SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Connected Cannabis Co., a vertically integrated cannabis operation, released new plant strains via a partnership with leading lifestyle brand Broken Promises under the “Smoken Promises” label. The relationship integrates the personality of the internationally known Broken Promises brand with Connected’s established portfolio of flower and strains. Consumers looking for premium products at accessible prices can now enjoy strains selected as an expression of Broken Promises’ founders Jason Blake and Mandee Bence.
“We’ve wanted to create an authentic partnership with our friends at Broken Promises for over two years because their aesthetics and personalities align with both our Connected and Alien Labs brands,” said Caleb Counts, CEO and co-founder of Connected. “Smoken Promises brings it all together — beginning last month, we launched statewide in California in over 175 dispensaries and the response has been tremendous thanks to heavy demand out of the gate.”
Smoken Promises flower is available in eighths and prerolls with quarter ounces to be released early in Q2 of 2025. The cannabis comes from the same breeding and cultivation program that Connected and Alien Labs have used successfully for years, but the selection process changed to allow Jason and Mandee to make the choices on what aligns best with the Broken Promises’ philosophy and taste.
“Currently, our breeding program is built into three separate tracks,“ said Counts. “You see my personality coming through with our Connected releases, Ted’s (Lidie) through his Alien Labs work and our rosin program, and now we’ve added a new track that will be an expression of what Jason and Mandee feel is right for their people. It all comes together to give us the best mixture of art and science.”
“Connected and Alien Labs are cannabis brands that have basically become lifestyle brands too,” said Blake, co-founder and CEO of Broken Promises. “And just like those guys, we like to speak to our consumers through a lens that is organic and genuine. This partnership is a natural extension of the Broken Promises brand into the world of cannabis, which we — and a lot of our customers — obviously love.”
Reflecting on incorporating Broken Promises’ emotionally-driven branding, Bence added, “We now get to dig into the ways cannabis makes you feel while offering premium products at accessible prices,” says the co-founder and designer. “We couldn’t be happier or prouder to work with Caleb, Ted and the entire Connected family.”
About Connected Cannabis Co.
Connected Cannabis Co., a movement championing exceptional strains and cultivation methods started by Caleb Counts in 2009, is a pioneer in cannabis product R&D. Beginning at Sacramento’s Fruitridge Health & Wellness Dispensary, Counts launched the Connected brand in 2018 to serve as a dedicated platform for his portfolio of genetics. Today, the vertically integrated company rides the cutting edge of product development, with in-depth consumer input and rigorous testing to hone its proprietary strains. Connected’s longtime partnership with fellow California heavyweight Alien Labs, a cultivator and lifestyle brand, specializes in cannabis genetics. Connected has expanded beyond California, with operations in Arizona and Florida
