Jon Spadafora, President of Flower Union – Interview Series

There are a considerable number of cannabis consumers who prefer not to inhale smoke or vapor; this means edible producers are constantly creating new products and technologies to strengthen the quality of their existing products. One such brand that’s been revolutionizing every step of the edible production process, from the cannabis used within the edibles to the cooking machines used and even how much time before a consumer feels the effects of the edible, is the Colorado-based Flower Union. To understand its proprietary edible production process and why utilizing the whole cannabis flower is important in edible production, mycannabis.com had the pleasure of speaking with Jon Spadafora, President of Flower Union.

What first interested you in working in nightlife, and what skills/work ethics are most valuable when working in that glamorous but oftentimes overwhelming industry?

I was bartending at a club while in college and loved the pace and energy of the environment. You had to be focused and execute in a hectic environment and I found that to be strangely calming. After school, I was lucky enough to work with some of the best in hospitality at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City. I loved the process of creating order in chaos and rallying the team to deliver an exceptional experience every day. Experience is great, but I found that the most important skill to look for when building a team was to find someone who was passionate, energetic and smart. Hospitality skills can be learned, but finding people who were willing to put in the work to do it right was the key to a successful operation.

What positions did you hold when working in nightlife and what are some vital lessons you learned while working in that industry that could very easily be transferable to the cannabis industry?

I worked my through the ranks and held a variety of positions:

• Bartender
• Lead Bartender
• Shift Manager
• Beverage Manager
• General Manager
• Director of Nightlife
• Partner

The biggest thing I brought from hospitality to cannabis came from my interactions with some of the best spirits, wine and beer brands in the world. Since I didn’t have a background in product sales, we used my experience being on the receiving end of sales pitches, product launches and vendor support to build out our wholesale sales program. We were one of the first cannabis brands in the state to work diligently with our store partners to create programs that drove traffic and helped ensure product moved without relying on discounts.

I loved the pressure of creating a positive, memorable experience for the customer in a chaotic environment. As we built Veritas (and now Flower Union) I found that the ‘order in chaos’ analogy translates very well and is a key skill set. It’s an art form to provide structure and guardrails to an activity while maintaining an authentic connection to the process and product.

When serving as a partner in hospitality consulting firms in Las Vegas, what were some professional highlights and/or accomplishments you celebrated? Even with a vast and detailed professional experience in nightlife, was Vegas overwhelming to work in?

Vegas was like drinking from a firehose. There are so many great operators and venues and I learned early that you had to be on your A game each and every day. It was like playing the All-Star game every night—exhausting but exhilarating. It was an amazing experience to work with a huge group (we had more than 200 employees at the first large Vegas club I ran, LAX) to produce so many memorable events. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but these are some of the most memorable for me:

• Opening Hyde Las Vegas with the team from hospitality giant sbe, which at the time was one of the best combinations of raw energy and service in the world
• Hosting a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue launch party
• Concepting with my business partner and then working with the C-suite at Budweiser to open Beer Park Las Vegas. We were able to shut down the Strip and have the Clydesdales team open the bar.

Prior to serving as a partner for Veritas Fine Cannabis, did you have any concerns and/or reservations about working in a still relatively new and federally illegal industry?

My role at Veritas started while I was still running the hospitality consulting company. The environment in Colorado was very positive for cannabis and I didn’t put much thought into the downside of being involved with cannabis until I had to file my taxes. I wish I would have had a better understanding of how 280e crushes this industry then!

Because brand building and marketing operations were your specialties while employed with Veritas, how did you effectively make Veritas’ brands stand out among the very saturated Colorado cannabis industry?

We were fortunate that our garden was one of the first in the state to consistently produce very high quality product at volume. In the early days it was pretty easy—we just needed to show the purchasing manager the flower.

As the market became crowded, we worked to maintain product quality, but also invested heavily in ensuring we were connecting with the consumer beyond the moment they were buying cannabis. We worked with a bunch of amazing partners in categories ranging from outdoor sports to live music and art and always found a way to create an authentic connection with the audience. The key was that we were doing things we enjoyed, so we weren’t necessarily marketing to the audience as much as we were a part of the activity they loved.

During your nearly nine-year employment with Veritas, what were the most noticeable ways that the Colorado cannabis industry changed as a whole? Did consumer choices or regular cultivation facility operations drastically change the whole state’s industry?

For most of the time the only problem we faced was that there was never enough product to satisfy demand. We typically sold our entire menu before Monday was over. During COVID demand spiked, and at the same time LED technology allowed cultivators to significantly increase output. The result was a drastic oversupply that placed a premium on creating high quality product with a low cost of production. We had an educated consumer base who knew what they wanted, along with an oversupply of product and falling prices.

We also saw the consumer evolve during that time. With 10 years of rec sales behind us, we are now seeing a customer that is educated and understands what they want. I have enjoyed seeing a rise in the understanding of how important terpenes are to the experience and can’t wait for the day when we stop hearing customers ask about potency first.

How did you join the team at Flower Union and in your own words, what is Flower Union doing differently than other brands to memorably stand out among competing gummy brands?

I was very lucky to be introduced to the team at Azuca five years ago at a conference. I sampled an early version of a Pate du Fruit gummy that used the technology and was very impressed with what they had created.

Fast forward to 2024 and I was running a successful brand that had not made the necessary changes to keep production costs low enough to be competitive. I spent a lot of time reflecting on what I wanted to do next and kept coming back to a desire to put my experience in cannabis to use. When I showed the product to our investor, who prefers edibles so he doesn’t have to smoke, he was blown away by the uniqueness of the product and the fact that it delivered a high that was similar to smoking. From that point we went to work building a plan on how we would bring the product to market.

Flower Union’s gummy is different from every other product on the market for a few key reasons.

• We don’t use artificial flavors or colors. You are tasting the flavor of premium cannabis.
• We use premium flower with no trim or byproducts at all. In fact, we work with some of the best cultivators and are focused on highlighting the things that they are most excited about in their gardens.
• Due to Azuca’s water encapsulation, Flower Union gummies quickly provide a cerebral, combustion-like high.
• Our gummy is sessionable, meaning the high will end (similar to combustion). One of the biggest concerns we have heard about edibles is the unpredictable and never-ending high.

How does Flower Union use the whole cannabis flower in their products? And why do you feel that’s beneficial for the consumer?

Cannabis flower was the first product and in our opinion it remains the best expression of the plant. I enjoy a lot of live rosin and can really appreciate the complexity of terps found in live resin, but cured flower really shows the ability of the cultivator. It’s hard to hide any mistakes and it reminds me of countless times I have shared a joint or a bowl with friends.

We start with premium cured flower—the same exact product that is typically sold in jars to maintain the bud structure. We break it down very finely, making sure to remove any stem, seed or leaf that was left behind in the trim. It is ground very finely before being decarbed in a low temperature oven. I think the low tech nature of the product is part of what makes it so special. Every step, from the garden to the decarb, has to be done with care and the intention of maintaining the terps!

From your decade of experience in cannabis, how does the edibles market differ greatly from the flower and concentrates market? Does the smokeless product mean a larger possible customer base?

Traditionally the edible market has appealed to an audience that is new to cannabis, wants to avoid smoking or doesn’t want to go through the ritual of rolling a joint. The flower consumer is on the other side of the spectrum and is typically pretty well educated on cannabis, strains and the culture.

One of the things I love about this product is that it works for everyone. For the edible consumer, our gummy is the closest they can get to smoking a joint. They will get the flavor and an experience they can predict. For the more experienced consumer, it offers an opportunity to experience their favorite strains and terps in a different way. For a heavy consumer, one gummy is like sharing a bowl. Two is like having a bowl or small joint by yourself and 3-4 is like a 1 gram joint. I wish I would have had these gummies when I was attending my kids’ parent teacher conferences a few years ago.

How would a federal rescheduling of cannabis impact both Flower Union and the edibles market as a whole?

Wow, that’s a big question that literally nobody knows the answer to.

We have been speculating for years, and in my opinion it comes down to how they choose to regulate cannabis. Hopefully we end up being treated like alcohol as opposed to a prescription medication. Adults who understand the benefits and potential side effects should be allowed to consume cannabis in public, next to others who choose to drink.

Rescheduling is a disaster in my mind. It has tax benefits, and I promise that I want those as bad as anyone else, but it doesn’t do the plant justice. There are no Schedule 3 products that can be purchased without a prescription! This plant helps so many people and to limit its use to defined conditions is a huge mistake. We need cannabis to be DESCHEDULED, allowing adults who understand the risks and benefits to make a choice that is right for them. Cannabis allows me to focus, relax and sleep on a regular basis. We need to be regulated like alcohol!

Thank you for joining us, Jon! To stay up to date on Flower Union and its products, please visit its website.