Five Questions With Erin Gore, Garden Society

One of the first mini-prerolls that I covered while working for another publication is named Garden Society. I was originally attracted to their packaging and the size of the preroll itself. Anyone who knows me would say that I have a keen appreciation for the “less is more” theory in cannabis consumption. That’s not to say that I don’t like a well-rolled joint, just that a one-gram (or more) joint is just a waste for me. I like to smoke less, more times. The idea of smoking a whole one-gram joint is not efficient. I won’t enjoy it as much as smoking a mini preroll.
Case in point, the Garden Society. They have created a new style of cannabis consumption. Yes, it is based on the principle of less is definitely more, but in this case, there is a twist. That would be the strain named Pink Boost Goddess. In an age where everyone, it seems, is out chasing THC scores, Garden Society has taken the opposite tack. It is low THC, 11.20% and THCv 0.69% and THCva at 6.80% respectively.

I haven’t been this high in months, and the THC levels are a third of what I usually find myself smoking. Everyone is chasing THC… Except for Garden Society. They have harnessed the essence of lower is better instead of marketing far more expensive, high THC strains as rote.

I’ve always loved Garden Society’s packaging, yes. Especially their Reserve line with the elegant little plastic boxes where ten tiny prerolls lay in repose. Then there are the prerolls themselves. Perfectly crafted in darker-colored hemp paper, they appear to be really stylish in the hand, just large enough. Plus, their tips are not spun closed; they are gently flattened. Nice touch that shows attention to detail in each one. The tiny crutch is also carefully crafted so none of the precious flower will pass through to your lips, making for a very soothing smoke.

The High:

As I said above, I’m comfortable in being in a deeper state, and Garden Society helped me get there easily after only a few short minutes. THCv and THCva in conjunction with low THC is how I get to the next Bardo. Without any stress.

The Nose:

This is certainly well-cured cannabis, and the palate is remarkably less sweet than most California cannabis I’ve been enjoying lately. Pulling some dry hits on the unlit mini, I sense the essences of grilled figs and muddled spearmint that is woven into bursts of laughing gas and crushed lavender tips.

The Palate:

Exceptionally well cured, no coughing ensues! Richly textured. Fun! I love LOW THC, and you should too…

I did a bit of research into Pink Boost Goddess, and I learned it is excellent in eye pressure relief for Glaucoma. Intriguing.

Erin Gore/Founder and CEO of Garden Society

Warren Bobrow: It’s been a while since we’ve had a nice interview…. What are you working on right now?  How would you describe your new THCV cannabis product? I saw that the new variety is sun grown in wine country (Mendocino). What kind of obstacles do you face in this regard? How do you anticipate removing these obstacles?

Erin Gore: Where to start?! Coming out of a long two years running a business during a pandemic, my Co-founder Karli Warner and I have been working hard on building the Garden Society brand. Since receiving $7 million in Series A Funding last year, our focus has been on scaling product offerings, modernizing manufacturing, and expanding Garden Society into other states. We are gearing up to open the Ohio market in the coming months and are starting to lay the groundwork to do the same in several other key cannabis states.

It’s been a longtime goal of ours to launch a Reserve Tier of products, and Emerald Spirit Botanicals in Mendocino was the perfect partner to kick off with – they are a female-owned farm, and their standards are very much in line with what we believe at Garden Society. Their Pink Boost Goddess strain is a gorgeous flower perfect for Reserve pre-rolls, and equally exciting is it is our first foray into THCV, as you noted.

Minor cannabinoids are starting to become more popular, and this flower highlights the amazing aspects of both sun-grown cannabis and THCV.  We are excited about the future of minor cannabinoids because it opens up innovative cultivars, and we can develop high-quality products to give consumers different effects.  When smoked, you definitely feel the uplifting, joyful effects that are so important to us at Garden Society. We are super proud of this product.

As for obstacles and challenges, as the cannabis market becomes more oversaturated with products, it’s crucial that we lift up the farmers who grow responsibly farmed, sun-grown, high-quality cannabis. This has always been a priority at Garden Society, and we are hoping to continue to introduce products into our new Reserve tier that highlight these impressive farmers. There will always be the outdoor vs. indoor debate in the industry – at Garden Society, we believe that knowing your farmer and source of the plant you are putting in your body is no different than how you buy produce or beauty products. The consumer needs to be educated on how their cannabis products are grown – we hope to be a part of the movement in showing the value of sun-grown, responsibly farmed cannabis.

Warren Bobrow: Please tell me about your company. How long have you been in business?  What was your inspiration for Garden Society? What are your six and twelve-month goals? What about distribution? Are you Direct To Consumer? Or do you focus on dispensaries?

Erin Gore: I started Garden Society in 2016 due to my own personal journey to find balance in life – I was struggling with a demanding corporate career and trying to start a family. I knew that countless other women, many of which were my friends, were feeling the same pressures and also deserved a relaxing, joyful escape from those endless daily rigors. I’m proud to have built Garden Society with Karli, who has always shared this same vision and passion to encourage people to explore non-traditional ways of bringing joy to their lives.

Currently, our products are available through dispensaries and delivery partners – we have around 200 dispensary partners in California who have done a great job getting our products in the hands of consumers across the state.

The next 12-plus months will most likely be our busiest yet. Expanding outside of California has been a big objective, and we’re at the threshold of opening in Ohio. Focusing on expansion this past year has been eye-opening – every state is so different in terms of operating, manufacturing, and so on. And once we’ve successfully staked Ohio, there’s no time to sleep as we aim to bring Garden Society to more states. We are also offering our manufacturing expertise to help other brands bring their products to market in California and hopefully beyond soon enough.

With all of these goals within reach, we’re aiming to lock in some new financing partners for 2023 who can be a part of this journey as we expand across the country and ramp up new facilities and opportunities.

Warren Bobrow: What is your favorite kind of food?  Do you suggest any particular dish to serve when enjoying your ebullient cannabis?  Do you have a favorite restaurant? Where is it? What kind of food? What are you listening to right now?  *music question, I know…. *

Erin Gore: My favorite foods, without a blink, are deep-fried cheese curds and a good Wisconsin brat (but only if it’s been cooked properly in beer).  I am very deep to my roots. What can I say?! However, I do love the beautiful food we’re blessed with here in Sonoma County.  My favorite place to eat is my house when my husband is cooking, or we’re entertaining friends and family.  My husband is a farmer, and we grow over 60 varieties of fruits and vegetables on our property. There is nothing better than a summer peach from our tree at the peak of ripeness or an heirloom tomato that is as large as my palm and still hot from the sun.  It’s tomato season right now, so I’m loving all things with beautiful tomatoes, especially our sungolds.  As for what to serve with our edibles, I think the key to any successful dinner party is to make sure to eat dessert first because it makes any meal so much more delicious and joyful.  For music, I’m really excited to say I’ll listen to anything… anything I can see live, for that matter.  I’m thrilled in-person concerts are back after the pandemic, and we love going to live music and supporting the artists, large and small.

Warren Bobrow: Tell me about Pink Boost Goddess. What brought you to this strain? Why? What about chasing (high levels of…) THC… I think it’s flawed science because I often have a better experience on low THC cannabis with the entourage effect. What do you think about this? Do you remember the first time you smoked cannabis?  When was it?

Erin Gore: It’s a huge honor to partner with Emerald Spirit Botanicals. They exemplify the Garden Society spirit and share our belief that the finest cannabis flower is responsibly farmed, sun-grown, and harvested in a way that captures the full flavor and essence of the plant and place. Pink Boost Goddess is very much the queen of all strains –it has been a 1st place winner at the Emerald Cup in both 2021 and 2022. We have wanted a THCV rich pre-roll in our line for some time and I can’t think of a better strain to launch with to showcase the aspects of THCV. It’s a very uplifting strain that smells of beautiful strawberry mint and hints of pepper – The name Pink Boost Goddess pretty much says it all.

With regards to THC, I have always been a proponent of enjoying the natural range of cannabinoids and terpenes that full-spectrum cannabis products provide. While our strain-specific lines are crafted to help you achieve a brighter day, a blissful rest, or more calm and focus, it’s the full spectrum compounds that truly elevate the effect – it’s never just been about THC for me.  The current cannabis consumers (as a generalization) are very focused on high THC potencies.  I completely agree with your perspective and believe a lot of miss-education got us to this point.  Low or moderate amounts of THC provide an incredible effect, as evidenced in our Reserve SKU.  The day can’t come fast enough when there are enough consumers, and enough retail outlets that provide products across all effect and potency ranges so people can really experience the beauty that cannabis has to offer.

Warren Bobrow: What is your passion now?

Erin Gore: My family and friends will always be my number one passion. I’m blessed with an amazing network of support, and credit those closest to me for celebrating the highs and helping me through the lows. When it comes to the cannabis industry, I will always be an advocate in supporting companies led by women and people of color. I am devoted to doing whatever it takes to create an equal and diverse industry where we all have the tools to succeed.

The growers of Pink Boost Goddess, Emerald Cup Winners!  https://emeraldspiritbotanicals.com/

Check out all their info at: https://thegardensociety.com/

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Feature photo credit: Garden Society