WEBVTT 1 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:21.879 Yeah, what's going on everybody, and welcome to a new 2 00:00:21.879 --> 00:00:22.960 episode of my canon Cast. 3 00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:26.920 I'm Cana, Dave and I'm Groovy. On today's episode, we 4 00:00:27.039 --> 00:00:31.120 have special guests Rebecca LaToya, founders and owners of Collexium. 5 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:32.320 Thank you for joining us, ladies. 6 00:00:34.520 --> 00:00:38.320 Yay, this is our first five person recorded. This has 7 00:00:38.359 --> 00:00:40.880 been crazy for me to figure out, but we got 8 00:00:40.920 --> 00:00:43.640 to go in excited to have everyone here learn about 9 00:00:43.640 --> 00:00:47.600 Collexium Detroit brand and have their hands a little bit 10 00:00:47.640 --> 00:00:50.359 of everything. We already got the products on the table demoing, 11 00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:53.399 but we always like to talk about who we're talking 12 00:00:53.439 --> 00:00:55.280 to first, so we love to hear how we all 13 00:00:55.280 --> 00:00:57.640 got into cannabis and just we y'all are people go 14 00:00:57.759 --> 00:00:58.280 back history? 15 00:00:58.439 --> 00:01:02.399 Yeah, LaToya, you want me to go first? 16 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:03.640 All right? 17 00:01:03.759 --> 00:01:06.879 All right? So yeah, my name is LaToya Rucker. I'm 18 00:01:06.959 --> 00:01:11.599 the CEO and co founder of Collexium. I got my 19 00:01:11.640 --> 00:01:16.120 starting at cannabis through being a caregiver. It had just 20 00:01:16.200 --> 00:01:19.599 became legal and Michigan and I was definitely not for 21 00:01:19.640 --> 00:01:23.719 any illegal anything, so it had to be legal for 22 00:01:23.799 --> 00:01:27.840 me to even take interest. But my grandmother used it 23 00:01:27.879 --> 00:01:31.799 recreationally and she was getting up in age and having 24 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:37.400 a lot of chronic pain and illnesses, and opioids just 25 00:01:37.640 --> 00:01:40.599 did not work for her body, and so cannabis was 26 00:01:40.599 --> 00:01:43.599 that alternative, and I was I was able to see 27 00:01:43.640 --> 00:01:47.079 in real time, like how it can improve somebody's quality 28 00:01:47.079 --> 00:01:49.760 of life. So that's my why. 29 00:01:52.200 --> 00:01:52.680 You Recca. 30 00:01:56.200 --> 00:01:59.680 Cannabis helped me, like as an adult in corporate America, 31 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:05.599 deal with things like anxiety and chronic headaches and just 32 00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:07.519 frustration of being. 33 00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:08.599 An adult, you know. 34 00:02:11.879 --> 00:02:15.840 And then my dad, who was a veteran, he struggled 35 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:20.719 with a lot of similar things pain management, needed help sleeping. 36 00:02:21.719 --> 00:02:26.439 So I started researching more natural ways that he could 37 00:02:26.479 --> 00:02:30.319 achieve those because you know, a lot of older people 38 00:02:30.439 --> 00:02:33.960 trust the doctors a lot, so they always are going 39 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:36.039 to the doctor. And one time I asked him, I said, 40 00:02:36.039 --> 00:02:38.280 you go to the VA all the time. Why haven't 41 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:42.120 you got better? And he could not answer me, and 42 00:02:42.199 --> 00:02:44.919 I was like, maybe we should research some things that 43 00:02:44.919 --> 00:02:48.759 could help you get better. And so I just started 44 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:51.919 researching like the medicinal parts of cannabis. Because at the 45 00:02:51.960 --> 00:02:57.719 time Michigan had the caregiver program. Different states like California 46 00:02:57.759 --> 00:03:02.439 and Colorado, Washington State where had programs and dispensary. So 47 00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:04.879 I was like Oh, it's an industry, it's something going on, 48 00:03:06.039 --> 00:03:08.560 and I just start really kind of like lobbying and 49 00:03:08.599 --> 00:03:11.840 advocating for it. And then Latoy and I met, and 50 00:03:11.879 --> 00:03:15.719 I really got an opportunity to really learn about the 51 00:03:15.719 --> 00:03:18.960 cultivation side of it and like the plant science and 52 00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:22.159 it all really it all really connected. And then the 53 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:24.520 last thing I'll say is, you know, after I learned 54 00:03:24.520 --> 00:03:27.800 all this, the plant is healing, and then I saw 55 00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:30.639 these grows and I was like, oh shit, this is official. 56 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:34.319 I was like, but why is it illegal? Like that 57 00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:37.280 is what led me to collection, which we'll get into. 58 00:03:37.319 --> 00:03:40.879 It's like it was so much positive, but the government 59 00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:43.080 was trying to make it seem so bad and I 60 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:46.520 just couldn't figure it out because I'm a logical person 61 00:03:46.599 --> 00:03:50.039 by trade, coming from like engineering, so I'm like one 62 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:53.439 plus one is two, but this is not too It's 63 00:03:53.479 --> 00:03:56.159 not what is going on. So that just led me 64 00:03:56.199 --> 00:03:57.840 down this journey. 65 00:03:58.080 --> 00:03:59.120 Well, thank you for that. 66 00:03:59.479 --> 00:04:01.280 And I like that he came from two different backgrounds, 67 00:04:01.319 --> 00:04:04.080 probably complimentary to the brand itself, you know, because we 68 00:04:04.120 --> 00:04:06.520 are very much the same. Like he's very much marketing 69 00:04:06.639 --> 00:04:10.879 and business and I'm very much creative and on this, 70 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:12.919 like on all this tech stuff as y'all see. So 71 00:04:13.080 --> 00:04:15.000 I think that can build a stronger brand. 72 00:04:15.240 --> 00:04:16.360 Absolutely definitely. 73 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:18.720 And the passion for the medical side too, and taking 74 00:04:18.759 --> 00:04:20.439 care of your family, you know, that's huge. 75 00:04:20.759 --> 00:04:21.480 Yeah. 76 00:04:22.040 --> 00:04:25.079 Yeah, I had so many family members that, you know. 77 00:04:25.199 --> 00:04:28.399 Once my grandmother like got a hold of it, she 78 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:32.040 spread the words all her friends, and I started making 79 00:04:32.319 --> 00:04:35.480 literally anything somebody would ask. I would try to make 80 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:40.439 pizza infused with cannabis, bombs and fused with cannabis. Like, 81 00:04:40.879 --> 00:04:43.759 I tried it all, you know. I love that. 82 00:04:44.120 --> 00:04:47.079 Yeah, I kind of want some pizza infused. That sounds good. 83 00:04:49.879 --> 00:04:52.920 What was so, how long have you been in growing 84 00:04:53.079 --> 00:04:56.079 and the involved with like actually the cultivation. 85 00:04:55.680 --> 00:05:00.800 Side, so from a caregiver perspective, says too that and nine. 86 00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:04.120 But we got our cultivation license around two years ago. 87 00:05:05.360 --> 00:05:07.720 Okay, is that when Collectium opened. 88 00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:13.040 So we started doing more marketing back in the pandemic. Like, 89 00:05:13.120 --> 00:05:17.680 so we launched officially in twenty nineteen, yeah right, but. 90 00:05:17.639 --> 00:05:20.120 We had products on the shelf in twenty twenty. 91 00:05:20.199 --> 00:05:21.839 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 92 00:05:22.279 --> 00:05:25.120 So your retail license, uh, not your retail license, your 93 00:05:25.120 --> 00:05:28.560 cultivation license. What kind of uh do you mind me asking? 94 00:05:28.600 --> 00:05:29.959 How do you like do you guys grow as it 95 00:05:30.120 --> 00:05:32.120 you were kind of like nutrients used or anything, like. 96 00:05:32.040 --> 00:05:33.839 All right, this is Latoya's time. 97 00:05:34.160 --> 00:05:36.519 Yeah, no, I straight up like I could put my 98 00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:39.319 mic down as well. That suggests you all too, We'll 99 00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:41.399 listen in now. I love Edge because this is so 100 00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:43.120 informative though, you know. 101 00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:44.800 Because I think it's a game changer for you to 102 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:47.399 have your own flower inside the retail stop absolutely store 103 00:05:47.399 --> 00:05:48.480 instead of somebody else's. 104 00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:51.720 He vertically integrated. I feel like it's very powerful. 105 00:05:52.040 --> 00:05:54.120 I think I think it's almost like a not a must, 106 00:05:54.160 --> 00:05:55.639 but it just helps you so much better. And if 107 00:05:55.639 --> 00:05:57.079 you fall in love with the flower, you're going to 108 00:05:57.120 --> 00:05:59.920 continue going to the store and supporting that's a brand over. 109 00:06:00.399 --> 00:06:03.120 Yeah, And like I just came from retail, and like 110 00:06:03.160 --> 00:06:06.040 we talked about, we come from different backgrounds, so I'm 111 00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:09.319 really good at selling and being like out there, and 112 00:06:09.399 --> 00:06:12.839 LaToya likes to do more of the you know, behind 113 00:06:12.839 --> 00:06:16.319 the scenes stuff that I could never really do, you know, 114 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:20.439 So it works out. But yeah, it helps when I'm 115 00:06:20.439 --> 00:06:22.879 in the store and I get to talk about, you know, 116 00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:25.040 we grew this weed, right, and I get to tell 117 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:27.759 them about where it came from and how it makes 118 00:06:27.800 --> 00:06:30.240 them feel I get to show on pictures in my 119 00:06:30.360 --> 00:06:34.920 phone of the live plants and the cultivation. Yeah, yeah, 120 00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:35.480 I've done that. 121 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:41.360 The table. It's definitely farm the table. Yeah. So as 122 00:06:41.399 --> 00:06:46.040 a caregiver, I started off using canna. Like cana to 123 00:06:46.160 --> 00:06:49.639 me was just a really clean neutrient line. And again 124 00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:52.240 I'm coming from like a medical perspective, so I did 125 00:06:52.279 --> 00:06:54.879 a lot of research on all the different type of nutrients. 126 00:06:54.920 --> 00:06:58.319 I've had advanced hydro you know, throwing you all kind 127 00:06:58.360 --> 00:07:01.240 of stuff and use this for you know, the next 128 00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:04.160 six months. And it's like, I really liked how clean 129 00:07:04.279 --> 00:07:08.600 canda was and just use that. And so as you scale, 130 00:07:08.600 --> 00:07:12.600 you're like, okay, affordability, something that doesn't cost so much. 131 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:15.920 And so Psycho to me is that's what we use. 132 00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:19.040 Is very similar to Canada as far as how many 133 00:07:19.079 --> 00:07:22.480 parts you use, and just in different phases of flower 134 00:07:22.600 --> 00:07:24.399 and how you give the plant a little bit of 135 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:27.279 p K or you give a little the plant, you know, 136 00:07:27.399 --> 00:07:29.759 different things during those flowers. 137 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:33.199 I've seen those nutrients out there. Yeah, I've heard of 138 00:07:33.240 --> 00:07:35.639 canon too back in the day as well. A lot 139 00:07:35.680 --> 00:07:36.920 of growers you're using that impact. 140 00:07:37.399 --> 00:07:41.199 So we grow in coco one to two gallons uh, 141 00:07:41.560 --> 00:07:47.759 you know drip feed. We use HPS ninety ninety lights 142 00:07:47.759 --> 00:07:51.759 throughout our facility, full hps. HPS. 143 00:07:52.360 --> 00:07:54.399 That's cool. I love it because that's where like that, 144 00:07:55.399 --> 00:07:56.920 that's where it came from. You know, you see this 145 00:07:56.959 --> 00:07:59.759 big LED bush you know all the time everywhere. I've 146 00:07:59.759 --> 00:08:01.360 seen actually checkerboards. 147 00:08:01.360 --> 00:08:02.720 Now, yeah, you know that's new. 148 00:08:02.759 --> 00:08:04.959 And I love people going HPS for as long it 149 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:06.240 took them forever to switch over. 150 00:08:07.079 --> 00:08:09.439 Yeah, I use LEDs now. I was HPS for the longest, 151 00:08:10.079 --> 00:08:12.079 but I'm just like a small time. 152 00:08:11.959 --> 00:08:15.160 And yeah, but we're considering LED because you know, you're 153 00:08:15.160 --> 00:08:18.160 trying to save money. The costs of cannabis in Michigan is, 154 00:08:18.279 --> 00:08:21.439 you know, completely plummeted, so you have to figure out 155 00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:25.800 how to grow an economical pound and that may require 156 00:08:25.839 --> 00:08:28.920 you to you know, switch over to LEDs and really 157 00:08:29.040 --> 00:08:32.320 kind of figure out some ways to cut costs but 158 00:08:32.480 --> 00:08:33.879 still have a quality product. 159 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:36.480 Right, absolutely, absolutely, And I say that's great. I love 160 00:08:36.519 --> 00:08:38.679 that you come from a medical aspect because when you're 161 00:08:38.679 --> 00:08:40.759 coming from a medical aspect, you're going to you want 162 00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:43.919 the best product for your consumer to try, and you 163 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:45.879 don't see that as often with a lot of these brands. 164 00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:48.000 There's something. I mean, there's a lot that we see 165 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:49.759 it with, but there's some brands, like the big brands, 166 00:08:49.759 --> 00:08:52.399 that they don't care about it. And when you show 167 00:08:52.399 --> 00:08:54.480 the passion with it, it comes out within the product 168 00:08:54.480 --> 00:08:56.759 and I absolutely love that. Do you have any specific 169 00:08:56.960 --> 00:08:59.679 like strains that are like collectium like people's like the 170 00:08:59.679 --> 00:09:01.519 ones you too, like your name brand. 171 00:09:02.120 --> 00:09:05.240 Yeah, people really know. It's like for our Morascottie cake. 172 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:12.799 Our cream, our pink pea which is pink pussy. Some stores, 173 00:09:13.080 --> 00:09:16.080 you know, some stores are sensitive. Some stores, you know. 174 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:19.679 I remember there was a string called wet Pea out there. 175 00:09:20.679 --> 00:09:22.519 Tricks or whatever, and dog Ship. 176 00:09:25.240 --> 00:09:26.799 Those are three most distinct. 177 00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:30.960 Scotti cake sounds good, like that. 178 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:32.879 Sounds That's been one of our That was one of 179 00:09:32.919 --> 00:09:37.039 our first strains we had on shelves. So it's more 180 00:09:37.080 --> 00:09:38.720 of our one of our o G strains that we 181 00:09:38.799 --> 00:09:40.799 bring back sometimes. 182 00:09:41.919 --> 00:09:43.200 So you're doing, you guys do a different R and 183 00:09:43.279 --> 00:09:44.440 D then I'm assuming. 184 00:09:44.080 --> 00:09:49.759 So recently, you know, as a as a salesperson, I'm 185 00:09:49.759 --> 00:09:52.360 going to the growers like I need new flavors, you know, 186 00:09:53.759 --> 00:09:57.120 but also as a smoker, you know, LaToya is more 187 00:09:57.159 --> 00:09:59.879 of an edible lover and so I have to sometimes 188 00:10:00.159 --> 00:10:03.200 her feedback of what flower people like. You know, I'm 189 00:10:03.240 --> 00:10:06.960 more of flower power. I love cannabis and how versatile 190 00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:09.799 it is. But I mean I'm a flower power child. 191 00:10:09.799 --> 00:10:11.519 All right, let's let's go through the table here. So 192 00:10:11.519 --> 00:10:15.200 we got flower flower edibles is your choice? Your choice? Wow, 193 00:10:15.399 --> 00:10:18.840 that's awesome. I love that. That's such like sinus issues. 194 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:22.240 That makes sense. And then okay, summer you flower hash 195 00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:27.759 or that dabs your hybrid. Personally, I am Dabs. I 196 00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:30.159 am team Dabs. I don't know, I just love it 197 00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:32.519 so much. I love it. 198 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:37.000 Yeah, okay, I got them, all right, Yeah, we want. 199 00:10:36.799 --> 00:10:38.360 To do that. We want to get into the live 200 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:40.679 rocks and gang. We think we got some strands that 201 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:45.559 will definitely wash you know that can can try homes 202 00:10:45.559 --> 00:10:49.240 because people love our trim. You know, they'll smoke our trim. 203 00:10:49.639 --> 00:10:52.440 So it's like, if it's coming out like that and trim, 204 00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:55.480 I can't what it would be like for hash. 205 00:10:55.519 --> 00:10:57.600 Definitely, I would highly recommend trying to. I mean that's 206 00:10:57.600 --> 00:10:59.200 a new I mean not new, but a lot of 207 00:10:59.200 --> 00:11:01.200 people are enjoying the hashtags are enjoying it. 208 00:11:02.639 --> 00:11:05.080 I think flower will always kind of be king. It 209 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:07.759 would always be the top notch. Everyone's going to flower 210 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:09.879 because it creates all the rest. Right, it's the plant, 211 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:14.159 but cultiv that's why cultivations like so important. But people 212 00:11:14.200 --> 00:11:16.879 have got so good at washing like that because it's 213 00:11:16.919 --> 00:11:19.440 become more common knowledge. I feel like and I'm just 214 00:11:19.480 --> 00:11:21.480 so impressed with some of the turps that you can get. 215 00:11:21.639 --> 00:11:24.840 You know, it smells just like the plant, Like literally 216 00:11:24.919 --> 00:11:28.320 you can't tell the difference. So I think that's pretty cool. 217 00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:36.360 Maybe be a little bit more potent to sometimes that's the. 218 00:11:38.519 --> 00:11:41.000 Big fan. So we got a little bit of your products, 219 00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:43.840 so you're vertically integrated. You grow what we talked about 220 00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:47.120 your edibles. We see you got like strawberry shortcake. Here, 221 00:11:47.320 --> 00:11:49.919 let's talk about some of your products like outside of 222 00:11:49.919 --> 00:11:50.279 the oh. 223 00:11:53.480 --> 00:11:57.039 So, one of the reasons we started Collectionium is because 224 00:11:57.080 --> 00:12:01.639 of professional women the tway and I professionals and entrepreneurs 225 00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:07.559 prior to cannabis, Like, we noticed that cannabis in a 226 00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:12.120 professional setting was like stigmatized. Like people could call happy 227 00:12:12.200 --> 00:12:18.600 hour and get drunk, but nobody would, you know, back right, 228 00:12:18.679 --> 00:12:22.080 you know, but they smell a joint outside just the 229 00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:25.120 whiff of a joint, and it's like all hell yeah, 230 00:12:26.240 --> 00:12:28.639 you're a druggie. Do you need somebody to talk to? 231 00:12:28.759 --> 00:12:32.960 And I came from corporate engineering, but I always prefer cannabis. 232 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:38.120 I actually don't even drink alcohol. I haven't for fifteen years. 233 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:40.360 It's just my choice. I don't really like it. I'm 234 00:12:40.360 --> 00:12:43.320 a smoker, you know. I like plant medicine. I like 235 00:12:43.399 --> 00:12:45.799 other plants to get into that, you know, get I 236 00:12:45.879 --> 00:12:54.799 like plant medicine plans fun. So we started Collexium because 237 00:12:54.840 --> 00:12:59.320 we wanted a cannabis brand that accepted all people, but 238 00:12:59.480 --> 00:13:03.039 that women really could see themselves in, because a lot 239 00:13:03.080 --> 00:13:07.159 of times women were even stigmatized for smoking. I remember 240 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:09.480 one time I was dating this guy and I smoked 241 00:13:09.480 --> 00:13:11.559 in front of him, and he was like, Oh, that's 242 00:13:11.559 --> 00:13:14.440 so unattractive, and I was like, that's the last time 243 00:13:14.440 --> 00:13:15.120 I'm gonna see you. 244 00:13:15.879 --> 00:13:16.320 Really. 245 00:13:16.440 --> 00:13:17.679 Yes, it's you know. 246 00:13:17.639 --> 00:13:21.000 It's almost like the opposite for David, here's the door. 247 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:27.159 Especially back in the day, you know, it was you know, 248 00:13:27.480 --> 00:13:29.840 smoking is more of like a manly thing. And I know, 249 00:13:29.919 --> 00:13:32.360 you guys can admit, even in the legal industry, a 250 00:13:32.360 --> 00:13:35.039 lot of brands are very manly. 251 00:13:35.559 --> 00:13:38.759 You know, it's a male dominant industry, right it needs 252 00:13:38.799 --> 00:13:39.279 a shift. 253 00:13:39.279 --> 00:13:42.679 But that's how it is, right, and we just wanted 254 00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:48.000 to add like a classy touch with a little bit 255 00:13:48.039 --> 00:13:51.039 of femininity, not like really, but like, you know, a 256 00:13:51.080 --> 00:13:55.200 little bit. And so the name Collexium, even in this 257 00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:58.039 even in the name of it, is talking about the 258 00:13:58.080 --> 00:14:02.320 female part of the plant. So anyways, so a lot 259 00:14:02.440 --> 00:14:06.080 of our products are marketed towards women. So for like, 260 00:14:06.600 --> 00:14:10.480 our gummy line is dessert flavor, because we know a 261 00:14:10.559 --> 00:14:13.320 lot of women, you know, they like desert. I mean 262 00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:16.240 a lot of people do, but oftentimes, you know, a 263 00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:18.799 woman is mad, giver her, you know, a piece of chocolate. 264 00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:23.440 So we got you know, all dessert flavored gummies because 265 00:14:23.440 --> 00:14:25.759 also we didn't see that out there. We always see 266 00:14:25.799 --> 00:14:29.559 watermelon gummies and strawberry Kiwi, but we never saw each 267 00:14:29.720 --> 00:14:32.480 cobbler or strawberry shortcase. 268 00:14:33.080 --> 00:14:37.559 It's like Chokola factory, the Willie Walker and the chocolate 269 00:14:37.559 --> 00:14:41.799 factory effect. You know, it's actually the lasting god stopper. 270 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:46.039 Like that last flavor is the dessert, right. It tastes 271 00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:47.519 just like blueberry pie. 272 00:14:47.919 --> 00:14:53.600 Yeah, and all of our flowers, I mean, we got 273 00:14:53.600 --> 00:14:56.519 some good marketing campaigns out there that's like make you 274 00:14:56.600 --> 00:14:59.720 hungry and then all our flowers, like our pre rolls 275 00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:03.879 are well. We always do effect base because even when 276 00:15:03.919 --> 00:15:05.759 I'm in the store, I always ask somebody, how do 277 00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:08.279 you want to feel? You know, and so instead of 278 00:15:09.240 --> 00:15:14.080 exactly yeah, you know, some of our test high, but 279 00:15:17.000 --> 00:15:20.399 but most of our strains are very flavorful, high turfy. 280 00:15:20.679 --> 00:15:24.879 And you know, people don't really you know, they shop 281 00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:27.360 the nose, nose, and a lot of people shop with 282 00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:28.639 their nose, you. 283 00:15:28.600 --> 00:15:31.960 Know, I've been I love that nose nose. I could 284 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:34.759 trust my terms for days, because like you just know, 285 00:15:34.840 --> 00:15:36.879 if it's it's like food right, if it smells good, 286 00:15:36.879 --> 00:15:39.960 it's gonna taste good to you, you know, hopefully, but 287 00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:42.279 you know, if it's cooked right and it's grown right. 288 00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:44.600 But I think all your nose is the best, you know, 289 00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:45.720 that's the best way to go. 290 00:15:45.799 --> 00:15:47.159 And we don't have that issue. 291 00:15:47.240 --> 00:15:47.440 You know. 292 00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:50.840 There's a lot of issues in the legal cannabis market, 293 00:15:50.960 --> 00:15:55.639 the price, the politics, the stigma, blah blah blah. But 294 00:15:56.279 --> 00:15:58.639 we can grow some good weed. You know. I'm at 295 00:15:58.720 --> 00:16:01.240 the stores all the time. I talk to buyers all 296 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:04.120 the time. As soon as I open the bag, they like, 297 00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:07.000 oh yeah, that's that gap, you know, because I think 298 00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:10.120 you know, LaToya and the cultivation team. We don't cut 299 00:16:10.120 --> 00:16:13.919 corners because you know, I think because of our background 300 00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:17.240 and we also we want to be different. It's a 301 00:16:17.240 --> 00:16:19.200 lot of weed out here, especially in Michigan, is a 302 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:22.080 whole lot of brands and we and when people smoke 303 00:16:22.120 --> 00:16:25.360 our we we we want to we want them to 304 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:27.639 have a different experience. We want them to smoke and 305 00:16:27.679 --> 00:16:32.120 be like hmm, this is this is clean, this is this. 306 00:16:32.039 --> 00:16:33.240 Is smooth good. 307 00:16:34.519 --> 00:16:39.360 So yeah, you know so, and we oftentimes get that feedback. 308 00:16:39.480 --> 00:16:44.559 So yeah, dessert Edibles effect line. You know, a lot 309 00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:47.480 of femininity, but still a lot of gas. A lot 310 00:16:47.480 --> 00:16:48.799 of guys fuck with us. 311 00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:51.480 So it sounds like yo, folks on aesthetics a little bit. 312 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:53.320 You just kind of make it look nice too as 313 00:16:53.399 --> 00:16:57.159 well as good quality smoke. Yes, and when you talk 314 00:16:57.159 --> 00:16:59.279 about all your products, where where's your shop? 315 00:16:59.320 --> 00:17:06.319 At? Gattet in Southwest Detroit And then the majority of 316 00:17:06.359 --> 00:17:09.400 the stores that we're in are in the Detroit area 317 00:17:09.559 --> 00:17:12.119 as well, because we do do wholesale as well of 318 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:16.000 our problems, so most we're mostly in the Detroit area. 319 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:20.680 A couple of suburbs, but yeah, we find us on 320 00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:21.359 we maps. 321 00:17:22.039 --> 00:17:25.680 Yeah there you go there, you go, there, you go. 322 00:17:26.279 --> 00:17:28.519 I have a question, and you know, because especially we 323 00:17:28.640 --> 00:17:32.079 just talked about male dominant industry as a female owned 324 00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:37.119 company as well as people of color, what adversities have 325 00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:38.880 you like faced or what I mean? 326 00:17:39.079 --> 00:17:40.920 Okay that I get, I. 327 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:46.160 Mean, what haven't you faced? I guess, I guess what 328 00:17:46.319 --> 00:17:48.799 challenges have you seen in any advice you could give 329 00:17:48.839 --> 00:17:52.559 to other women or any people of color going in 330 00:17:52.559 --> 00:17:55.000 this direction? You know, because I feel like a lot 331 00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:56.759 you know, it's it's easy to learn, people have been 332 00:17:56.799 --> 00:17:57.200 through it. 333 00:17:57.359 --> 00:17:57.519 You know. 334 00:17:57.640 --> 00:18:04.200 Yeah, sounds your reaction volumes, so you know what I mean. 335 00:18:05.480 --> 00:18:09.519 I think us starting by telling us, telling y'all our 336 00:18:09.640 --> 00:18:13.039 history is really the reason we're still doing this because 337 00:18:13.079 --> 00:18:16.960 the amount of barriers that we have overcame and are 338 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:20.839 still overcoming. It's crazy, you know, just to grow we 339 00:18:21.039 --> 00:18:24.960 legally they make it like being Rocket Sciences. Probably being 340 00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:28.079 a Rocket Sciences is probably easier than what we doing. 341 00:18:28.440 --> 00:18:35.039 So so you know, to summarize it, it's really expensive. 342 00:18:35.079 --> 00:18:38.319 And when I mean really expensive, it doesn't make sense. 343 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:42.240 You know, the startup costs, yes, but just maintaining the business, 344 00:18:42.359 --> 00:18:46.119 the margins are very tight, and like we kind of 345 00:18:46.119 --> 00:18:50.039 alluded to earlier. Like the marketing is a little messed 346 00:18:50.119 --> 00:18:52.359 up too. You know, a lot of people out here 347 00:18:52.440 --> 00:18:57.279 are just you know, want to buy cheap weed, which 348 00:18:57.400 --> 00:19:01.279 drives the prices down. They want to h C chasing too, right, 349 00:19:01.480 --> 00:19:03.880 They want to they want to buy thirty five percent 350 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:07.960 weed for five dollars a gram. And I'm just like, bro. 351 00:19:08.599 --> 00:19:12.759 Like what the fuck? It's crazy because like we used 352 00:19:12.799 --> 00:19:14.359 to be like when you paid a little extra, you 353 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:16.440 got you knew you were getting some quality, you know, 354 00:19:16.680 --> 00:19:19.079 like it was almost like a flex to pay more. 355 00:19:19.240 --> 00:19:20.880 Now it's like I want a two dollars pre roll 356 00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:24.039 infuse please, Like yeah, with what right? 357 00:19:24.480 --> 00:19:28.279 It's just the trend, the trend of the of the 358 00:19:28.279 --> 00:19:31.240 the marketing of the industry and stuff like that. It's 359 00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:35.319 also a barrier that we are overcoming now because when 360 00:19:35.359 --> 00:19:38.359 we first got into this game, you know, the margins 361 00:19:38.359 --> 00:19:41.519 were a little better, so it made it made sense 362 00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:44.279 because we're running a business. Yeah, we passion and all 363 00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:46.799 that stuff, but we running a business. We got bills 364 00:19:46.920 --> 00:19:52.480 and employees, so you know, the margins is tight, and uh, 365 00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:55.720 the education is just not really there, you know. So 366 00:19:56.359 --> 00:20:00.279 if I could summarize it, funding, the trends and just 367 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:03.279 the strict regulations to you know, we've had bank accounts 368 00:20:03.319 --> 00:20:08.079 shut down, social media accounts flag I mean, just all 369 00:20:08.279 --> 00:20:12.839 type of stuff jump through just to grow and sell weed. 370 00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:17.680 I would just say, I mean to piggyback off what 371 00:20:17.720 --> 00:20:21.920 she's said about being a rocket science. It's like, just 372 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:25.640 imagine the hardest thing you've ever done in life, and 373 00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:28.680 this is it. This is the most challenging thing that 374 00:20:28.759 --> 00:20:33.640 I've ever faced. So I would say to people, like, 375 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:38.519 you know, don't rush into it right, build it slow 376 00:20:40.440 --> 00:20:47.440 and and really focus on being authentic, but also just 377 00:20:47.480 --> 00:20:50.039 being a business person and trying to keep your overhead 378 00:20:50.160 --> 00:20:55.759 as low as possible when people shoot high numbers at you, like, no, 379 00:20:56.359 --> 00:20:59.640 just it. It's reality. The reality is, like she said, 380 00:21:01.079 --> 00:21:04.039 the margins are thin, so you got to be thinking long, 381 00:21:04.359 --> 00:21:07.480 long term. This isn't a get rich quick, it's not 382 00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:12.319 a you know, money overnight type thing. This is a dedication. 383 00:21:12.440 --> 00:21:14.359 It's a discipline. And at the end of the day, 384 00:21:14.599 --> 00:21:18.519 like we are farmers and look at how farmers are 385 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:19.720 treated in this country. 386 00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:22.440 It's you. 387 00:21:22.759 --> 00:21:25.359 It is the backbone. You have to you have to 388 00:21:25.400 --> 00:21:31.279 eat to live and they're to me, a yeah, And 389 00:21:31.319 --> 00:21:33.400 so it's like one of those things where you just 390 00:21:33.480 --> 00:21:38.200 have to constantly, like put nothing but positive energy into 391 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:42.119 you so that the situation, whatever it is you face 392 00:21:42.359 --> 00:21:45.519 on a daily basis, it doesn't get the best of 393 00:21:45.559 --> 00:21:48.480 you because it for some people that could. And I 394 00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:51.319 can see why people walk away, you know, I understand. 395 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:56.319 I empathize. I wouldn't have had this story three years ago, right, 396 00:21:56.559 --> 00:21:59.799 But really, just like us putting our feet out there 397 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:05.400 and going scaling our business model, it has taught us 398 00:22:05.440 --> 00:22:08.880 a lot, and I think we're stronger for it at 399 00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:09.640 the end of the day. 400 00:22:10.119 --> 00:22:11.759 It's good, that is true. 401 00:22:11.799 --> 00:22:13.920