Chris Visco

Christina "Chris" Visco (March 9, 1971 – October 19, 2023) was a businesswoman and retail professional best known for her work in the cannabis industry.

She was credited with being the first female issued a license for a medical marijuana dispensary in Pennsylvania with her business TerraVida Holistic Centers. Visco was widely known for being the CEO of the cannabis multi-state operator (MSO) TerraLeaf which operates in West Virginia, but also has licenses in Illinois and New Jersey.

In addition to being an entrepreneur, Visco was active in business groups such as the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). TerraVida was one of the only cannabis businesses to be certified as a Women's Business Enterprise (WBE). Visco was also a breast cancer survivor. Her illness further motivated her to provide safe access to medical marijuana in Pennsylvania and beyond. Visco's charitable works also include donating to soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and domestic violence centers – as well as helping overturn cannabis convictions.

Early life Visco attended Drexel University. She was the daughter of late Montgomery County Sheriff John P. Durante and Jill Durante Bukata. She started smoking weed as a teenager and went to "a lot of Grateful Dead shows". In this position, Visco was responsible for purchasing and merchandising at 178 retail stores that generated $60 million in revenue during her tenure. During her time at David’s Bridal, Visco was regularly recognized for exceeding sales plans and achieving the highest comparable store increases in the company.

Performance Lighting In 2004, Visco partnered with an entrepreneur to land a government contract for lighting. During this time, Visco's firm utilized prison labor to fulfill the U.S. Department of Justice contract. Working as a Political Strategist and Campaign Manager at her own company, she ran several successful campaigns – including PA State Representative Chris Rabb and Montgomery County, PA Sheriff Eileen Behr. Upon hearing about the legalization of medical cannabis in Pennsylvania in 2016, Visco was motivated to enter the new industry. For the initial application process for medical marijuana dispensaries in Pennsylvania, TerraVida Holistic Centers received the highest score in the southeast region of the state. TerraVida now operates under the Zen Leaf brand.

TerraLeaf Dispensaries In 2021, after being awarded a medical cannabis dispensary permit in West Virginia, Visco opened a cannabis Education Center in Huntington, WV. Modeled after a similar center Visco launched in Pennsylvania, the Education Center is designed to teach the public about the benefits of medical cannabis, while also assisting with patient registration and product questions. TerraLeaf hopes medical marijuana can help the people of West Virginia find relief from ailments like chronic pain without the use of addictive opioids.