This is the fourth in a series of articles about the ecology of cannabis growers. Michael Petrone, Marketing Manager at Aura Cannabis Company with stores in Fall River, Massachusetts, and Central Falls, shares some background about new flower products being developed and marketed. Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Lenny Brennan (Motif): What is your new line of product called?
Michael Petrone (MP): We have three lines of products. They are separated by test results, bag appeal, where it comes from on the plant, etc. Aura Gold is a top-tier flower of hand-trimmed top cola buds. This product is what we call a “high tester” for cannabinoids – -preferably into the 30% or greater total active cannabinoid (TAC) range. Generally individual buds weigh at least 2 grams. Aura Cannabis is what we consider an everyday flower of great quality at a fair price. Buds test in the 27-28% TAC range. Vibez is a value line of flower at a price anyone can afford. Buds will test at 26.9 % TAC or less.
LB: Why were they developed?
MP: Our Director of Cultivation is Jason Bates who has a long and storied history as a cultivator. He and his company, Mass Genetics, burst onto the cannabis scene in the mid-2010s and started racking up cannabis cup wins throughout the US, even in Jamaica! They bred the strain Strawnana among others. Jason partnered with our owners Mike and Steve Biszko about 5 years ago with a vision to produce small-batch cannabis of uncompromising quality. Jason set about developing the perfect lineup of complementary strains in terms of speciations, flavors, and effects. The majority of our strains are bred by Jason and Mass Genetics and are exclusive to us. For many of our strains, Jason started by breeding two dads, Hughy and Dank Daddy, through a series of pheno hunts and careful breeding. His goal was to create one dad that could lend sweet, fruity, and floral terpenes to his strains and another that could pass along dank, gassy characteristics. Once he’d bred the two he was looking for, he set about crossing them with whatever he thought would yield interesting results and continued chasing the lineages from there. What came out of that process is a truly unique collection of varied strains, each featuring a carefully curated profile of flavors, aromas, and effects. His motivation for all of this was just his love for cannabis and an inclination to express himself through the plant and share his work with others.
LB: How is it different from the rest of the product line at Aura? MP: Our flower is unique to us. There are some strains that you may find elsewhere, but the majority are only available through Aura. We’ve had our flower on our store shelves for a few months now and already the highly discerning consumers of Massachusetts’ South Coast have begun to take notice of our outstanding quality. If someone opens a bag of our flower across the room, you know it immediately. I’ve had multiple friends from throughout the industry tell me they smoked our flower with a friend and had to know where they got it.
LB: Are there multiple varieties within this new line of flower?
MP: Currently, we have about 20 strains on the market in our own store and in a growing number of other retailers in Massachusetts. Our lineup features a carefully curated assortment of indicas, sativas, and hybrids represented by a spectrum of flavors and effects offering something for every cannabis enthusiast.
LB: You mentioned that this is a “proprietary product”. That means exclusive to Aura, correct?
MP: Of the 20 or so strains we’re currently growing, 14 of them are Mass Genetics exclusives. While you can find whatever’s fresh at our store in Fall River – we usually have at least a dozen different strains available at any given time – we have also just begun selling our flower in the Massachusetts wholesale market. Even then, given our smaller size of about 7500 sq. ft. and our decision to prioritize quality over quantity, I don’t think you’ll ever find our flower in dozens of stores. I think we’ll always be a little bit of an exclusive brand.
LB: What else should Motif readers know about this new product?
MP: Along with our flower, we also offer a line of 1 gram (g) distillate vape carts through our Vibez brand. These carts are made using distillate from our strains. We also just launched our deli-style Harvest Bar in our Fall River store. The Harvest Bar features both Aura Cannabis brand flower which can be purchased in weights of 14 g and 28 g as well as Aura Gold flower which is priced by the gram, but we won’t break up the nugs. Either way, customers can select their preferred buds and watch as they’re weighed out in front of them. With the Aura Cannabis flower, it’s a great way to pick up a heavier weight of flower at a lower price than buying pre-packaged. With our Aura Gold, the idea is to pick up one gorgeous luxury nug to impress your friends or treat yourself with something a little nicer. We see customers coming in to buy their “regular” purchases of eighths and pre rolls but then adding on one nice nug to enjoy.
LB: Thank you so much for this crash course in plant science and business marketing, Mike! I really enjoyed a recent visit to Aura in Central Falls, and I look forward to visiting your store in Massachusetts. •
