SunDrift: The Future Has a Taste, and It’s Sweet.

After three magnificent days of networking, knowledge sharing, and lots of fun at Necker Island during the Principled Business Summit, we resume our conversations with business leaders who are making a difference in their sectors. Earlier this month, Laura Ferraz (Marketing Manager at Liberty Ventures) spoke with Jon Pollock, one of the three founders and CBO of SunDrift, a woman- and minority-owned craft edibles brand based in the Berkshires.

Want to know more about SunDrift's innovative candies? Stay with us until the end of this article!

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Laura (Liberty Ventures): Thank you so much for accepting our invitation, Jon. I must say that SunDrift caught my attention when I first read the names of the companies that became part of our community. To provide some context, a relative of mine has been exploring alternative medicines, such as cannabidiol, for treating a degenerative disease. Obtaining governmental approval for these treatments is quite challenging. I’m really glad that Massachusetts is at the forefront with SunDrift’s beneficial candies.

Jon (SunDrift): I'm so sorry that it's so hard to get access to it.

Laura (Liberty Ventures): That's okay. Thank you for what you're doing for this industry in the US.

Jon (SunDrift): You're welcome! I think there's, unfortunately, a lot of stigma but also great opportunities for delivering benefits. That's what we're trying to do.

Laura (Liberty Ventures): I agree. That said, I’d like to know what inspired SunDrift and how it reflects your values.

Jon (SunDrift): I'm one of the three founding members. Janine (COO) and Dave (CPO) couldn't join us today, but they asked me to join their venture in the fall of 2020. Dave had been creating recipes for these full-spectrum hard candy edibles that were very well received and had great taste. They were looking to launch first in the Massachusetts market with the plan to expand to other states and beyond. I was very excited to join them for several reasons. I was a believer, very interested in the space itself, and I saw this as an opportunity for edibles to be at the forefront of cannabis products.

For sustainability, we're trying to launch with minimal environmental impact, which is not always easy in the consumer packaged goods space. So originally, we launched with a glass jar, trying to avoid plastic; however, we've had to pivot from that just because of market reasons. But we're still looking for more sustainable ways to operate in our current market and new markets we enter.

Laura (Liberty Ventures): What sets your candies apart from other products in the edible cannabis market, and how did you decide on these particular flavors? SunDrift is now also offering edibles for people with sleeping issues, right?
Jon (SunDrift): Dave, our Chief Product Officer and co-founder, developed the original product, which is unique in the market. It gives us a lane where we can enter and fill an unmet need. Beyond being different, there are a couple of main benefits because we're trying to not just be a cannabis company but a candy company with benefits.  

As a hard candy, you get to savor the great taste for about five minutes in your mouth, versus a gummy which you eat in 10 seconds. Additionally, as you suck on it, the hard candy slowly dissolves under your tongue. This sublingual absorption creates a faster-acting and less spiky effect than what you might get from a typical distillate gummy.

We're trying to not just be a cannabis company but a candy company with benefits.

Jon Pollock, CBO.

Laura (Liberty Ventures): What kind of feedback did you receive from your customers? 

Jon (SunDrift): We've gotten some great feedback. You asked us about our sleep product, strawberry cream, and that's one we launched last summer. We're trying to derive benefits naturally from the plant cannabinoids, so there's no melatonin or anything added you wouldn't expect. We're using the relaxing properties of CBD together with the sedative properties of CBN, and low-dose THC that interact with both and help enhance their effects. And I must say, the flavor tastes delicious.

Laura (Liberty Ventures): Have you encountered any challenges in educating consumers and investors? 

Jon (SunDrift): That's a great question. It's definitely a challenge because when you have a different kind of product and a different value proposition - trying to help people understand how the product and candy work, how the benefits work - it can sometimes be harder amidst the clutter. Now, we'd love to amplify the brand message and consumer education. We think we can build this category up and then be the category leaders with the right support and messaging.

Laura (Liberty Ventures): What are the trends that you're seeing right now in this industry, besides edibles? Do you see anything coming in the short term?

Jon (SunDrift): Yeah, in the short term, I think it varies state by state, but in Massachusetts, for example, there's maybe too much focus on price and not enough focus on quality and product. We're trying to sort of toe that line of making sure we have a product that will minimize barriers to distribution. And then I'd say, just on a broader level in terms of trends, part of how we design this brand for SunDrift is to be a brand for consumers, and not just a cannabis brand. 

"Drift to Sleep"

One of SunDrift’s candies produced in Massachussets.

Laura (Liberty Ventures): Where do you produce your edibles?

Jon (SunDrift): All the production right now is happening in southwestern Massachusetts. We're trying to leverage that production as much as we can with SunDrift and other brands in Massachusetts and then expand the SunDrift brand to other states via licensing.

Laura (Liberty Ventures): Jon, thank you so much for finding time on your agenda to talk to us. On behalf of our team, I wish you all the best with SunDrift. I’m sure you, Janine, and Dave are making considerable progress in this market.

Jon (SunDrift): Thanks for having me, Laura!

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