Brandi Rice-Simpson started her cannabis journey in California in 2011 when she started Hemphill Wellness, focused mainly around educating consumers and testing. She partnered with Iron Labs and with caregivers across Michigan and brought tested cannabis to the market.
She said she stated her own cannabis edibles brand called Totally Baked. Unfortunately she was raided by the Flint Area Narcotics Group in 2016 where she really got into the gray areas of the law. She had to shift her focus to actually helping other businesses grow. Other cannabis businesses started to come on board and she helped them create their SOPs.
She met Kirk Reid in 2020. He was a very successful edible brand in the caregiver market and Oklahoma. She had approached him to bring his edibles to the medical market in Oklahoma because the cost to get in was so much less than it is in Michigan. Brandi partnered with him and moved to Oklahoma where together they started Captain Kirk’s Edibles brand in the medical market there. After four years she received a call from Hillary Delaney from Aadvark Industrees. Brandi now manages the company.
Why Do You Think You Deserve this Award?
It took me some time and thinking to really dive deep into why I believed I deserved this nomination. One of the reasons is I have a long standing dedication and contributions to the cannabis industry from starting my own dispensary back in 2011 that exclusively focused on the medical benefits of cannabis at a time when education and testing were severely lacking. We did take a proactive approach and we partnered with caregivers across the state to bring safe supply of cannabis to licensed patients. As the industry evolved, we realized there were some holes in access to products for consumers, so we developed a brand of edibles called Totally Baked Edibles. We were one of the first edibles on the market that actually featured potency results for the consumers and it was really appreciated.
Unfortunately after being raided in 2016, I basically just shifted gears and I said, ‘You know I’ve got a lot of knowledge. I understand we were using POS systems. We were going all these innovative things I could help others get to where I was before the raid happened.’ So I started reaching out to businesses and partnered with them for periods of time and would help them with their SOPs, help them how to get their displays up and running, production schedules.
So through my perseverance my dedication and my understand of the cannabis industry I’ve worked and I’ve driven progress and created opportunities not only for myself, but also for other people. And my journeys not only shaped me as a leader, but also as someone who’s been committed to the growth and success of this industry. I’m honored to be considered for this nomination and I do believe that my experience and commitment to the industry has made me a strong candidate.
What do you consider some of your greatest contributions to the cannabis community?
My number one is consumer education. I like bud tender training so I really helped people bridge the gap between the brands and consumer and would properly train bud tenders so they could confidently sell product along multiple brands and then making sure that consumers were making informed decisions in the recreational market. I think that’s gone out the window a little bit, but back in the day we had a lot more gusto behind that training, SOP and development for businesses. I’ve done probably eight or nine businesses where I’ve went in redeveloped their entire business as far as you know how they’re getting from point A to point B, handbooks, you name it and then also brand growth and market expansion. So you know I was able to take several different brands including our own Captain Kirk’s Edibles and expand it from a caregiver market into a recreational market and then lastly our innovation in edibles in a market that’s oversaturated with gummies. We’ve developed new innovative edibles that stand out and we’re hoping redefine the consumer experience.
What advice would you give another woman who aspires to be a leader in cannabis?
My advice to women aspiring to be a leader in cannabis is knowledge, confidence and resilience. The industry is ever evolving and while it does offer us incredible opportunities, it does come with challenges and especially for women we can bring real value to the table, building strong relationships always operate with integrity. The cannabis industry thrives on the connections we make and how you treat people I feel like really defines your reputation. Don’t be afraid to take up and space and advocate for yourself. You know we’ve got good ideas and they matter. And whether you’re training bud tenders, developing products, running your business, just trust your vision and always be willing to innovate. Most importantly we need to lift each other up. The more that we women support each other in this industry, the more our presence in this industry is felt.