Westleaf Staff
What's up Leafers? Welcome to the latest edition of Cannaabiz where we interview upcoming cannabis entrepreneurs. Today's guest is, Jon King of East Side Edibles in Charlotte, North Carolina. East Side Edibles is a North Carolina brand taking the edible game to the next level. Jon stopped by the studio recently to discuss his entrepreneurial journey and the brand's success. Check out the interview below!
Westleaf Staff: Hi Jon. Thanks for stopping by. Let's dive right into the interview. How did you become interested in the cannabis industry?
Jon: It was by chance! I was busy reaching for the upper echelons of the music industry when I met my business partner for East Side Edibles.
Westleaf Staff: Where did the inspiration for your product or service come from?
Jon: We were inspired to create pure, ultra-potent edibles as a response to the weak, substandard products that had flooded the market in late 2020.
Westleaf Staff: Describe the challenges that you faced while starting your business?
Jon: Perhaps the most daunting challenge to starting East Side Edibles was entering the cannabis industry without a mentor. My business partner and the East Side Edibles team and I had to navigate the hurdles of starting a viable business in the constantly evolving cannabis industry.
Westleaf Staff: Do you believe cannabis will become federally legal in the near future?
Jon: Even as we are witnessing the upvote in the U.S. House on the issue of federal legalization I feel we are still 3-5 years away from this landmark legislation.
Westleaf Staff: What is your flagship product?
Jon: Our flagship product when we started was a 1000mg brownie. The Lift Off Brownie was our first product and is still my personal favorite.
Westleaf Staff: Where do you see your company five years from now?
Jon: In 5 years it is my goal that East Side Edibles be nationally distributed and be available everywhere Coca-Cola is.
Westleaf Staff: Describe the most interesting story that you have as a cannabis entrepreneur.
Jon: Being in the cannabis industry there is the misconception that it is somehow "more chill" than other industries which is entirely false. It's called the cannabis business for a reason and once the novelty wears off it's just like any business-lots of work.
Westleaf Staff: What is your advice for future cannabis entrepreneurs?
Jon: My advice for people wanting to get into the cannabis industry is to seek out people already doing what you'd like to accomplish. In retrospect, the way we jumped into the cannabis industry and for it to have worked out as well as it has is a miracle.
More from East Side Edibles:
Website: https://eastsideedibles.shop/
Instagram: @eastsideediblesshop_clt
