Brands to Watch: So Ganja

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 hundreds of different brands and thousands of 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 are moving the needle in Missouri.

One new and exciting brand is SoGanja, a company committed to quality products in groovy, good vibes packaging. Behind the beauty, these are high–quality products. SoGanja offers full–spectrum confectioneries made with strain–specific cannabis extracts, which maintain the natural compounds of the strains. SoGanja takes Live Resin or Live Rosin extracts and refines them to make them fast acting. The refined extract is then used in their products, giving the user the full effect of that strain, including the entourage effects that come with all those delicious terpenes.

SoGanja offers hand-crafted cannabis beverages, concentrates, and prerolls. The SoGanja lab has developed cutting-edge techniques using nanoemulsion for unparalleled flavor.

The SoGanja beverage line includes Blue Buzzberry, Starberry Cream Soda, and Galactic Grape, with exciting new flavors in development. The delicious cannabis-infused sodas are flavored with all-natural fruits, are full spectrum, and contain 25mg THC.

Extracted from the finest cannabis flower for the ultimate smoking experience, SoGanja concentrates are crafted with tender loving care to deliver the finest premium cannabis products in Missouri. SoGanja extracts are available in various strains, each with its unique flavor profile and effect. Whether you’re looking for a calming experience or an uplifting high—SoGanja has it covered.

Carefully crafted, high-quality prerolls, SoGanja’s Prismatic Prerolls are a convenient and hassle-free way to enjoy cannabis. Each pre roll tin contains 5 – ½ gram dobie’s of premium cannabis, and the tins, with the psychedelic artwork, are fast becoming collectibles.

Not only does SoGanja offer superior quality marijuana-infused beverages, concentrates, and prerolls, but they will soon be releasing edibles, such as Peace, Love & Pixies; Sunbeam Kush Caps, SoSleepy Kush Caps, and Psychic Suckers.

How did you find cannabis?

When we spoke to Nicole French, one of the owners, she explained the why behind the SoGanja products, “What is beautiful about this plant is that it works best when consumed in its truest form; “the combination and interactions of various compounds produce certain results that aren‘t possible with the individual compounds. It‘s not about the chemicals themselves. It‘s about how they all work together as a group that makes the effect so special and SO GANJA“  

Another owner added, “I am a product of the pre-legalization times. In my day, the world was undergoing significant social and cultural changes. People were exploring new ideas, questioning norms, and seeking different ways to experience life. I believe cannabis has so many beneficial medical uses and I have been involved ever since.”

How has it changed your life?

“Cannabis has had many positive effects on my friends and family. From things as basic as social enjoyment to people in medical need finding crucial relief from daily pains. I have a person very close to me who has a medical condition and uses cannabis to deal with her chronic pain. Before using cannabis, she would have unpredictable pain in her limbs and joints. After finding cannabis, she found many benefits, including anti-inflammation, pain relief, and less mental stress.“

How do business and passion intertwine?

   

“There are so many reasons why I am following my passion. First and foremost, I have a passion for healing. I believe in the therapeutic potential and the quality of life that cannabis can provide. My relentless demand for quality and flavor guides decisions in our products.  Our amazing small–batch SoGanja soft drinks bring back the rich flavors of the classic simplicity of fountain soda days. I hope that my desire for authentic flavors, real ingredients, and quality full spectrum cannabis comes through in every drop.“ 

Where does the name SoGanja come from, and is there a story to the brand?

In my early days of working with cannabis, when something was amazing, we said, “Bro, that is so ganja.“ After years of developing our products, we knew that was the perfect name. It was a natural choice for us, as our mission is to have the highest quality products available.“  

What do you wish more people understood about cannabis in general?

“We love how the industry is growing. Consumers are starting to understand that the quality of cannabis products is more than THC potency test results—the entourage effects can be equally if not more important, as are the terpene and flavonoid profiles. We have made our flagship sodas with pure cane sugar, using authentic fruit flavors, and of course, we only use the highest quality live (full spectrum) concentrates. Our drinks benefit those looking for a great flavored option for pain relief to those who want to fully enjoy the pure flavors and nostalgia of a quality fountain soda. We feel there is a lot of positivity in cannabis right now, and we believe that educated consumers can understand and appreciate the quality we work so hard to provide for them.   

What products will SoGanja produce in Missouri in the next six months?

“Right now, we are fully focused on developing the most robust flavors and continuing to provide the quality our customers have come to expect. We are also securing our own grow facility and expect to provide the best profile characteristics in our products from seed to soda,“ said French of their product expansion.

What do you feel makes SoGanja unique in Missouri?

“We have some of the highest quality products in Missouri, and our lab team is a group of folks who take their responsibility seriously, so nothing goes to market until we have it right. We have found our niche, from premium prerolls to top-of-the-line extracts, waxes, and Bee’s Bread. SoGanja is the go-to company for a superior taste and unmatched buzz.“

What are your goals for SoGanja, and what constitutes success in this market?

“Our goals are simple. We want to provide our customers with consistent quality, superior flavor, and an amazing buzz. If we can do that, we will have achieved success. We emphasize maintaining great relationships with the cultivators and dispensaries we work with. Hopefully, our love of cannabis and work ethic make it easy for them to work with us.“

“The company‘s values are centered around providing the highest quality products, but their code of ethics extends into their team and their environment as well. They‘re committed to supporting Women in Cannabis and are small business members of WeAreJAINE. We‘re all about fun, health, and work co-existing, and our team is small but mighty,“ added French.  

One thing we appreciate about our time with SoGanja is that they care about product education, and they realize that there isn‘t one product type that every consumer prefers. Their sodas are excellent for those who prefer drinking cannabis, but smokers have prerolls made with bud, not shake and trim. For those who are more into heavy hitters, the SoGanja Concentrates offer a number of choices as well.  

If you‘re hoping to give their products a go, we recommend the Starberry Cream Soda, the Prismatic Prerolls, and their live resin concentrates. SoGanja is available in multiple dispensaries across Missouri and is expanding rapidly.