Founder Q&A - Mike Colich

What inspired you to venture into the cannabis industry, and how has your journey been so far? Additionally, what motivated you to launch North Canna Co.?

Mike: I’ve been a fan of cannabis for a long time along with the use of natural remedies versus pharmaceuticals, so when CBD topicals and tinctures first started hitting the scene I was intrigued by the new category. It wasn’t long after that that long time childhood friend, Brandon Savela, and I came up with the idea to put it into a drink. Albeit there were already a few brands doing that at the time (Vybes, Recess, Wyld), but the competition was nothing like what’s in the market now. The saying ignorance is bliss couldn’t be more appropriate to describe us in the early days of this journey because neither Brandon nor I had any background in the beverage space, and that greenness has cost us more money, time and grey hairs than I’d like to admit. Although, even with all the pitfalls, we’ve been able to turn a true nights and weekend side hustle into our full time jobs that we support our families with and now love going into “work” everyday.

From your perspective, how crucial is branding and storytelling for cannabis brands, especially in today's saturated market? What are you doing at North Canna Co. from a storytelling standpoint that is working?

Mike: Branding and storytelling is obviously important for any company, but I think even more so for brands in such new and exploding categories. Being that we started out with a CBD only seltzer and had no idea that the market would shift so quickly to THC seltzers, our branding and storytelling has definitely evolved and in some sense is still evolving. That said, we try to keep things as simple as possible, including our mission and values. We’re both from MN and have always enjoyed being outside doing “northy” things, along with have had health and wellness as a top priority from the beginning (hence the zero calorie beverages).

Where do you see the cannabis industry heading in the next 5 years, particularly in the beverage sector? The AP just released that the DEA is planning to reschedule cannabis, how will this impact North Canna and what are the implications from the hemp side of things?

Mike: Cannabis legalization as a whole is tricky and convoluted, but I think and hope that we’re starting to see the trend of bigger, national chains taking on the cannabev sector of cannabis, i.e., Total Wine, and expect others to open up to carrying these types of products in coming months. We currently only sell and plan to continue to only sell beverages and gummies, and honestly don’t really care if the cannabinoids come from the hemp or MJ plant. Right now we don’t have any desires to get into any other formats of cannabis, but our hopes are that as laws change that society can gain more access to the plant(s) while we are able to continue offering our product portfolio.

What piece of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs looking at the cannabis beverage industry and wanting to dive in?

Mike: Advice to a new entrepreneur looking to get into the cannabev category is tricky. You’re definitely going to need some cash, and would highly advise to find someone or something to act as a mentor and help guide you. The internet can be a great tool to figuring stuff out, but when dealing with products that people consume and put in their bodies, you have to be 110% dialed in on all aspects or you can very quickly find yourself in some troubling situations.

Outside of your professional life, how has cannabis influenced your personal experiences or perspectives? And outside of North Canna – what brand(s) do you enjoy?

Mike: My wife and I used to have a glass of wine after work a couple of times per week and still enjoy a little bit of alcohol from time to time, but now we mostly either have one of our beverages or gummies instead and feel that swap has definitely helped our overall health. Being in this position and industry has opened up so many new friendships and connections. There’s a ton of good-hearted people in the category, and it’s been fun to grow with them and get to know them better. I also gotta give the HBA a shoutout for now being the central hub for all of us in the hemp beverage world, and can’t wait to see where 2024 summer leads us. I’m a fan of any brand that has good people behind it and that makes a quality product. Some of my favorites are Cantrip, Cycling Frog, and Happi. There’s tons more but those are a few that have great beverages and that we’ve been able to vibe with at various trade shows and events.

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