OAKLAND, Calif. – In only a few minutes of listening to Sublime Canna CEO Alex Fang it is clear that his company doesn’t take the easiest path with its products. In fact, Sublime Canna often takes the road less traveled, manufacturing products that are very difficult to make, which differentiates them from anything else on the market and creates some insulation against competition. At the same time, Sublime has a knack for creating products that resonate with consumers due to a familiarity of sorts, like they’ve done with their newest product, Freaze Ice Pops, that are hitting shelves at dispensaries in California this month.
Thinking Outside About What’s Inside
In a sense, Oakland-based Sublime looks outside the box to decide what it will put inside the box. The company doesn’t just produce consumables that are conventional in the emerging legal cannabis market, such as pre-rolls or vape cartridges. Rather, they strive for complex terpene spectrums in products that are hard to replicate and provide a unique user experience.
For instance, consider the award-winning company’s “Dosies,” another new product that recently hit the California market. The cannabis-infused mints are reminiscent of the iconic orange Tic Tacs made by Italy’s Ferrero.
Dosies aren’t merely a throwback to the days of Tic Tacs; they have a purpose in consistently providing a microdose of specific cannabinoids. Each Dosie contains 2 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the component of cannabis responsible for the “high” associated with marijuana.
Sublime has only one degree of separation from Tic Tac’s consumer-goods giant parent. Sublime’s VP of Edibles Development LJ Buffardi saw his family’s company, Ferrara Candy Co., be acquired by Ferrero in 2017. Ferrara was known the world over for its Lemonheads and Red Hots products, among other brands.
Buffardi At It Again
Buffardi and Sublime’s team of Ph.D. scientists are committed to cannabis product innovation. Products on the market today include a full line of CBD and THC vape cartridges branded Sublime Gold, Strata, Secrets Sauce, and the Sneaker, the world’s first chargerless vape battery, as well as pre-rolls infused with extract and covered in kief that are marketed as Fuzzies and Mini-Fuzzies.
Freaze cannabis-infused ice pops, have been launched in a limited release and are set to head to dispensaries statewide. They represent the first “take home and freeze” product in the California markets.
Each Freaze ice pop contains 10 milligrams of THC. Like it did with Dosies, the initial two flavors, blue raspberry and fruit punch, will be throwbacks for Generation X-ers conjuring up thoughts of their younger days. Hitting dispensary shelves this month, Freaze ice pops will first be available in 2-count packages.
Fang Comments
“We think that these one-of-a-kind ice pops will give our users an enjoyable experience while ensuring they are medicating with accurate and lab-tested products,” said Fang in a statement announcing the Freaze launch just in time for summer.
With tougher laws implemented in 2018 when recreational marijuana became legal in California, plenty of the edibles market was forced underground, creating a real growth opportunity for companies operating within the guidelines of the law to bring novel products to consumers. Canaccord Genuity sees the nascent market for cannabis beverages, which include items like Freaze pops, to soar to $600 million in the U.S. by 2022.
“Our vision is to have the most compelling portfolio of cannabis products in the industry,” Fang added. The launch of edibles like Dosies and Freaze, in addition to the original product mix, puts the company well on its way towards that goal.
