True State

THC-infused lemonade squeezes into market as ballot push unbottles potential for 2M Missouri cannabis customers

Blending the classic and comforting flavor of lemonade with the benefits of marijuana is like mixing oil and water, said Michael Wilson. But Franklin’s Stash House persisted, spending the time and money to perfect the process behind its THC-infused lemonade, he said. “Our water soluble formula has been our biggest investment — and really the…

Ronald Rice, Franklin's Stash House

Crafted within hip hop culture, Black-owned KC cannabis brand hopes to reshape a flowering industry

It isn’t enough to be first, Ronald Rice said, announcing Franklin’s Stash House’s entry into Greenlight stores — a move that sees the Kansas City cannabis company become the first Black-owned brand sold at a dispensary in the state. “While this deal represents a big milestone in the evolution of Missouri’s cannabis industry, the legacy of…

Franklin’s Stash House rolls MO cannabis opportunity into KC-made hemp blunts

The timing is perfect for a cross-cultural cannabis company, Michael Wilson said Tuesday, announcing the 4/20 launch of Franklin’s Stash House, a hemp blunt maker headquartered near the Crossroads. “It’s a lifestyle brand that represents a segment of the culture that doesn’t get enough attention, trying to capture our creative energy in a cool form…

Rob Wilson and Michael Wilson, A-10

Budding family business: Serial cannabis entrepreneur pioneers microwave drying tech with his father

In Michael Wilson’s childhood, he recalled, the founder of multiple cannabis-related startups got into fights at school — then suspended — resulting in numerous car rides with his father as the elder Wilson ventured on sales trips. “From age 7 or 8, I had an education on how to do business, interact with people and…

Illustration by Elyssa Bezner

Shop small: Five clicks to KC-made creations you’ll likely only find online (not sold in stores)

Editor’s note: Startland News searched the web to find some of Kansas City’s rising products — sold largely online — as part of the newsroom’s five-part holiday gift guide that identifies locally made goods and supports the call to shop small. Click here to read the multi-day gift guide as it develops. When it comes to holiday…