Dylan is Cantrip's glue. After co-founding the company with Adam, he now works as the COO. Dylan helps to bring the team together cross-functionally and makes sure product, marketing, sales, and the other key components of the business are running smoothly so we can continue to delight consumers with Cantrip!

Your Place Of Work

Cantrip, Inc

Tell us a little about your background and journey into Cannabis

My cannabis journey started back in high school and continued throughout college as recreational use. When I graduated college, I saw more potential in cannabis helping me and others outside of just having a good time. In Jan 2018 I joined a smaller MSO, heading up accounting and finance - from there I stuck my hands in as many aspects of vertical cannabis as possible. Launching Cantrip with my business partner in 2021 which is widely available across the country.

Explain your current role

My current role is COO, but it includes much more than just overseeing and implementing strategy. I regularly still help out with financial modeling, production planning, and other areas of analytical need. It's fun and I love the team we have built Cantrip with.

What trends do you see in cannabis beverages?

There is much curiosity among the non-cannabis consumer. Getting to more traditional shelf space is paramount to succeeding - I think we'll see more cannabis beverage distribution in 2023 in a number of states.

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What tips do you have on growing the category when it comes to product development?

Make to sample a large number of colleagues, friends/family, etc, and adapt based on the feedback received. Hire a professional to review your SOPs and ensure that the product is stable and safe.

What are the 3 things that we can educate end consumers more on in growing end-consumer awareness?

1. Beverage onset is much quicker than that edible experience you had years ago. 2. Cannabis can be social 3. There are many productive people who are cannabis users

Which states / markets do you think present good growth opportunities for cannabis beverages in 2023-2024

Hemp markets represent the best growth opportunity for cannabis beverages. 

Cantrip: Five unique flavors. Multiple different doses. Whether you're new to the weed experience or a cannabis connoisseur, Cantrip has a hemp-based THC drink for everyone.

What do you think are the current challenges in the cannabis beverage category

The total addressable market is too small in the dispensary channel and will take too long to capture non-cannabis consumers.

If you were to give advice to a first-time cannabis beverage consumer, what tips would you give?

Pick a nice introductory dose, like Cantrip's seltzer line at 5mg or the 3:2mg ratio, and go slow.

Your favourite cannabis beverage brands?

Cantrip and Kalo Iced T's

What do you look for when you purchase a cannabis beverage brand?

Quality ingredients, low cal, low sugar, and robust flavor profiles

Any out-of-the-box ideas you have for bud-tenders in promoting and educating the cannabis beverage category?

Educating existing edible consumers on the time to onset could help convert some users into beverage consumers. Use upselling techniques to get consumers to try beverages, usually, it's an incremental add-on of $7-10 to the ticket.

If you were to make a new cannabis beverage today? What sort of product would you make and why

Lips are sealed, stay tuned for more beverages by Cantrip!

Header Image: Dylan Lowery; Source: Cantrip