred art to street culture, sustainable design to canine psychology, Kerson’s work defies category—but always returns to one core principle: transformation by design.
