Cannalectables started in my kitchen in Montana in 2015.
I had wanted to create an amazing edibles company that would be everywhere. It was always on my bucket list, but really, little more than a dream. I had a degree in culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina. I loved to bake and make gourmet chocolate treats but didn’t have much cannabis knowledge.
My boss at Cannabis Connection Dispensaries hired me as an assistant, tasked me with developing an edibles line and kind of set me loose — something I’d never experienced before.
I wanted to focus on being the best — realistic, I know.
But it wasn’t easy to get started.
It took three home kitchens before we finally found a commercial space and built our first kitchen in 2017. It’s just under 500 square feet, but it’s efficient. Two years in, I finally got an assistant, and the brand now makes a full line of different items. I everything to be made from scratch, with the highest quality, gluten-free ingredients I could obtain. We are one of the few brands that carry indica- and sativa-specific edibles in Montana, which has recently come under new regulations that are more in line with other medical states (we hope to go recreational in 2020).
Seeing Cannalectables on Weedmaps and Leafly and getting to create things like award-winning infused sauces and gourmet chocolates are some of the most rewarding moments. Knowing that I had the rare opportunity to be part of a booming new industry makes me proud.
My life wasn’t normal to begin with; when I was born, the doctor made a mistake, leading to a spinal cord injury, brain damage and paralysis from the neck down on my left side. The effect is similar to that of cerebral palsy. I’ve done many things in life from being an EMT to working as a professional clown, but cannabis is the most important thing I’ve done. With my condition, I had used cannabis to come off the medications I used to manage pain and various health issues, so I knew there had to be a need. Since starting Cannalectables, the comments from cancer patients, recovering addicts and others give me hope of a better tomorrow. I know my little Montana brand may never be on the same level as the big dogs, but I hope in some way to change the way the world sees disabilities and the way they are treated.