Brands to Watch: Ace Solventless
Missouri has emerged as one of the premiere markets in the US in recent years, as such it has become hyper competitive with hundreds of brands and thousands of products on the shelves of dispensaries across the state.
With that in mind, Greenway often looks to introduce new and new to the state brands, and discuss how they aim to make an impact on the Missouri market. Recently we sat down with Ace Solventless CEO Jack Morriss to discuss the brand’s exciting launch.
Entering the space, Ace Solventless is bringing a fresh, locally grounded perspective to Missouri cannabis. The company, founded by a team of passionate processors with deep roots in the plant, is quickly making its presence known through quality-driven solventless products and community-centered values.
“We wanted to build something truly local with an authentic culture, something we felt was lacking,” said Morriss, who serves as CEO and co-founder of Ace Solventless. “Most of our team has been involved with this plant and these products for years, if not decades, so it felt natural to channel those skills into an industry that values them.”
After beginning the licensing journey in 2022, Morriss and the team spent 18 months navigating the regulatory process and preparing for production, doing everything from branding to demo work in-house. That hands-on approach set the tone for how Ace operates. “Even our investor was in there pulling up old tile,” Morriss said.
Now operational and actively dropping product in dispensaries across Missouri, Ace Solventless has set itself apart with a focus on clean extraction and craft-quality production. Their cold cure and Hash Cones are already making an impression, with the team noting they may be the first to bring Hash Cones to the legal cannabis market.
Ace Solventless has positioned itself around quality and clean processing. What standards or benchmarks define your products, and how do you communicate that to Missouri dispensaries and consumers?
“We only put products on shelves that we would personally want to consume and be proud of. We spend a lot of time sourcing material, and even more time saying ‘no’ to stuff that doesn’t meet our standards.
Our production team has always focused on dialing in craft-quality items before bringing them to market. The entire company shares the mentality of going the extra mile and spending the extra dollar to make sure consumers have something truly special.”
You’ve emphasized solventless extraction as a cornerstone of your brand. Why is this method so important to your identity, and how do you ensure consistency across batches?
“Love this question. The more educated a consumer becomes, the more likely they are to choose the solventless route. In most industries, as people become more aware and have access to clear, digestible information, they tend to gravitate toward healthier options.
To me, solventless is the equivalent of organic food. It’s clean, it’s pure, and it’s something I can still stand behind 15 years from now.”
What goes into choosing your partners for flower and biomass? Do you look for certain cultivars or focus more on relationships with specific cultivators?
“We pay very close attention to cultivation practices when deciding who to work with. For an independent licensee, sourcing biomass can be tricky, so we spend a lot of time inspecting, testing, and trialing strains to ensure they’re the right fit for the market.”
How are you planning to collaborate with Missouri cultivators or retailers? Will any partnerships or product exclusives be part of your initial rollout?
“We just did our first cold cure drop using Sinse material, which we’re incredibly proud of. Huge shoutout to their team for growing such great input. We also have a drop coming this week in collaboration with Vivid, along with some fun product and event collabs.
And this is just the beginning. Plenty more partnerships and announcements are coming soon, so stay tuned.”
Which products can we expect to see first? Are there any special drops or SKUs planned for launch?
“Cold cure was the first product we launched. It’s what we’re most comfortable with and most excited to get into customers’ hands. Next, we launched Hash Cones, which just dropped two weeks ago. These are especially important to us because we were the first to bring them to Missouri, and potentially to the legal cannabis market as a whole.”
Will Ace Solventless have any presence at events or host in-store activations as part of your rollout strategy?
“Absolutely. Expect a lot of seshes from the Ace team. That’s something we do in our free time anyway, so we’re excited to host a ton of them officially. We’ve also got our annual hot dog eating competition coming up, and a pie-eating contest in the winter.
We like to bring some comic relief to events and not take ourselves too seriously. There will be some in-store activations as well, but our priority is getting out there, meeting the people who use our products, and getting direct feedback.”
How have you been engaging with Missouri dispensaries and budtenders to help build brand awareness and product understanding at the retail level?
“We’ve spent the past two years building strong relationships with budtenders. Our Sales Director, Brendan, really emphasizes making touches and showing face. The sales team regularly drives across the entire state, making anywhere from 10 to 14 visits a day. We’ve visited every dispensary in Missouri at least once and take real pride in making those personal connections with the people on the ground. Budtenders are our best link to the customer, so keeping them informed and engaged is one of our top priorities.
As soon as we have the volume, we want to make sure every budtender has the chance to get a sample in their hands before recommending them to consumers.”
Looking ahead, how do you define success for Ace Solventless in Missouri over the next 6 to 12 months?
“We’re not here for a quick exit. We hope to be doing the same things we’re doing now, just with more products and more ways to serve people, in 6 months, 12 months, or 12 years from now.”
Anything else we should know?
“We’re a small, local team, and every single one of us feels the love when someone buys our product. Your support means everything to us. Thanks for helping us live our dream.”
Ace Solventless products are available now in retail stores across Missouri.
