Exploring the World of Cannabis Beverages: Sense & Purpose
In the latest episode of the “Bite Me” podcast, host Margaret, a Certified Ganjier and expert in creating safe and effective cannabis edibles, sits down with Karen, the founder of the cannabis beverage company Sense & Purpose. Together, they delve into the burgeoning world of cannabis beverages, discussing everything from personal journeys to industry challenges and the unique qualities of Karen’s products. This blog post will break down the key insights and actionable advice shared in the episode, providing a comprehensive guide for listeners and readers interested in the cannabis beverage industry.
The Rise of Cannabis Beverages in Canada
Understanding the Market
Cannabis beverages are gaining traction in Canada, offering a new and exciting way for consumers to enjoy cannabis. Unlike traditional edibles or smoking, beverages provide a discreet, convenient, and often healthier alternative. Karen’s journey from the corporate world to the cannabis industry highlights the growing interest and potential in this market.
Key Takeaways:
Consumer Trends: There is a noticeable shift towards health and wellness, with many consumers seeking alternatives to alcohol. Cannabis beverages fit well into this trend, offering a healthier option for social experiences. Regulatory Landscape: The cannabis industry is heavily regulated, which can be both a challenge and an opportunity. Understanding these regulations is crucial for anyone looking to enter the market.
Karen Young’s Journey: From Corporate to Cannabis
Personal and Professional Transformation
Karen’s transition from working with major brands like Quaker Oats and Nestlé Waters to founding Sense & Purpose is a testament to her passion for health and wellness. Her personal experiences, including her travels in Southeast Asia and her role as a single mother, have shaped her approach to creating cannabis beverages.
Key Takeaways:
Embrace Change: Karen’s story underscores the importance of being open to new opportunities and willing to pivot when necessary. Leverage Experience: Her background in consumer packaged goods has been invaluable in understanding consumer needs and creating products that resonate with them.
The Unique Qualities of Sense & Purpose Beverages
Product Innovation
Karen’s beverages stand out in the market due to their focus on quality ingredients and health benefits. For example, the “Recharge” sparkling water combines juice and sparkling water without added sugars or artificial flavors, offering a natural and enjoyable flavor profile.
Key Takeaways:
Ingredient Transparency: Using simple, high-quality ingredients can set your product apart and build consumer trust. Health Focus: Creating products that align with health and wellness trends can attract a broader audience.
Overcoming Industry Challenges
Navigating Regulations and Financing
Karen candidly discusses the challenges she has faced, from understanding complex regulations to securing financing. These hurdles are common in the cannabis industry but can be navigated with persistence and strategic planning.
Key Takeaways:
Regulatory Knowledge: Staying informed about industry regulations is essential for compliance and success. Financial Planning: Securing funding can be difficult, but building a strong business case and demonstrating market potential can help attract investors.
The Importance of Collaboration
Building a Supportive Community
Karen emphasizes the value of collaboration over competition, a mindset she refers to as “coopetition.” By working together, brands can create a stronger community and support each other’s growth.
Key Takeaways:
Collaborative Mindset: Embracing collaboration can lead to mutual success and a more supportive industry environment. Community Focus: Building a community around your brand can enhance consumer loyalty and trust.
Addressing Stigma and Educating Consumers
Changing Perceptions
Both Margaret and Karen acknowledge the lingering stigma surrounding cannabis. However, they see this as an opportunity for education and change. Karen’s efforts to educate retailers, bartenders, and even healthcare providers are crucial steps in normalizing cannabis use.
Key Takeaways:
Educational Initiatives: Providing education about cannabis can help dispel myths and reduce stigma. Targeted Outreach: Engaging with specific demographics, such as older adults or healthcare professionals, can broaden acceptance and understanding.
Future Directions for Sense & Purpose
Expanding Product Lines
Karen shares her vision for the future, including expanding her product line to address specific wellness needs and exploring minor cannabinoids. She also plans to create products tailored for the LGBTQ+ community and Gen Z consumers.
Key Takeaways:
Product Diversification: Expanding your product line to meet diverse consumer needs can drive growth and innovation. Market Research: Understanding the preferences and needs of different consumer groups can inform product development and marketing strategies.
Conclusion
This episode of the Bite Me podcast offers a wealth of insights into the evolving landscape of cannabis beverages. From Karen’s inspiring journey to the unique qualities of her products and the challenges she has overcome, there is much to learn for anyone interested in this exciting industry. By embracing collaboration, focusing on quality and health, and committing to education, entrepreneurs can navigate the complexities of the cannabis market and create products that resonate with consumers.
Actionable Tips:
Stay Informed: Keep up with industry regulations and trends to ensure compliance and stay ahead of the competition. Focus on Quality: Use high-quality, transparent ingredients to build consumer trust and differentiate your products.
Embrace Collaboration: Work with other brands and industry players to create a supportive community and drive mutual success. Educate and Advocate: Take an active role in educating consumers and reducing stigma around cannabis use.
By following these tips and learning from the experiences shared in the Bite Me podcast, you can navigate the cannabis beverage industry with sense & purpose.





Find more interviews with beverage specialists here.
That’s it for this week friends. Please email me any questions, comments, pictures of your creations or anything else, I love hearing from listeners! Direct messages to** stayhigh@bitemepodcast.com** or the podcast hotline.
You can also support the show by subscribing, sharing episodes, leaving a review or buying me a cookie! Whatever way you choose, I’m grateful that you’re listening.
Stay high,
Margaret
Timestamps
Introduction to the Episode (00:00:05)
Margaret introduces the episode and guest Karen Young from Sense & Purpose, focusing on cannabis beverages.
Importance of Word of Mouth (00:01:06)
Margaret discusses the significance of listener support and word-of-mouth promotion for the podcast.
Mental Health and Wellness (00:02:20)
Margaret shares her personal journey of improving mental health through sleep, diet, and cannabis.
Introduction of Karen Young (00:04:08)
Margaret introduces Karen Young, highlighting her background and the intentionality behind her cannabis beverage brand.
Karen Young’s Background (00:05:17)
Karen shares her corporate experience and transition to the cannabis industry, emphasizing her journey as a single mother.
Challenges and Travels (00:06:32)
Karen discusses her struggles with family issues and the transformative experience of traveling in Southeast Asia.
Inspiration for Cannabis Beverages (00:08:44)
Karen explains her inspiration to create functional cannabis beverages, linking healthy water and cannabis.
Learning About Cannabis (00:12:40)
Karen shares her journey of learning about cannabis and its benefits while developing her beverage brand.
Preferred Consumption Methods (00:12:45)
Karen talks about her history with smoking cannabis and her shift towards beverages and edibles.
Comparison of Consumption Methods (00:13:33)
Margaret and Karen discuss the differences between the effects of cannabis beverages and smoking.
Experience with Sense & Purpose Beverages (00:15:40)
Margaret shares her positive experience with Sense & Purpose beverages, highlighting her favourite flavour.
Sugar Content in Beverages (00:17:27)
Karen discusses the importance of low sugar content in cannabis beverages compared to competitors.
Consumer Trends in Health (00:19:30)
Karen elaborates on her understanding of consumer trends towards health and wellness in beverage choices.
Purpose Behind Sense and Purpose (00:19:32)
Margaret asks about the significance of the brand name “Sense & Purpose” and its underlying mission.
The Brand Name Journey (00:19:40)
Karen shares the process and significance behind the brand name “Sense & Purpose.”
Targeting New Consumers (00:20:14)
The mission to help new consumers understand cannabis and its purpose in daily life.
Sensory Experience in Beverages (00:21:23)
Discussion on creating a unique sensory experience with thoughtfully chosen ingredients.
Sharing Cannabis with Family (00:21:38)
Margaret’s excitement about introducing cannabis beverages to her sister, a hesitant consumer.
House Parties for Comfort (00:22:15)
Karen’s strategy of hosting house parties to ease new consumers into cannabis experiences.
Trends in Alcohol Consumption (00:24:38)
The growing movement of individuals preferring cannabis over alcohol, especially among older demographics.
Shifts in Cannabis Conversations (00:25:32)
Evolution of public discourse around cannabis and its beverages over the past few years.
Minnesota’s Cannabis Market (00:26:44)
Karen discusses Minnesota’s innovative cannabis beverage sales in regular stores.
Challenges in Canadian Cannabis Regulations (00:27:27)
The conservative approach of Canadian regulations and its impact on cannabis beverage sales.
Consumption Areas at Festivals (00:28:54)
Details about cannabis beverage sales at festivals in Alberta and the evolving regulations.
Health Benefits of Cannabis (00:29:29)
Discussion on the health benefits of cannabis beverages compared to alcohol.
Challenges in Raising Capital (00:30:40)
Karen outlines the difficulties faced in securing funding for her cannabis beverage brand.
Regulatory Challenges for Brands (00:32:16)
Issues with licensing and reliance on manufacturers for cash flow in the cannabis industry.
Effects of COVID on Business (00:31:24)
COVID’s impact on product development and fundraising efforts in the cannabis sector.
Struggles of Small Cannabis Brands (00:34:05)
The challenges smaller brands face in a market increasingly dominated by larger companies.
Passion vs. Profit in Cannabis (00:35:04)
The difference in approach between entrepreneurs and larger corporations in the cannabis industry.
Milestones in the Entrepreneurial Journey (00:36:49)
Karen reflects on significant achievements and shifts from corporate to entrepreneurial life.
Market Success in Alberta (00:37:38)
Excitement over being ranked the seventh best-selling cannabis beverage brand in Alberta.
Here are the extracted timestamps and their corresponding titles in chronological order:
Introduction of New Product Launch (00:38:33)
Karen shares excitement about launching her cannabis beverages in cans after initially using bottles due to COVID-19.
Importance of Wins (00:39:24)
Margaret emphasizes that Karen Young’s successes keep her motivated in the cannabis industry.
Consumer Interaction at Events (00:39:32)
Karen discusses the energy she gains from directly interacting with consumers at events.
Customer Feedback on Beverages (00:40:22)
Karen shares overwhelmingly positive customer feedback about the taste and ingredients of her beverages.
Stigma Around Cannabis (00:42:35)
Karen reflects on the challenges of stigma and how it’s slowly fading in society.
Older Demographic Acceptance (00:44:05)
Karen mentions the growing acceptance of cannabis among the 60+ age group.
Consumer Education on Responsible Use (00:47:06)
Karen talks about the importance of educating consumers and retailers regarding responsible cannabis consumption.
Collaboration with Cannabis Nurses (00:49:01)
Karen expresses excitement about collaborating with cannabis nurses to educate consumers, especially the elderly.
Mental Health and Cannabis (00:50:28)
Karen discusses the role of cannabis in addressing mental health challenges for various age groups.
Personal Growth Through Cannabis Industry (00:52:00)
Karen shares how working in the cannabis industry has broadened her understanding and appreciation of its benefits.
Future Vision for Sense & Purpose (00:54:45)
Karen Young outlines her aspirations for Sense & Purpose, including product expansion and community engagement.
Collaboration Over Competition (00:57:09)
Karen and Margaret discuss the benefits of collaboration in the cannabis industry instead of competition.
Collaboration in the Beverage Industry (00:57:48)
Discussion about the benefits of collaboration among beverage brands in the cannabis industry.
Community and Competition (00:58:56)
Margaret shares her experiences promoting collaboration over competition, especially among female entrepreneurs.
Surprising Personal Insights (00:59:37)
Karen reveals surprising aspects about herself, including her age and long history with cannabis.
Breaking Stigmas (01:01:05)
Both speakers express the importance of breaking down cannabis stigmas and promoting diverse cannabis use.
Highlighting Women Entrepreneurs (01:01:25)
Margaret emphasizes the value of showcasing strong women entrepreneurs in the cannabis space.
Upcoming Episode Teaser (01:02:23)
Margaret encourages listeners to check out the previous episode on edibles trends and share their predictions.
Margaret 00:00:05 Hello friends, it's episode 284 and today we are sitting down to talk to Karen of Sense and Purpose. Stay tuned. Welcome to Bite Me, the show about edibles where I help you take control of your high life. I'm your host and Certified Ganjier Margaret and I love helping cooks make safe and effective edibles at home. I'm so glad you're here. And welcome back, friends. We have a fun episode today. I had a wonderful conversation with Karen of Sense and Purpose. And sense and purpose is a beverage that is available in Ontario at the very least. I'm not sure where else in Canada. I can link to the website so you can see for yourselves and find out more about the brand after this episode. And before we get into it, I just want to say thank you to all the listeners out there who are listening, who are who are contributing in the Bite Me Cannabis Club, who are sending emails and fan mails and all the things that you do to support the show. Sharing it with other friends who are into cannabis edibles and all the rest of it.
Margaret 00:01:06 It really does make a difference. Word of mouth is probably one of the best ways to spread the word about a podcast, especially in the cannabis space when it is so difficult to advertise. I can't advertise on almost any of the traditional platforms. Unfortunately, as we all know, Meta and Instagram currently are not too friendly towards cannabis. Neither are many of the other social media platforms, and a lot of that stuff is in flux anyway. Advertising on traditional podcast advertising platforms often don't allow cannabis content either. Even though I feel like I'm helping to educate folks about cannabis and reduce stigma in a legal jurisdiction. This is the reality that I face. So any of that word of mouth really does go a long way to help people discover the show, and the more the merrier. Before we get into today's topic, I just want to mention that I have been working on my mental health this year, and I hope that you are finding ways to improve your sleep, your diet, your exercise, your stress management, and using exogenous compounds to help you maximize each of these areas.
Margaret 00:02:20 I know I am, I'm I've been working lately on getting to bed earlier because I do love to doom scroll, and I know that's not necessarily healthy for me, especially when they talk about the light that comes from your phone is being very disruptive to your circadian rhythm. So even though I get pretty decent sleep, I often use cannabis before I go to bed. But I do find that magic mind sleep helps me also get to sleep faster, because sometimes, even when I do consume cannabis, my mind can race a little bit because I'm thinking of all the things that I have to do. That's, I guess, entrepreneur life. And so the magic mind sleep helps me get to sleep faster, enjoy a deeper sleep, and I use it often in conjunction with cannabis as well. And it's just one of the tools that I have in my toolkit to maximize these different areas of my mental health so I can improve my mental resilience, because that is really what helps keep you going each and every day.
Margaret 00:03:12 So I love magic mind clarity shot in the morning when I sit down to work, because that really does help me focus and remain undistracted, which can be challenging sometimes in the evenings I like magic mind sleep. So why not make 2025 the year that you build your mental resilience right alongside me? Improve your sleep and your weight. Clarity with magic mind. It is doctor validated. It is backed by research. It doesn't replace your morning coffee when you're using the magic mind clarity, which I love because I love my coffee routine so you can get 45% off the Magic Mind bundle with my link magic mind.com. Bite my jam and try for yourself and see what you think. I would love to trade notes on it. You can always message me. You know where to find me. I'm all over the place, all over the in my little corner of the internet. By all means, reach out. I love hearing from listeners. So today we have a very special guest, Karen of Sense and Purpose.
Margaret 00:04:08 And one of the things that stood out for me with her brand is how intentional she was about creating this brand for the beverages market and in Canada, the beverages market, even though it still represents a pretty small portion of the overall cannabis market, seems to be growing. There's more interest in that segment, and I don't go to dispensaries very often myself. Surprise, surprise. I make a lot of edibles. I make a lot of beverages. But when I do go to the dispensaries, one of the things I love to try are new beverages. The Sense and Purpose brand has a commitment to high quality ingredients, and Karen is just a rock star. I hope you enjoy this interesting and well-rounded conversation with Karen. Please enjoy! I am joined today by with Karen from Sense and Purpose. And Karen, you have created a cannabis beverage company called Sense and Purpose, and I'm really glad that you're taking the time to sit down with me today and talk about all things around cannabis, beverages and sense of purpose.
Margaret 00:05:11 But before we get into all the meat and potatoes today, why don't you introduce yourself to the listeners of Bite Me?
Karen 00:05:17 Sure. Thank you. And thank you for having me. I'm really excited to be here today. as I said, this is my very first podcast, so it's kind of a milestone of itself, hopefully the beginning of some great things to come. But yeah. So, I've been in the cannabis business, for pretty much 4 or 5, five years since legalization, but pre that, I actually worked in consumer packaged goods and I was very much a corporate person. I worked with basically two companies my whole career. One was Quaker Oats, which was eventually bought by Pepsi. And so, Pepsi would be, Pepsi. So that group for 18 years. And then I went on to lead Nestle Waters in Canada. so yeah, that's a little bit about me. I personally, that's business side personally. I'm a single mom, single parent. and have been since my two boys were two and four.
Karen 00:06:08 They're now, 29 and 31. So that was quite some time ago. and happy to report that they're they're doing quite well and on their own. So I'm kind of kind of feel like I'm living my long missed teenage years. I'm back to being on my own.
Margaret 00:06:24 That's kind of nice, though, isn't it? Especially at a time in your life when you probably feel like you have a lot more knowledge and wisdom about how the world works, so.
Karen 00:06:32 Absolutely. Ten years ago, I, quit the corporate world. I kind of quit life. Things were tougher back then. One of my sons was really struggling with addiction and, mental illness. So I quit the world. And I ultimately went traveling around Southeast Asia with the with a bunch of 20 year olds. And I'll tell you that feeling, I was 50 at the time. but to your point, that feeling of, you know, basically being able to travel like a 20 year old, but with the budget and the, wildness or if that's the right thing to look at, experience of a 50 year old.
Karen 00:07:04 It was a pretty fun experience, I must admit.
Margaret 00:07:06 That would have been amazing, actually. I think that would be a lot of fun. And and like, I love hanging around younger people, but then sometimes I'm reminded that, oh, yeah, I'm I'm not 20 anymore.
Karen 00:07:18 Yeah.
Margaret 00:07:18 And I love that you mentioned that you were working with Quaker or Pepsi, because where I live, there's a Quaker planned. I guess it would be Pepsi now, but they make I'm not sure what they make, but the city often smells like like toasted oats or maple syrup and stuff, and it's it's so nice. It's very refreshing. Instead of having, like, a factory that's spewing out chemicals, it's spewing out deliciousness.
Karen 00:07:43 I actually worked in that factory. So that's a small world connection between you and I. and years and years ago, in the late 80s. I worked out of that building. well, there was the plant, and then there was the head office right across the river, which I think.
Karen 00:07:58 I don't even know what they use it for now. I guess it's all just back up because they did move to Toronto. But yeah, going in there and seeing they used to make Captain Crunch and all the bars and all sorts of fun stuff.
Margaret 00:08:07 Yeah, the instant oatmeal and oats and puffed rice, I think even all kinds of things.
Karen 00:08:12 That's the bang, right? When they were puffing it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Margaret 00:08:16 But people love Quaker Oats. Why people still call it Quaker in town, but it's just well loved because it smells so good.
Karen 00:08:23 So. Yeah. No, that was that's where I got my foundation. Yeah.
Margaret 00:08:27 So you've, you've we're in the consumer packaged goods and then you decide to transition to the cannabis industry, which most people would think is not an easy transition to make because it's so highly regulated. What inspired you to venture into cannabis beverages?
Karen 00:08:44 You know, it's interesting. Interesting because it wasn't really a direct path. It wasn't like I woke up one day and went, oh, I'm going to go into cannabis.
Karen 00:08:51 That'd be a good place to be. there was a lot of, a big dose of naivete. I would say, because I did not understand what such a highly regulated industry would mean. and I think that's a good thing, because if I did, it's one of those things. If I knew then what I know now, I might not have done what I did right. You know what I mean? But ultimately, where it happened is, as I mentioned just a minute ago, I, I had gotten to a point in my career I was doing really, really well. I was set to go international, which is something I'd always wanted to do. And at the same time, I was having huge challenges with one of my sons, and one of my sons was having huge challenges, and it kind of I was getting the more I was trying to help him, the less, the more unhealthy I was getting. So I was, I guess, burning the candle at both ends, trying to run the company, trying to, you know, help this child.
Karen 00:09:41 But at the time, we didn't know was schizophrenic and an addict. So, you know, it just got really tough. So I sort of stepped away from corporate world. The beginning of that trip that I just told you about, just to get myself sort of help, healthy and, you know, mind, body, spirit back to a place that when he was ready for help, I would be ready to help him. So in that journey, you know, after my travel and having a year of just a ton of fun, really, and learning myself and getting to know myself again, I started taking contracts because I was trying to figure out what I want to do when I grew up at the young age of 51, and cannabis was becoming legal and I happened. So it's a bit of circumstance because I happened to be working for, on a contract for a small water company, kind of helping them get it on its road to profitability, etc.. and the brand itself was called Canada Pure.
Karen 00:10:31 And I'm saying that because it has relevance in that, you know, about a year after working on it, on the business, myself and another consultant to turn it around for the owner, he was really a tech guy. This was more of a passion project for him, and he tasked us to sell it. and we were a bit like taken aback because we'd worked so hard and we'd turned this brand around for him and we were on a really good path. and in fact, cannabis was becoming legal. And as we're brainstorming ideas, it just hit me one day. Like Canada is known for amazing water. I certainly learned that when I was with Nestle Waters. We're known for amazing weed, but they're both healthy, healthy products. They're both good for you. and, you know, I just with my brain, I kind of went like, wow, what if you could put weed in water and make a functional drink that could help with things? So it was literally a bit of a dream.
Karen 00:11:19 So circumstance and dream, you know, and and it just kind of went from there. So I got this little bee in my bonnet, like, wouldn't it be great to to do that? I my drive my whole life has been about affecting positive change. That gives me a ton of energy. So I thought, wow, that would really affect some positive change and change some behavior. so yeah, that's that's basically how it started. I knew nothing about the business of cannabis. All I knew is that I was a consumer of cannabis. and I knew the benefits of cannabis. I used to call it mama's little Helper at times. You know. so I knew that there was some really good health benefits to it. And so the more I learned, and as I started to learn that you can control the effect of the cannabis based on, you know, a ratio of cannabinoids and how many, like, I didn't even know what a cannabinoid was before I got into it. But knowing that there's different ones.
Karen 00:12:09 It just really became this mission for me to to develop the world's purest, cleanest, you know, functional beverage. And at the time when I tried to buy the company, I just thought, man, can't it up here. What a great name, right? Like for something that we were trying to do. Now, spoiler alert I did not get the company. And in hindsight, that was a very good thing because then I started to learn about the regulations, and I might not have been able to do exactly what I was thinking at the time.
Margaret 00:12:36 Right. So you've also been a lifelong cannabis user as well?
Karen 00:12:40 I have been, yes. Yes, yes.
Margaret 00:12:42 Do you have a preferred method of consumption?
Karen 00:12:45 I almost hate to admit it, and I'm trying very hard to change it, but yes, I have been a smoker pretty much all my life. and now with the legalization and we got to the convenience of pre-rolls, I would say that that's typically my preferred choice. However, now that we've got beverages, I am truly working towards 100% walking the talk and getting off of the smoking and onto the drinking of beverages.
Karen 00:13:10 So, and edibles as well. I actually quite excited, which is another reason I'm excited to be on your show today and learn from you is I just bought myself a first miracle butter maker. I think it is so nice. The magical butter maker. Yeah, I want to learn how to make some edibles and really get off of the smoking because as we know, like, combustion or smoking of any type is just not good. So. Yeah.
Margaret 00:13:33 Well, it's interesting you mentioned that too, because I had a guest on my show quite a while ago, and he we were busting cannabis myths. And one of the myths we talked about. He felt that cannabis beverages were very akin to the the effects you would get from smoking. Much more similar in some respects than in edibles. And I mean, in some ways that checks out because usually the onset is a lot faster. With a beverage it doesn't last as long. And I've kind of, you know, it it seems to check out a lot because I do enjoy the beverages a lot myself.
Margaret 00:14:05 And so for those smokers out there who are trying to sort of stay away from that combustion that they know isn't so healthy for them, cannabis beverages can be a fantastic way to sort of replace that habit.
Karen 00:14:15 Yeah. I would also build on that. It's totally true. It isn't like edibles. It is a little bit of a different it's sort of a whole body. Yeah, I think so. It does have a different feeling. And then the beverages depending I mean there's rosin beverages, resin beverages. You know, there's the ones like mine that have different cannabinoids and different ratios. There's some that are just straight THC. So they do definitely I think because they do hit you harder or faster. Sorry. And come off. You come off of it faster. You definitely get much more of that feeling. Say like a joint. Yeah. But I would also say, and certainly for those legacy consumers out there like myself, I've heard this a zillion times. And what I tell them, like they're like, oh, I'm never going to swap a beverage for my joint.
Karen 00:14:58 It'll never do what I want it to do. So there's a couple things. There's one, it's really quite complimentary. And so for someone like myself that's trying to smoke less, my strategy to do that is I enjoy one of my own beverages, maybe 2 or 3 while I'm smoking. But what I find is a I smoke a heck of a lot less and be it kind of well, because more so than me, because it basically, you know, keeps your the beverage complements the hot kind of keeps you guys there. And so it's helped me significantly cut down. And then of course, there's always times when you're in situations that you can't smoke anyways. And so it's great for that. Yeah.
Margaret 00:15:36 Yeah. So beverages are wonderful all around, so that's why I probably talk about them so much in my show.
Karen 00:15:40 But I didn't ask you, did you? You've tried the sense and purpose beverages, did you? Yes I did.
Margaret 00:15:45 Yeah, they were great. And I think the favorite one that I tried was the recharge.
Karen 00:15:50 Yeah. Yeah.
Margaret 00:15:51 Because that was the sparkling water one with the juice, which was a really nice combination because I love sparkling beverages and I often drink just plain sparkling water, but that the juice that was with it was really nice.
Karen 00:16:03 Yeah. That one. That was a pretty neat one. That's our latest addition to the family. And what is unique about it relative to the other ones is it really, truly is just juice and sparkling water. Yeah. No sweeteners, no mass. You no taste massacres or anything like that. And then of course the, the, the emulsion in it with the cannabis. So to and it tastes great. Right. It doesn't taste like cannabis. Did it taste like cannabis. No, no, not at all.
Margaret 00:16:30 Which is another reason why I like a lot of the cannabis beverages.
Karen 00:16:33 Yeah, that was the intent. The challenge is that just a lot of the my competitors use a ton of sugar to mask the taste. So being able to do something that's natural and with juice.
Karen 00:16:44 And I must admit, there may be just a little influence from my past and working with brands like San Pellegrino, Sparkling Fruit Beverages or. Okay. To me, the result is a little bit, like, I don't know if you know the drink Orangina. it's an Italian beverage, as are the San Pellegrino. So it's a little bit modeled after that.
Margaret 00:17:03 Yeah, well, like you said, you obviously have the perfect background for that because it was lovely and there is a bit of sugar in it, but it's really pretty marginal, especially when you look at some of the sugar content of other cannabis beverages out there. Some of them are really high, like more than a can of Coke too. So yeah, you know, and I there's still a lot of great ones out there, but you kind of have to pick and choose when you might want to consume that sugar.
Karen 00:17:24 So yeah, it's not.
Margaret 00:17:25 Really as much of a concern.
Karen 00:17:27 Well and I mean some of them are so high in sugar.
Karen 00:17:30 And you said it like they're more than a can of Coke. Again, just because I've been in that business for so long, I know that a can of coke is 39g of sugar, you know, and that's a lot. And I've also learned that one gram of sugar is about the equivalent to four teaspoons of sugar. Right? You know, when you've got some of these beverages then that are like 40g of sugar. Do the math.
Margaret 00:17:53 Yeah. You can just imagine that. Just that pile of sugar.
Karen 00:17:56 That's it. That's it. People are choosy when they when they take it. It's not. I think we're we're not about sort of avoiding those things. It's about moderation. But still you can you you can waste a lot of your, I don't know, your, your sugar allotment on one drink if you're not. Yeah, absolutely.
Margaret 00:18:13 Because I can't remember what the daily allotment for sugar intake is of added sugar is supposed to be, but it's definitely not 39g. It's a lot lower than that I think so.
Karen 00:18:23 So yeah.
Margaret 00:18:23 You do have to pick and choose those those occasions when you're going to use those higher sugar beverages. But yeah.
Karen 00:18:30 That was what we were trying to address to. One of the things is knowing that again. This is where I feel like I've got a little bit of an unfair advantage because of my background. but just knowing and being so close to consumer trends and watching them for, you know, certainly when I went to it became more, even more prevalent when I went to Nestlé Waters, because that's all we did was water or forms of water. but just watching the consumer trends and the and the growth and focus on health and wellness. Right. So, I knew that low sugar was or avoiding sugar is something that folks are trying to do. yeah. You can get into the Zero Sugar and Seltzers. That's a pretty big segment in alcohol and in water, as you mentioned. zero calories, zero sugar. I often think zero taste. So I was trying to find something in between.
Karen 00:19:19 Yeah. had a decent taste, was all natural. Was low and and low in sugar. So, yeah, I think will you accomplish that goal?
Margaret 00:19:26 For sure. But I wanted to also touch on because you kind of mentioned it a little bit earlier about.
Karen 00:19:31 The.
Margaret 00:19:32 Purpose behind. Sense and purpose. Like, why did you choose that name? What? Sort of behind that. That idea.
Karen 00:19:40 You know, it's interesting. So it wasn't like right off the top. Like most things I'm learning, they never come right to you right away. Like, we went through a few reiterations to get to the brand name, but and it was quite a fun process. And when we got there, it was one of those things that was going to sound silly. It just made sense. Like it was all of a sudden it was like. But really the idea, there's a couple things. So behind Sense and Purpose, sense itself is about our mission to help people, certainly new consumers. And that's really who we are targeted at, is, if I had to call it a bull's eye target, it's more that new consumer.
Karen 00:20:14 but it was to help people make sense of this world of cannabis, because I truly do believe that cannabis has purpose in everyday life. So that's kind of the easiest to, you know, base premise of it. At the same time, sense is also about the sort of, sensory experience that we want to create so we don't just put like, we're not knocking off pop and some traditional flavors. We're really thinking through the ingredients that we use. We're using ingredients that bring inherent claims already on their own. and we've got things like green tea paired with ginger juice, with lemon juice, you know, to give really, really a great sensory effect. So that's the other kind of meaning behind sense. and the secondary meaning behind purpose is exactly that is it sort of reflects, you know, intention I guess, would be the best way to say it. And so it was crafting a product that had a really meaningful role. Like, I absolutely wanted these products to have a purpose in people's life, whether it's relaxing or whether it's, you know, connection or self-care or whatever it might be, it was about having a purpose for these beverages.
Karen 00:21:23 So there's a couple of double entendres, I guess, in there, really. But, sense and purpose when you put it all together, Altogether. I guess at the end of the day, it just really reflects our commitment to sort of balance, and a balanced life and a wellness life.
Margaret 00:21:38 Yeah, I really like that. And it's it's interesting that you mentioned that about like, the new consumer because, I don't think my sister listens to the show, but she's coming down to visit me soon, and she has agreed to try some cannabis beverages. I think the last time we shared cannabis together was in high school, and she did not like it. So she hasn't really touched cannabis since then, but she's willing to try some cannabis beverages, some very low dose ones. So I'm excited to share some with her just to see, you know, let her test it out, because it's been a very long time. And she's kind of curious about it too, right? A lot of people are curious in coming to cannabis through beverages.
Karen 00:22:15 You know, it's interesting. I've seen a lot of that. and first of all, I have to make sure I get you some more sense and purpose so that she can try them, but, yeah, I so I've got a so in my age group I'm actually outside of the bullseye group. As much as I like to think I'm in it because I think I'm a lot younger than I really am. but I've started doing is I'm trying to figure out ways to get to the consumer, and I'm recognizing that, they are very there's a lot that are curious but very, very hesitant. So I've started doing house parties. And just so that you have more of that one on one experience, you can help people. They feel a little bit, you know, safer, I guess, trying it, doing exactly what you're doing with your sister. So that's awesome. We need more people doing that. but, you know, when I start to show them and I will make them, I've got a cocktail recipe for pretty much each one of them, and I can, you know, charge, for example, that we were talking about, which is basically juice and sparkling water.
Karen 00:23:09 People have told me it's like a mimosa in a can so I can show them, you know, if you put in a quarter of the can and you use some really good non-alcoholic, sparkling wine or prosecco, and that's what I do, is I make mimosas with it. Oh, very nice, I like that, like, oh, this tastes great. And then, you know, it's funny to see them start to get a little bit of the buzz at times. And they kind of they get giggly and they love it and it just eases them into it with like, oh, okay, I don't really have that big of a reason to be afraid of this. So yeah, I love the I love what you're doing with her, I think. yeah. That's kind of one of my strategies is to try to build a whole slew of friends and family brand ambassadors, because I really do think it's that that they need. I feel like especially the women, we we need that comfort, that trust.
Karen 00:23:58 You know, for sure when we're trying it. Especially when it's the first time. Well, it's.
Margaret 00:24:03 The Saturn setting, right? Like they talk about set and setting a lot with psychedelics, but it applies 100% to cannabis for sure as well. And if they're comfortable and they're with somebody that they believe knows what they're doing, they'll be a lot more comfortable and.
Karen 00:24:16 Absolutely.
Margaret 00:24:16 Half the battle right there.
Karen 00:24:18 The trust. Right. The trust. Yeah, absolutely.
Margaret 00:24:21 But I like the idea with the sparkling, the non-alcoholic sparkling wine. I think I'll have to try that out, because a lot of I find a lot of people also aren't drinking as much anymore because she doesn't drink almost at all. Because like a lot of women I know that are getting older, they find that alcohol doesn't really agree with them anymore.
Karen 00:24:38 No. And you know what? That is a huge I wouldn't even say trend. I think it's becoming a movement. And I know there's the term sober that's floating around, right, of just, you know, like cannabis only and no alcohol.
Karen 00:24:52 But it is growing whether it's male or female. Certainly, as I said, giving away my age, I'm about to break into a new decade. So my age group, like we're definitely it's not even that it doesn't agree with our bodies in that we can't recover like we used to, right? Yeah, yeah. About the liver damage, etc.. So yeah, no, that's a huge trend that I believe is what will set cannabis beverages up in general to just really take off.
Margaret 00:25:21 Yeah. Yeah, I think so. It's definitely still a pretty small market segment, but it's I just see it growing more and more. And as I've had this podcast now for about five years, just people are talking about it more and more.
Karen 00:25:32 And there's definitely be interesting change in the conversation from four years ago, when I first started getting out there and actually trying to sell in my product stuff to now the conversation is it's miles ahead, it's amazing. And then you look down to the US, oh my God, that's my dream.
Karen 00:25:48 Minnesota. Now they've got a little bit of a loophole because they they have the farm bill, which legalized hemp and products made from hemp. At the time, I don't think they realized that hemp, which does it's the same as cannabis. It just has less than 0.3% THC that it actually can form a form of THC that is, just as potent as from cannabis, but it's being sold outside of the Cannabis Act. So in regular wine stores, like literally there's a so I've seen pictures of it where it's here's your beer drinks, here's your cooler drinks, here's your THC drinks and huge displays and, you know, it's really cool to see that. And I think one day that'll be like that here. But, it might. I would.
Margaret 00:26:30 Love that. And did you mention Minnesota in particular or just is this just general in the States?
Karen 00:26:34 No, it's Minnesota in particular, where I think they were kind of the lead in, I don't want to say the name or get it wrong, but I think it was Six Points Wine Company.
Karen 00:26:44 It was a specific company that sort of really grasped hold of it. Now more and more states are so it is starting to spread across the states.
Margaret 00:26:51 Well, because I do have listeners in Minnesota as well. And they told me that they are a lot of the bars, like you can go to a, like a bar and buy a cannabis drink. And I was just like, that would be such a game changer, because a lot of the times, like, I have to be careful when I drink. A lot of times you're, you know, if you've driven to a place, you have to think about that. And I just also don't want to be laid out for a whole day or longer if I get a hangover, which takes less and less alcohol these days. So I think that was really forward thinking as far as Minnesota goes, and I wish Canada would be a little more forward thinking on that.
Karen 00:27:27 Yeah, we're just ultimately hugely conservative, as we all know. And you know what? Good reason I think like with Health Canada the whole approach was start low and go slow.
Karen 00:27:37 Yeah, really, really, really tight regulations. And I know a lot of people were kind of ticked off because it seemed in the time leading up to just legalization in 2018, and then beverages and edibles were a year later. It felt like they kept changing regulations and making them even tighter. And so, you know, there was some frustration. But at the same time, with their mandate of just trying to keep quality, keep it out of the hands of kids, the safety, you know, I think the theory is it's always easier to loosen a regulation than it is for what's. And that's kind of what's happened in the US. Like they've gotten themselves into a little bit of a pickle, but it's I think it's a good place to be. And I know it's going to start here in Alberta. I would say Alberta is our forward thinking portion of the cannabis industry. And so two years ago, I believe it was they started allowing it at like comedy festivals and fests and stuff, concerts.
Karen 00:28:32 They learned a bit and how they executed it. It was allowed again this year with opening it up a little bit more in terms of, you know, having space, a consumption area or whatever. So I think it's coming. I think it's coming. So when you see a day like to do that, so.
Margaret 00:28:49 You're saying that you could go to a comedy festival and you could, you could get a beer or you could get a cannabis beverage or something like that.
Karen 00:28:54 Yeah. It wasn't quite that simple. It was like there was a segregated area. and the first year that they did it, I believe literally like they would be in conjunction with a retailer and you could almost like order it instantly. And the retailer would then bring it in that space and deliver it there. As it evolved from what I understand this past year, it was more about a retailer could actually have a little kiosk right on site, but it was still in a segregated area, you know, some away from from the alcohol.
Karen 00:29:24 Right. But I think it's only a matter of time. Where before the next.
Margaret 00:29:28 To each other.
Karen 00:29:29 I mean, I don't know, obviously I'm a bit biased, but, both again, for beverages and for health and wellness because, you know, no matter which way you look at it, a cannabis beverage is going to do a heck of a lot less damage to you than alcohol. Like, it's. Yeah, it's an old person's in alcohol, right? Yeah. It's hurting our liver. It's hurting our brain. Like, look at the issues. So I think once we kind of Health Canada and, you know, we've experimented enough with it, they get their heads around us and quite understand that, you know, it's a no brainer in my mind. So I just hope I don't have to see it.
Margaret 00:30:02 Yeah, I know right. Because sometimes these things seem to take a long time. But I know there's people working on this kind of thing. So and I am grateful that we also have federal legalization and not the, you know, sort of the state by state model that they're doing right now in the US.
Margaret 00:30:16 So there's definitely a huge advantage to to that alone. So eventually because also being able to buy cannabis drink at a comedy festival sounds like the perfect combination to me.
Karen 00:30:28 Like that's what I would love. So yeah, yeah.
Margaret 00:30:31 Now, as far as sense and purpose goes, what have been some of the biggest, biggest challenges that you faced in bringing this product to market?
Karen 00:30:40 probably not necessarily what you would think. I would say the biggest challenges were and continue to be one, raising money, which links directly to cash flow. But when I say cash flow, what I've learned is that really means picking the right manufacturer partner. So, because of the sort of excitement, let's call it around cannabis in the early days and these huge valuations on companies that then really five years later, you know, had to not downsize. I'd say right size. They were building empires. They had so much money. They were spending it on things that, you know, they were building their empires without looking at what the market could hold, could bear.
Karen 00:31:24 And as a result, there's been a real cloud over cannabis. Then you throw in a few little extra twists like Covid, high inflation rate and interest rates. Now, I kind of look back at this. All you can do is laugh because otherwise you'd cry. But, you know, I started product development in April 2020 like we were on a plane. We had, you know, we had just we raised some money or we were on our way to doing that. And, all of a sudden Covid hit. So that really threw a wrench at first. And again, I think like any big challenge, it does depend on how you approach it, because I started to look at it as an opportunity. and so it worked out well. But so that would be one is raising the money. There's been this cloud over it. So even today we're about to start. I've been trying for two years to raise money. I've had to sell fun because I just can't. People just are not interested in cannabis in Canada right now.
Karen 00:32:16 So, you know, unless you're a $40 million company. So that's been a tough one. The other big one is just, a bit of a negative that's come out of the regulations. Is that the you have to have a license to sell it to the board. A lot of brands like myself do not have a license. It was it's very costly to get one. and so we've relied on our manufacturers and that's created a bit of a problem because they have complete control of cash flow. Right. Unfortunately, what's happening for some of the brands and I've been through it, is where the manufacturers got their own growing pains and their own challenges. So when they get paid for your order from, say, the OCS, the Ontario Cannabis Store, they just kind of keep that money to help solve their own problems, and they're not passing it along. So, you know, we had a huge challenge. I had to leave one manufacturer because of it. almost on a high point. I relaunched this year in Cannes.
Karen 00:33:15 So again, able to take a negative and turn it into a positive. but yeah, it's kind of the boring business side that's been the biggest challenge, to be honest, when in fact I thought it would be more about building the brand. When you were so restricted in what you could put on a can or what you can say or, you know, I thought that would be the bigger challenge. But in fact, it's really been some of the business fundamentals. Yeah.
Margaret 00:33:38 And those are pretty significant challenges from the sounds of it. And you're not the first person that I've heard that that aspect of the business is really difficult. Yeah. So which is unfortunate because I think that you would have more people participating, I guess, with some really interesting stuff if it wasn't so problematic to raise the money and, and deal with the, the licenses and all that kind of thing.
Karen 00:33:59 So yeah, well, on the other side of it, that it does really kind of hurt my heart and I don't know what to do with it.
Karen 00:34:05 I'd like to do something about it. I don't know what it means yet, but is what I see is I see it really is kind of squishing the little guy out of the market. Yeah. You know, and we're typical Canadian fashion. We're getting very consolidated. And it's a couple or a few big, big players that are dominating. And, you know, the smaller entrepreneurial, like little brands like myself, are really struggling to survive. And I've unfortunately seen a lot of them not survive.
Margaret 00:34:31 Yeah. And that's unfortunate. No matter what industry you're talking about, because it's the smaller brands that I think bring a lot of interesting things to the market. Cannabis is definitely no exception. And yeah, when you when you have like these huge businesses, they're just not as receptive. They're not as agile I guess. And they're the stuff that they're putting out just isn't as interesting I think.
Karen 00:34:54 Well, and I mean, we're all focused on business, so I don't want this to come across the wrong way, but I think there is a different level of passion when you're dealing with the entrepreneur directly.
Karen 00:35:04 Right? And so, yes, for me, I hope to, you know, make some decent money out of it and maybe retire one day. But it really isn't about the money. It was about being able to bring a really amazing product to market that does something that's going to help people. And so the creativity, you can lose that. Whereas a big company, you know, they tend to be all about okay, well where's the volume today. And we're seeing that in our category. For example with beverages, 70% of the category of the products in the category are, you know, the maximum THC. They tend to almost all be some version of a soda, whether it's a craft soda or a knockoff of root beer or a cream soda or you know what it is, and taste is iffy. Certainly in the beginning they were awful. But then that's when I started adding the sugar. But you know why? Because right now, the majority of the cannabis segment is typically male, typically sort of 30 ish.
Karen 00:35:59 They don't care as much about sugar. They're more interested in getting a buzz or whatever it is. So that's where the market is today. Who is out there looking for the future? And I'm not sure that the big guys are really prepared to do that because they need to see a return a lot faster, right? It becomes a little unfair to say like, yeah, kind of a generalization, but that's what I see. Yeah.
Margaret 00:36:22 Yeah. Well, I mean, it's entrepreneurs like you that are changing the game and bringing out these interesting products, and you have your ear to the ground when it comes to some of these other people who are consuming them. Like it's not just the 30 year old guy. It's like someone like me who's in my 40s, and I have a very different perspective on the world. So we need folks like you to be putting these things out. So I hope on that same vein, you can share some of the wins or the milestones that you've hit.
Karen 00:36:49 I mean, I'm sure.
Margaret 00:36:49 It hasn't all been challenges. I'm sure there's been some good some good positives as well.
Karen 00:36:54 Yeah. No, look, I did realize I would say one of the biggest challenges in general, I'm not sure that a lot of people have been able to do it. I'm very proud of the fact that I have, but is just shifting from that corporate world to that entrepreneurial world where, you know. Corporate world, you've got systems, you've got processes, you've got data, you've got all sorts of things in this world. It's a little bit like all over the place. so, you know, we've had some really amazing wins out. You know, if I think and I was thinking about some of the things that have, you know, just I get such a high from no pun intended because I haven't smoked anything. the big one of the big, big ones was, you know, we were I was about two and a half years into this, like, researching and trying to figure out how to make it happen.
Karen 00:37:38 before we finally raised our first bit of capital, and we were at the point where it was like, okay, we're either going to go somewhere or we're not. And, you know, so when we close that sort of first lead investor in that first round, up, quite honestly, the only round so far, and that was able to get us to market. I just remember how excited we were, and we had done so much prep and work that we were ready to just go. So from closing the Capitol to making, I think we were in market within six months, which was pretty cool. I would say another big, big one, which all the time gets me excited is when I see some of the results coming in. So in Alberta, I just saw somebody was doing some due diligence on sense of purpose. We've been having some talks about maybe working together. and told me that. Guess what? We're like we've been consistently ranked the number seven best selling brand in Alberta for beverages.
Karen 00:38:33 There's 70 or 80 brands, so. Wow. I'm pretty excited about that. I know we launched in it. We launched in cans was another big, big highlight this year because I launched in a bottle initially for a very specific reason. It was Covid. We couldn't get the right cans up out of efficacy. You know, I didn't want the cannabinoids leaching into the can liners, so I went in bottles. but I knew ultimately I needed to be in a can. So switching manufacturers, last year, getting, you know, new contracts, getting away from the one that wasn't paying me and then being able to launch in cans, but really seeing how quickly we were almost out of market for a year. And then we got right back up to 300 stores carrying us so quickly. And that just tells me that the retailers get it, they understand it. So I don't know, I could go on forever. I mean, we know, but that's great though.
Margaret 00:39:24 Because if you didn't have those wins, then you probably wouldn't be sitting here right now talking to me because you would have given up by now.
Karen 00:39:31 Well that's it.
Margaret 00:39:32 Yeah, yeah. Like those wins keep you going.
Karen 00:39:34 Wins. I have to say, Margaret though, and I do a lot of events because that's the one way you get that interaction. We leverage technology a ton. We're very strategic. We're a very small team. I joke, I'll say we're a team of three. Me, myself and I, you know. But I actually do have a fourth person that is with me on this journey. And, but when we're at events and I just did the kind winter fair show, but when I see somebody like, oh, beverages and they're like, very skeptical. and they all taste like this, and then they taste it. And to see that look on their face and then all of a sudden they're like, whoa, like, what is this? And then you get into this full on conversation like that in itself is probably the number one thing that gives me the energy to keep going. And yeah.
Margaret 00:40:19 Dealing with it directly with the people who are consuming your product.
Margaret 00:40:22 Yeah, for sure. Which is a really nice segue into my next question. And because you're a small business, you're an entrepreneur. You are interacting with the people that you're like the customers. What kind of feedback do you get, generally speaking, from the customers that are are drinking your drinks?
Karen 00:40:38 We get we almost always like 99% of the time we get really positive feedback. The things that they're most surprised about is that it tastes good. And believe me, in the first couple of years of of cannabis beverages, again, we were a year later. So we've been legal since 2019. So the first 2 to 3 years and even now, like they did not taste good.
Margaret 00:41:00 So I remember that. Yeah.
Karen 00:41:02 People are typically surprised in a good way at how great they taste. And then when we get into the conversation of what they are and like literally I have four ingredients, you know, outside of the emulsion, which takes up two lines on my ingredient sort of list. I have maybe four ingredients in each one of them, very clean and very low in sugar.
Karen 00:41:24 So people are always amazed at that. And then usually the third most common comments I get, almost always in this order too, is the dosages that we're using and the fact that we're playing with ratios of THC to CBD to give an effect. We're not allowed to tell you about it, but that's why I named my beverages that way. Like refocus, recharge, relax. They actually do what they say they do. And what's even more fun is now I'm running into consumers at some of these shows, or bartenders and retailers that have actually now tried the drink. And so every time I get the feedback like, oh my God, this actually does what you said it was going to do is just amazing. I it's almost to the point that I started to think maybe they're all just blowing smoke up my butt, because no one has had anything negative yet. Like the most negative that is, oh, I don't like grapefruit, or I can't have grapefruit because it affects my whatever. Medicate. Yeah.
Karen 00:42:17 so yeah.
Margaret 00:42:17 You'll run into that, obviously. But I'm sure they're not blowing smoke up your.
Karen 00:42:21 Ass because because you're putting out.
Margaret 00:42:24 A great product. So why would they. And.
Karen 00:42:26 Well, exactly. And they don't know me, so why would they? But yeah, it's just sometimes I just I think I continue to be surprised at just how well received they are. Yeah.
Margaret 00:42:35 Yeah. Well that's great to hear. And that's got to be part of the the winds that you are experiencing is when you get that wonderful feedback from people. Yeah. But that does that does bring up the question of how you see stigma still showing up in the work that you're doing. Because I tend to forget myself because like, my whole world is around cannabis, I'm talking to cannabis people. I'm in like, it's just all cannabis. And then I remember there's people like my sister who doesn't consume. Now she's pretty open minded being considering what I do. But there are a lot of people out there who still have a lot of stigma around cannabis and kind of, you know, turn their nose up to it or whatever.
Margaret 00:43:10 And are you encountering that very much in the work that you're doing?
Karen 00:43:14 I've definitely come across it. And I would agree with you that it is probably still our biggest challenge. Again, I'm a type of person. A challenge means an opportunity. So I think it is our biggest opportunity. I do think it is starting to fade quite quickly, which is great. I think I've also learned there's some people you're just never going to change their mind, right? So I'm learning to back away from those pretty quickly. but the majority of people that I'm coming across also in my family, like, I'm, I'm all about cannabis as well as I set up front, I've consumed my whole life. Not that most of my family knew that that's only recent, that they've learned that, but most of them are not like I grew up in a generation of basically drinkers. And so even my friend group, they're all drinkers and they're very hesitant. There's some stigmas there. Some of them I've not tried to push it, but I find the majority of them are quite open.
Karen 00:44:05 And one of the probably the most surprising things when I think of this stigma and how it's going away, the fastest group, growing group of cannabis consumers is like 60 plus. Right. And I've actually been asked to come into my mom's in a retirement home. I've been asked to come in and, you know, to demo my beverages and talk about them. And quite frankly, I'm nervous to do that. I haven't I will I haven't done it yet. I'm actually like, you called the cannabis nurses because quite honestly, I'm too afraid to go and talk about a recreational product in a setting like that with people that I don't know what meds they're on. So. Right. You know, I think there's a lot of work we have to do there. But the point is, my 83 year old mother drinks half a can of relax every night to go to bed so that she can stay asleep. So the stigma is there. I think might might take away would be the stigma is there. It's definitely fading fast.
Karen 00:44:55 We're doing our part. You and me, to sort of help get rid of that stigma. And I think the more we bring it out in our conversations, like, certainly now all of a sudden around my friend group, it's like, no one's like, oh, you're in cannabis. It's, you know, it's just a conversation. How's business going? What do you do?
Margaret 00:45:12 And people find it interesting. But when you mention that it's the 60 plus group or that demographic, that interest is growing a lot. It's surprising, but it's not surprising because cannabis is so effective at so many, at so helping people with so many different ailments. So the fact that your mom, for example, uses it to help her sleep. And then there's also the the idea too, that a lot of older folks, they like you said, some people will never change their mind, but they might be open to trying a cannabis topical because those can also be super effective. So that's, you know, if they're if they don't want to get high and some people just don't, then there's definitely other options that the plant can offer them to.
Margaret 00:45:50 So that's what makes this thing so wonderful.
Karen 00:45:52 Well, and I think right there you're hitting it is people are starting to understand slow slow. It's lagging even a little bit but that it's not always about getting high. Yeah. Right. You know you get into some of these CBD and the minor cannabinoids like CBN and CBG and CBC. You know, I don't know, I was doing some research because I want to get into that with my drinks. CBN is a minor cannabinoid that I found out apparently has been used for like 50 years to treat insomnia. But we didn't know about that. Right. So I think the more that people are learning and understanding that it's not just about getting buzzed, they're they're definitely that goes a long way to getting rid of the stigma.
Margaret 00:46:31 Yes, I think especially with probably older folks as well, just because that the idea of setting an intention or using it intentionally resonates with a lot of folks, because they just don't want to feel like they're just, I don't know, I mean, I'm too old to be like, I'm getting wrecked.
Margaret 00:46:44 I'm just that's just not where I'm at my life right now. Like maybe 20 years ago, that might have been a different story. But, you know, that's that's not what I'm trying to do these days, so.
Karen 00:46:54 No, I hear you 100%. It's not my favorite activity anymore at all.
Margaret 00:46:59 Now, are you doing anything else with sense and purpose around the concept of educating consumers about responsible consumption?
Karen 00:47:06 We're doing our best within the limitations that we have. I always believe in pushing the envelope. So yeah, I mean, we've got an education for sure. Education is at the base of everything we do from retailers and bartenders. Onward. You know, when I get new listings, I'm pretty insistent. I mean, of course I'm not going to turn it down, but I really push for saying I want the ability to train and educate your staff because they're the ones that are going to be influencing the consumer. So definitely do a lot there. I've got training videos and that sort of thing that we do with them, with the consumer.
Karen 00:47:40 It really is always trying to put it in that, that guise of not guys of, but like in that realm of education and talking about how it can help them and the and the function, I think I've done. I know I'm pretty sure I've taken a different approach than most. I really have approached this not as a not like cannabis beverages. Not as a cannabis opportunity. Like not as just another format of cannabis. I've really approached it as a beverage opportunity, and it's a functional beverage opportunity. And our function just happens to come from cannabis. So.
Margaret 00:48:12 Right. Yeah. So you're really taking the lead on that and saying, because the Bud Tenders two have a pretty important role because they are the customer facing employee at any dispensary. And people are curious. They want to know.
Karen 00:48:24 Yeah. So education wise I'm really keen. It's just a brand new relationship I'm starting to form, but I met a few weeks ago, maybe a month ago now in Calgary. I was out there for an event and I as I said, I mentioned this group called.
Karen 00:48:37 I met this group called the Cannabis Nurses. And, you know, they do a lot of work with veterans and, you know, helping elderly and and educating. When I told them one of my concerns about going into a retirement home. They're like, well, let's do it together because we know that side of it and the product. So yeah, looking forward to doing, you know, more collaborations where education is at the forefront of it.
Margaret 00:49:01 Right. And I think that's really important too, especially on the medical side, because even though it's legal here, there's a lot of medical professionals that are still hesitant to to prescribe cannabis, if you will. like, if I go to my doctor, I'm probably they're not probably not going to tell me, oh, just use some cannabis. Like that's just not where they're at yet. And they need some of that education, which they're probably not getting in medical school. So these types of collaborations are really important. And it sounds interesting because like you said, there's older folks in nursing homes that want to know about this stuff and they'd be really interested.
Karen 00:49:32 There's also younger folks too, you know, and I look back with I don't know if it would have helped, but I look back at the situation with my son. and, you know, in hindsight, which is always 20, 20, and we look back way back to when sort of his challenges started and he was smoking a lot of weed. And because I'm tolerant of weed, I kind of thought, oh, he's a rebellious teenager. He's going to grow out of it, you know what I mean? But what I realized and learned was that he was self-medicating because his mate was anxious and he, you know, he couldn't sit still. And there was all sorts of issues going on that he was trying to calm himself because he was too embarrassed to talk about the anxiety he's feeling. And when you look unfortunately, society today and, you know, we could go a whole other podcast just probably on that. But there's a lot of young people, middle aged people, like we're all mental illness is a huge challenge.
Karen 00:50:27 Yeah.
Margaret 00:50:28 Yeah. And it's not something that gets talked enough about. And I don't know if there's sometimes enough funding, even in Canada, for mental health services and stuff, because there's still stigma around that as well, for sure, to come out openly and say you're having these struggles. But it's also not surprising because I feel like we live in some really weird times right now, too. And if you're already having some struggles with mental health, and then you pile on all the weird shit that's happening right now. It's it's, cannabis can be very helpful, but it's also that's when you probably need a little more guidance as far as using it. So you're not self-medicating.
Karen 00:51:01 Absolutely, absolutely. Yeah. I live right near campus. I'm here because of my son. That's how I got to this area. And the role model is about harm reduction. Yeah, right. And I kind of look at and I even look at myself like before I quote, Quit the world in 2015. I mean, I was drinking too much, I was smoking too much, I was talking too much, I was working too much.
Karen 00:51:21 Like I was just a mess. And, you know, had I had something like sense and purpose available to me, I honestly believe I would have I would have been in a very different place right now. I went away, I fasted for 28 days and I detox, and I did all that great, fun stuff that you needed to do because it's not just about, you know, not drinking, so to speak. But, yeah, there's I think there's a huge place in the world for this type of thing.
Margaret 00:51:47 Yeah, absolutely. Now, how has working in the cannabis industry changed your perspective on cannabis? Because you already mentioned that you've been sort of a lifelong cannabis user as your perspective changed at all?
Karen 00:52:00 I would say if anything, it's probably broadened and sort of grown even more to love what it can do. as I said, I've learned a ton, but when you start to really understand how it's been used, like I didn't know CBN and had been used for insomnia for 40 years.
Karen 00:52:17 And you know we use you know in different formats. I would say it's really helped me grow and really appreciate it. And I've loved as I've learned the industry. You know you have to network. That's the way you you learn from other people. And just to see how it's impacted and affected so many people in such a positive way and the different uses. Yeah, I have. Absolutely. I love being in the industry. I'm not afraid or shy or nervous to tell anybody I'm in cannabis anymore. I might have been a little bit at the beginning, I will admit. I was like, well, what are they going to think of me? And I did. Actually, I lost 1 or 2 friends over it, to be honest, with cannabis, because they're like, how could you do that with this son having the challenges you have? and they just thought it was very poor taste. So, you know, you have to kind of let those ones go and work through that because, you know, but just to see and know the benefits, it's incredible.
Margaret 00:53:08 Right? Yeah. Well, that makes a lot of sense to me because I know before I started this podcast, I knew some stuff about weed, but, not that much I realize now. In fact, I think I do very little, actually. I remember there was a point in my life quite a while ago that, you know, I used to think that the strain names, the cultivar names are just kind of made up. And I suppose, like I just, I there was a lot I didn't know. So legalization and having this show has I've just learned so much and legalization in particular because you people are free to do more research and talk about it openly, and it's not underground and hidden. And that hundred years of prohibition is kind of set back to research a lot. But that's all changing now, which is really exciting to see. So it's an exciting time to be in cannabis as well, especially in Canada, because we're kind of leading the charge in the world, which is really exciting as well.
Karen 00:53:57 So yeah, you know, and it is there's sometimes it's frustrating that we do, you know, the research is opening up. It's awesome. But there's also been anecdotal research for thousands of years about how amazing this plant is. But I didn't know any of that. I never would have thought to go and look into that. And it's only when you start to, to, learn more because we're in it that you realize it and it. Yeah, it's it's empowering. It's exciting. You feel like you're part of something that's really positive, you know, and anything is going to have both sides. Like someone can always take advantage of whatever the situation is. But yeah, no, I, I think it's been pretty amazing.
Margaret 00:54:35 Yeah. So for yourself and for sense and purpose, where do you see sense and purpose and yourself in, say, five years.
Karen 00:54:45 well, I would love to see Sense and Purpose as a much larger company. So Sense of Purpose is my brand. I just wanted to say something.
Karen 00:54:53 And woven with two E's is is the company, right? So. And the whole idea of woven is with the two V's. Was it? I fully believe when you weave things together, it becomes much, much stronger. So my whole approach to business is about working with partners and bringing in like minded business partners, not employees. Right. And on contracts and stuff. So sense of purpose being our first brand. I it's got a lot of legs and it's got a lot of, of places it can go in the immediate future because of really funding. I see us rounding out the platform or the family, like I did have a recover in a little elixir shot. It was in Alberta. Didn't get accepted here. It's a bit of a ahead of its time. I see getting that into To, Into a can. And I see maybe some flavor extensions. But I also see us getting into with that brand getting into. And in five years, I'd love to be the ones that are like the wellness leaders.
Karen 00:55:50 We've got a menopause drink. We've got a, you know, an old person drink, a sleeping pill or whatever. Like there's so many places to go. So I want to go into minor cannabinoids and continue to work with ratios in that. but I also have a couple of other brands in my back pocket that I've trademarked, one that I've sort of trademarked and earmarked. Sorry, in my mind, specifically targeted at the two LGBTQ plus community.
Margaret 00:56:15 Oh, cool.
Karen 00:56:16 Big cornerstone of of cannabis and it's legalization. I also happen to be part of the community. So of course I want to support my community. so I think that's pretty exciting. and then I have another one, that is, I would say earmarked really for that Gen Z. This is the generation that's grown up only knowing cannabis being legal, basically.
Margaret 00:56:36 Yeah. Yeah.
Karen 00:56:37 And they really aren't drinkers. Like alcohol drinkers. no. I'm very conscious. And there I think there's some absolute legitimacy about, you know, what cannabis can do to a young brain.
Karen 00:56:49 So I don't want to quote mark it at them, mark it to them until they get to a certain point. I think they're the lead. Gen Zs now are somewhere around 22, 23, I believe. So, you know, I think it's probably only a matter of some time to get that. So, yeah, I, I see the company just continuing to expand and, you know, hopefully I can continue to lead it.
Margaret 00:57:09 Well, that all sounds wonderful and also sounds like you're going to be really busy over the next few years, which is exciting. But something you said to me that really stood out is the the collaboration component, because I love the concept of collaboration versus competition. Yeah, because I feel like it's just the way forward. Competition can be so negative and it often is a lot of the times and.
Margaret 00:57:35 I would.
Karen 00:57:36 Think I think it can be limiting. Right.
Margaret 00:57:38 Because you really aren't sure.
Karen 00:57:40 I like to think of it as coopetition.
Margaret 00:57:43 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Margaret 00:57:46 You know, working together? Yeah. Yeah.
Karen 00:57:48 I mean, I chat to other beverage owners and it also comes back to all ties. Or what is it? All tides. Tides, lifts all boats?
Margaret 00:57:56 Yes. So something like.
Margaret 00:57:58 That. Yeah.
Margaret 00:57:59 Yeah. Yeah.
Karen 00:58:00 Every time I say it, I go, I gotta go check that one and get it straight. But basically tide lifts all boats, so. Yeah. You know, if I'm talking and collaborating or doing a sharing space in a, in an event with another beverage brand, as long as we're not positioned at the exact same target, it doesn't matter. I mean, humans, we drink on average ten beverages a day. So I'm not expecting and I'd be, I think, silly to think that, oh, you know, I'm going to dominate cannabis beverages and I want everybody to drink only sense and purpose. Like that's never going to happen. And you don't want that to happen?
Margaret 00:58:35 Yeah. You want him to.
Karen 00:58:36 Drink for a day? Because I have recover, recharge, refocus and relax.
Margaret 00:58:40 So I've made them all about.
Karen 00:58:41 The time of day so you can, you know, one fits at any occasion in the day, but yeah. No, I totally about the working together I think. Yeah, I kind of feel like that's more of a female thing too, in our, our style of leadership. You know, I think I.
Margaret 00:58:56 Think so too. Yeah. Because I've been like I had 20, 24 as my year of community. And so I've been a lot of the interviews I've been doing this concept of collaboration, what I've been talking to, to, guests on the show that were female or women, that seems to come up really naturally. It's not something I had to bring up myself. And I find that really interesting. And I love it because I really think, like I said, collaboration is the way forward. We've historically had a lot of competition and, I'm tired of it.
Margaret 00:59:31 I've got a huge, huge, huge, huge world.
Karen 00:59:33 There's room for everybody.
Margaret 00:59:35 Yeah. Exactly. Right. Yeah.
Margaret 00:59:37 Yeah. So just to wrap up here before we go. what would surprise people about you?
Karen 00:59:48 Often my age does. Right? Right. Often they think I'm a lot younger than I am.
Margaret 00:59:55 And I can see you. The people listening. You'll have to go, perhaps to the show notes to check out the video, but you definitely do look younger than your age.
Karen 01:00:02 Oh. Thank you. And I have white hair, so that's surprising, right?
Margaret 01:00:06 Yeah, it looks kind of. It looks kind of blonde.
Karen 01:00:08 Platinum blonde?
Margaret 01:00:09 Yeah. Yeah.
Karen 01:00:10 It's all natural. This is covered.
Margaret 01:00:12 Here. By the.
Karen 01:00:12 Way, I don't color.
Margaret 01:00:13 It. Yeah.
Karen 01:00:15 what would surprise people about me? I mean, I think probably the most people are most surprised when they learned that I've smoked cannabis all my life.
Margaret 01:00:25 Right.
Karen 01:00:25 Especially since I was in the corporate world.
Karen 01:00:27 And I was pretty high up in the corporate world.
Margaret 01:00:29 Right.
Karen 01:00:30 I think that's a little bit of a surprise. but.
Margaret 01:00:33 Now there's going to be.
Margaret 01:00:34 Surprising.
Karen 01:00:35 Yeah.
Margaret 01:00:36 Yeah.
Margaret 01:00:36 That's a great way to wrap up, because a lot of the times I realize from doing this show and talking to so many people that people who use cannabis come from all walks of life. And period. That's it.
Margaret 01:00:50 So that's it. Yeah. Yeah.
Margaret 01:00:52 Yeah. So Karen, I just want to say thank you so much for talking with me today. This has been a really interesting conversation. And of course I wish you all the best in the next year and the next few years, and I'll be watching what you're doing. And thank you.
Karen 01:01:05 Well, thank you for having me on. And I love what you're doing as well, Margaret, in terms of, just helping break down that stigma, helping us understand different uses and different ways to enjoy it. And I think together we are making changes. So we're making a change.
Karen 01:01:19 So I love it. Thank you.
Margaret 01:01:25 I hope you enjoyed that conversation with Karen as much as I did. I think she's fabulous and I love to see strong, smart, capable women entrepreneurs shaking up their category space, and I have had the pleasure of interviewing many of them on this very show, which is one of the things that keeps me going is just highlighting the stories and voices of people who are doing cool things in the cannabis space. And if you haven't had a chance to check it out already, do check out last week's episode on Edibles Trends. Karen has some thoughts that she shared about her predictions for 2025, as did a handful of other interesting people in the cannabis space. I think you would find that interesting if you haven't listened to that one yet. And of course, by all means let me know about what you think about this episode. Or maybe you have your own 2025 predictions that you would like to share. Don't forget that you can also get 45% off your magic mind bundle with my link magic mind.com/beat me jam.
Margaret 01:02:23 And until next week, my friends. I am your host, Margaret. Stay high.
Sign up to receive email updates
Enter your name and email address below and I'll send you periodic updates about the podcast.
Leave a Reply