Sponsor Spotlight: Skagit Organics
In an era marked by dynamic shifts in attitudes and regulations surrounding cannabis, the significance of industry leaders stepping forward to champion progress cannot be overstated.
As Presenting Sponsor of this year’s 9th Annual Washington Cannabis Summit, we asked Matthew Friedlander, CEO of Skagit Organics, to tell us a bit more about the brand and what they’ve been up to.
Tell us about Skagit Organics. What are your company’s mission, purpose, and values?
We are an award-winning cannabis brand that stands out as a leader in Washington's cannabis industry, demonstrated through our commitment to creating clean consistent cannabis products, our connection to the cannabis community, and our work to normalize cannabis through education, public engagement, and conscientious business practices. Our dedication to quality is showcased throughout our product line and proven by our elevated testing standards that go beyond the state requirements, positioning us as the leading supplier of DOH-compliant cannabis products in Washington.
Can you tell us about your team and the overall company culture at Skagit Organics?
Our team is dedicated to providing more than just great cannabis products. When you purchase our products you are supporting a company that is focused on truly helping people. Our very first product was RSO and our entire company and ethos is built around the healing qualities of this plant. Our work providing cannabis consultations and individualized orders to customers and patients is unmatched in Washington. We actively engage in advocating for positive improvements to cannabis policy and true legalization, holding a leadership position within The Cannabis Alliance, Washington's largest and most influential cannabis trade group. We consistently participate in meetings with regulators and lawmakers, leveraging our industry influence to champion for improvements. Skagit Organics also dedicates time and effort to the goal of full legalization and normalization by participating in the community through the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce, Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, cannabis industry events, and more!
What about the Skagit Organics brand sets you apart from competitors?
Skagit Organics was the first company to sell RSO in Washington's recreational market. We believed it was important for the types of products medical cannabis patients needed to continue to be available as the medical market transitioned. We take the responsibility of making products used to treat medical conditions seriously leading us to be early adopters of the TESTED WITH CONFIDENCE program through Confidence Analytics, testing all of our products for pesticides years before the state required it.
We now go beyond even those standards and are one of three companies in the state creating Department Of Health-compliant cannabis products. Our entire line of products is DOH-compliant, most notably our RSO (Rick Simpson Oil). We are the largest processor of RSO in Washington, a highly coveted full plant extract among patients, winning awards two years in a row for "Best RSO. Our ongoing dedication to the medical community is evident in the diverse range of DOH-compliant products we make, including flash-frozen flower, a skincare line, edibles, distillate tankers, and vape cartridges...all subjected to the elevated testing required to meet Department Of Health standards.
Describe your product line-up, signature products, and strains.
We create simple products that let the natural beauty of the cannabis plant shine with a focus on health and wellness. Our RSO is has been voted Best RSO in the state two years in a row and has proven results as an effective whole plant medicine. OLA oils are infused gourmet culinary oils one of the only sugar-free unprocessed edibles in the state, Wild Mint combines our RSO with unique blends of herbs, spices, and organic oils for specific results, and the smoother smoking experience and longer shelf life of our Space Weed is out of this world!
Do you have any recent milestones, achievements, or successes that Skagit Organics has accomplished that you’re particularly proud of?
We were voted best RSO in Washington two years in a row for both THC and CBG versions, our Wild Mint topical line won Best Topical and our OLA infused culinary oils received a runner-award last year. We are also the only company in the country selling Flash-Frozen cured flower, utilizing a non-traditional curing process creating the most unique flower product on the market. We are also proud of our efforts to engage with individual customers and patients by providing free access to certified medical cannabis consultants. Even though we can sell product directly to these people we can help educate and inform them so they can make better choices when shopping for their cannabis needs.
Can you share any specific collaborations or projects your company has engaged in to further the advancement of the cannabis industry?
The most important collaborations we have are with the cannabis farmers we partner with. We intentionally set out to establish a tight network of cannabis farmers we can trust and rely on that are able to supply our operations with the some of the cleanest cannabis in the state, allowing us to make products that meet the high standards of DOH-compliant testing. Cannabis farmers are the heart of our industry and we have worked hard to ensure our partners are paid a fair price for their crops. On the retail side we continue to bring unique products to market. We helped celebrity Chef Julie Houser bring her infused culinary oil brand OLA to market in Washington, we have continued the processing and packaging of Wild Mint, and award winning topical line created by Summer Chapman, helping keep her creation and brand on the market after she was made the decision to exit the industry, and we have revitalized the Space Weed brand by improving the quality and consistency and the flower helping showcase the benefits of the unique curing process.
How does participating in events like the Washington Cannabis Summit align with your company's broader goals and objectives within the cannabis industry?
We believe it is critical that those of us participating in the commercialized cannabis industry continue working to undo the harms that the long war on drugs has inflicted on our society. Events like the Washington Cannabis Summit are instrumental in keeping this work moving forward. We owe it to all the activists that have helped push cannabis reform this far to continue their work towards full legalization and meaningful criminal justice reform. We believe that cannabis can help contribute to our society in so many positive ways, from health care to cleaning up the environment, and we value the opportunity to be a part of and to help lead efforts to bring these changes.
Looking ahead, what are your company/brand's future goals and aspirations?
We are working towards expanding our brand and products nationally. We receive calls and emails from people all across the country looking for help and information on treating serious medical conditions. As our position in the industry has risen, our brands reach has expanded beyond the boarders of our state with doctors, patients, and customers from all over the country looking to us for information, education, and help.
What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the cannabis industry today?
The fragmented system of state legalization within a federally illegal framework limits the ability of companies in our industry to operate across state lines putting us at a disadvantage to hemp companies selling THCa flower and larger Multi-State operators.
For other businesses considering sponsorship or involvement with The Cannabis Alliance, what advice or insights would you offer based on your experience?
Sign up as members and get involved in our committees and events! We have been members of The Cannabis Alliance since 2016 and attribute much of our success to the connections we have made through the organization alongs with all the information and updates we are able to receive on changes to the rules and laws that govern our industry. We have also found them to incredibly effective at improving our industry through their work with the state legislature and our regulators. Their dedication to the advancement of a vital, ethical, equitable, and sustainable cannabis industry aligns with the ethos of our company.
How can our readers connect and engage with the Skagit Organics brand?
