Despite what some may think, cannabis is doing a world of good. It’s changing how we think about health and wellness, improving chronic illnesses, strengthening the economy through job creation (the marijuana industry added nearly 70,000 jobs in 2018 with experts calling it “the fastest-growing labor market in the U.S.”), and it’s opening up a larger conversation about destigmatization and consumer education.
This influential new industry is also spawning hundreds of new purpose-driven brands that are deeply committed to giving back to the communities they serve. Read on to explore three companies that are creating positive change.
1. Plant People
Several years ago, Plant People founders Gabe Kennedy and Hudson Gaines-Ross discovered that they had a shared life experience. Both men had suffered traumatic spinal injuries and had undergone conventional surgery and been prescribed traditional pharmaceuticals on their road to healing. Disillusioned by the side effects of these medicines, the duo individually turned to plant-based treatments instead. Inspired by their own success stories with a more natural path to healing, Kennedy and Gaines-Ross founded Plant People in order to help others connect and heal through the power of plants.
The duo believes that plants power people. After all, we all rely on our planet’s plants for a balanced climate, good health, and overall resilience. So they’ve made it their mission to partner with American Forest to help create healthy and resilient forests that deliver critical benefits to the environment, people, water, and wildlife. Plant People donates a percentage of every order to the organization.
2. Bloom Farms
Bloom Farms is built upon a belief that cannabis can enhance a healthy, fulfilling lifestyle. The company aims to remove the negative stigma surrounding the plant by inviting people to take a fresh look at cannabis. Their plants are grown by responsible California farmers and each oil the company produces is extracted without petroleum-based solvents. Finally, all products are lab-tested for purity and consistency before being packaged in FDA-grade, BFA-free cartridges.
Even better? Bloom Farms is a 1-for-1 company. This means that for every purchase, Bloom Farms donates a healthy meal to a food-insecure family or individual. One in every eight people is food insecure, and one in every five children don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Since 2015, Bloom’s 1-for-1 program has donated more than 1.2 million meals to those in need. They’ve also partnered with food banks and charities around the country to get to #ZeroHunger by 2030.
3. Flower Co.
Flower Co. is a California-based wholesale cannabis delivery service. Sometimes referred to as “the Costco of cannabis,” the company has worked to cut the overhead supply chain in order to save their customers money. All of the products Flower Co. sells come straight from farmers and manufacturers, removing any middlemen as well as the need for massive warehouses to hold all of the unsold product. The cannabis company is also dedicated to supporting local jobs in the communities they serve. It works exclusively with small businesses, believing that the modern cannabis economy is a tool that can be an equalizing force, providing high-quality jobs.
Flower Co. also gives back to their communities by offering complimentary membership to all U.S. Veterans. A membership typically costs $119 a year but the company offers cannabis products at 30-50 percent less than the market rate. According to the Veterans Cannabis Project, while medical marijuana is legal in 34 states plus D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, none of the country’s VA facilities provide it for veterans. Flower Co.’s FlowerVets.com project is working with the Veterans Cannabis Project to change that.
Discover more unique cannabis companies by exploring our HerbForce division.
