Bliss Lab was started by a budtender who heard her customers
Keiko Sono worked at a CBD retail store and a wellness-focused dispensary, and listened to the stories of countless customers. As a long-time consumer of cannabis herself, she herself was in search of information for achieving intentional and balanced cannabis routines. She devoted herself to the study of the endocannabinoid system and cannabinoids, and shared what she learned with the customers.
A life-long artist, Keiko used cannabis for focus, creative inspiration, and fresh perspectives. But when stressed, she found herself using it more as an escape, sometimes a distraction from a daunting reality. It would then become an excuse to not see friends or make necessary contacts, creating a vicious circle.
Her experience in CBD and THC retail opened the door to the side of cannabis she never knew existed and the possibility she never dreamed possible. Thanks to her job, she has tried hundreds of products as well as many strains that she has grown herself. As a result, she has found a personalized protocol to optimize her endocannabinoid system (our body’s master regulator, a network of receptors cannabinoids like THC interact with), using a wide array of cannabinoids including THC and CBD.
She realized cannabis works best when used as a tool to enhance and support our own endocannabinoid system, rather than a stand alone drug or medication. And the endocannabinoid system is different for everyone. Each individual must pay attention to the body and find the right way to use cannabis.
But this is a tall order for most people. There is not much information. Wellness focused CBD is a tiny segment of the CBD hemp industry (most profits are made from THCA products), and their products are often expensive. Adult use dispensaries do not nomally carry CBD products and even medical dispensaries don’t sell low THC high CBD products, let alone no THC (broad spectrum) products.
And yet, Keiko saw a steady stream of customers, both at the CBD store and adult use dispensary, who sought low THC products with more CBD and minor cannabinoids. After guiding them to look online or grow their own, she decided to create her own brand. But it’s not the products that lead her brand, it’s the information sharing and advocacy that lead the way.
Keiko believes the cannabis/hemp industry is the most exciting place right now. It reminds her of the early internet days in the mid 90s. “There was an air of optimism, that this new industry could update our business system to a more fair, open, and decentralized version. Although the window may be closing fast, there is still the same feeling of shaping the course in a birthing industry in cannabis.”