Interview, Part 2: Cann Co-founder Jake Bullock
April 23, 2024In the second part of our interview with Cann co-founder Jake Bullock, the chief executive of the cannabis beverage brand discusses Cann’s dosing and onset time, its consumer demographics, and its direct-to-consumer sales. The brand is currently available in retailers across 10 states, as well as dispensaries in four states, and ships to consumers in 39 states.
SND: What do your DTC sales look like?
Bullock: It’s about two-thirds online right now. Our expectation over the medium term is that retail will expand to be a larger percentage. Just think about the number of places that can sell alcohol. We really do expect alcohol companies to recognize the potential for these products to fit in their portfolios.
SND: Cann’s products contain relatively modest amounts of THC compared to many edibles- or flower-focused brands. What was the thought behind creating lower-THC products?
Bullock: We were the first to create a microdose beverage. We launched with a 2 milligram THC drink when all the drinks were 10 to 100 milligrams. We really think about this low potency category as our home. Our core Cann product has 2mg THC and 4mg CBD. The reason we chose that has a lot to do with how the body metabolizes the content.
SND: How does onset time compare with alcohol?
Bullock: If you think about alcohol, there’s a reason why a standard drink is a beer—12 ounces, 5% abv—or if it’s higher abv, the standard volume is lower. It’s about the time it takes people to metabolize that. We wanted to replicate that.
We found that when you brought the dosing that low consumers would experience the effect in 10 or 15 minutes. They feel the peak of it maybe after half an hour or 40 minutes and then it subsides.
SND: Who are Cann’s consumers?
Bullock: We do really well, interestingly, with an older demographic that we wouldn’t have expected. 65-plus, where their doctor is saying the best thing that you can do for your health right now is cut out alcohol. It becomes a real imperative, a medical imperative, but they’re not going to stop being social. Our product comes in there.
Young parents are also one of our biggest customer groups. You have a 2-year-old that’s waking you up every morning at 6am. You really can’t have three drinks the night before to unwind because you’ll feel horrible. What unites our consumers in a lot of cases is they’re drinking Cann as an alternative to alcohol.
Subscribe to Shanken News Daily’s Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning. You will also receive the Cannabis edition as part of your subscription.
