Brands to Watch: Smokey River Cannabis
2023 has been a landmark year for Missouri, bringing the start of recreational marijuana sales and a bevy of new products and brands to market.
Missouri is currently home to more than 200 different brands and more than 10,000 products. As the market grows and new brands and products continue to appear, Greenway looks to highlight Brands to Watch. Companies and brands ranging from homegrown talent and design to out-of-state players looking to make a big impact, the brands featured here are moving the needle.
One of these brands is Smokey River Cannabis.
The ones that brought the first 420 Festival to Missouri featuring Wiz Khalifa at Smokey River Entertainment District.
Smokey River Cannabis’ parent company, Besa Brands and Service, has a large focus on being a part of the community, and that is something the teams at Smokey River look to continue. The company believes the key to normalizing cannabis is through outreach. One way the team has achieved that is by continuing to find unique opportunities within the community, like sponsoring the Kansas City Comets indoor soccer team. Fostering good relationships with local authorities – such as the fire and police departments shows that there’s more to cannabis than the high. By bringing more voices into the cannabis fold, along with ushering business to the area with the Smokey River Entertainment District, BBS and Smokey River continue to build bridges and make connections within the community.
But the most important part of any cannabis company is its product, and Smokey River is made using state-of-the-art equipment and safety measures to ensure the best possible product.
Director of Sales and Product Strategy, Nate Dreshfield tells more on what Smokey River Cannabis is about and what we can expect from this rising brand.
What values or ideas does Smokey River Cannabis represent?
We have quality cannabis at unbeatable prices. We work hard, play harder. Might be rough around the edges but passionate. We only make products that we ourselves would buy so we really try to focus on quality. The company is like a family, we have cookouts and fun events that we all do together.
What went into the design and execution of your packaging and presentation?
It is meant to tie in with Smokey River Entertainment District. Fun and straightforward. We played around with multiple ideas and angles before settling, but since the brand came to life as adult use sales started to come online, we also knew we would be up against new regulations. The brand is meant to be sleek and approachable.
What should patients expect from Smokey River Cannabis?
More. Bigger. Better. More SKUs and a focus on quality. Same great products that are easy on the wallet.
What differentiates Smokey River from some of the competitors in the market?
Our people, processes, and technology. Though the brand may look rough and tumble, behind the scenes we meticulously watch over what we’re doing and how to make it better and faster without sacrificing quality. From top to bottom, our crew wants to make things that they themselves are excited to try. We stay curious and critical, and everyone has a voice to pitch in the hat.
We also have the entertainment district and have some awesome shows planned and lined up. In October, there will be a two-day festival Creepshow KC. Some of the headliners include Ty Dolla $ign, 2 Chainz, and Lil Pump. There will be haunted houses and the works. We also partnered up with Oregon Tek to set up the first Missouri Growers Cup. Some of the products we have submitted for judging include our 1000 mg apple pie gummy, blue cookies live resin cart, raspberry driver live rosin and more.
We’ll also be hosting this year’s Cannabrew event and are excited to have artists on site for live demonstrations.
What do you want customers and patients to pull from your brand?
That we care about what we’re making and that it goes lightyears beyond just getting something on the shelf. We want everyone to know that whatever their entry point is, or experience with cannabis, choosing one of our products will always be a win. We value honesty and integrity and hope that shines through in the quality. We want everyone to be able to experience cannabis in their own unique way, and want everyone to know that the folks at Smokey River Cannabis always have your back.
If you had to pick a favorite product out of your line what would you pick?
Our solventless products, bar none. The team running that department know what they’re doing and they’re proud of what they produce. The raspberry live rosin we submitted to the cup looked amazing coming out with how purple it was coming out of the wash. It smells and tastes fantastic.
What’s up next for Smokey River Cannabis?
A few varieties of multi-packs, higher-dosed products at affordable prices, and a few things. I’ve got to keep it under wraps. Titillating to say the least. We’re currently working with a dablicator on a few products just because we think they are fun. This just goes to show how we only focus on products that we think others will also be excited to try.