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GKUA
EXCLUSIVE!
GROWN LOCALLY, KNOWN NATIONALLY
WWW.THEOKLAHOMACHRONIC.COM
JUNE 2021
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GKUA
GROWN LOCALLY, KNOWN NATIONALLY by Chynna Pearson
GROWN LOCALLY, KNOWN NATIONALLY
A
has created his own cannabis brand. It's called GKUA and no, that doesn't mean Gas kinetic unified algorithm. I don't even know what gas kinetic unified algorithm even means or is used for. Google says GKUA doesn't seem to have a solid meaning (it is a made up acronym) other than it is meant to encompass “inspiration” rather than just getting high. There are some that have dove into Lil Wayne’s discography and tried to decipher the code but the consensus is only solid for GK (potentially. good kush). Other than that, it’s just a cool name that will soon be a household one. GKUA is soon to be available all over the United States
PHOTO BY: JOHN DORSEY - @THEHERBCHRONICLES
s many of you have probably heard, Lil Wayne
(and Alaska and Hawaii). Oklahoma is one of current states that grow GKUA locally and rely on already established grows to provide premium “rapper quality” cannabis. Here at Chronic Magazine we had the amazing opportunity to interview both GKUA’s management and their local Oklahoma grows. The Oklahoma grows entrusted to grow GKUA is called Kind Okie, Vertical Vibez, and Counter Culture Cannabis. Kind Okie is a cannabis farm that has a collective cannabis experience of over 50 years. Their motto is “Be Kind, Be Happy,” and that is exactly what they are and what they provide. They believe that cannabis can improve the quality of life for many people. Kind Okie makes things like house grown flowers, different concentrates, and vape pens. They represent many brands like Happy Okie, HIgh Dose Edibles, Amanda
Additionally, they have designed and built over three
32
million square feet of cannabis cultivation space. Kind
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Jane’s Edibles, 4SCORE, and more.
Okie takes pride in being one of the top growers in the state of Oklahoma and have been featured in national publications. Currently, the Kind Okie team has two farms, one concentrate lab, and one kitchen for edibles.
PHOTO BY: JOHN DORSEY - @THEHERBCHRONICLES
Chronic Magazine spoke to Daniel Gilbert, Kind Okie’s Marketing Manager and John Killian, Sales Manager about their involvement with GKUA and the GKUA Team.
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I asked Dan since he had been with the company from the beginning what it was like to be working with Lil Wayne's weed. Dan responded with, “It's been incredible. Working with Beau and everyone has been incredibly inspiring. Kind Okie as a company and all of our employees have been able to see the growth individually and holistically. I mean you can tell that Lil Wayne is where he is at because he is surrounded by people who know what they are doing and are completely on top of their brand. Even all the way down to putting the product... before putting the flower in the jar it has to meet intangible requirements such as smell and look and things like that.”
Dan continued,
“For most big companies whatever is on the paper is good enough like ‘’Let’s make it easy,’ but we have to reach such high standards with GKUA for the flower to even be in those jars. Also, everything we have learned as far as marketing and all that it’s truly been incredible.”
It may be incredible to work with Lil Wayne (adjacently) but all I could think about was how much pressure a company would be under to provide quality flowers with intangible regulations. Dan explained that it 100% is full of pressure, “Heck yeah, it’s Lil Wayne’s weed!” John Killian added that, “Everybody that we are working with has a high level of professionalism and have been very successful at what they do. So yeah, to his end, Lil Wayne knows what he is doing. He has made an incredible career off what he has done. And he has done so with a level of exception that I have never seen. You cannot succeed that well without putting in the effort and the time. To be around as long as he has, to have influenced as much as he has, he is on the top of his game and his marketing team is the same way. So I can understand Dan’s point, we want to be on that level of greatness we want to meet that expectation. It means we have to be at the top of our game. We constantly have to practice, stay focused, and it is a learning process.” For both Dan and John, curating GKUA is more than just growing weed, it is a chance to be educated, as well as provide a superior product to people all over Oklahoma that is consistent with other states and jurisdictions. I promise it is
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much harder than it sounds, have you ever had to match smells? Because Kind Okie is based in Oklahoma, they have made it a point to be a sustainable company. In fact, that is exactly what brought GKUA to their door.
PHOTO BY: JOHN DORSEY - @THEHERBCHRONICLES
GKUA traveled to over a dozen different
Dan added, “When I am out in the community and have conversations
cannabis companies and they ended up
with non-consumers, let's say at the dog park, I find that they are very
choosing Kind Okie. This wasn’t just a walk
cannabis-friendly and are here for it. I can't tell you how many times I've
through either, Kind Okie sent GKUA a list of all
met someone who had the case for cannabis but does not use it. I myself
equipment and all the SOP’s (standard
and the company have been very welcomed by the community around us.”
operating procedures). Once they chose Kind Okie, a team was sent down to assist in the grow to help them produce the quality of weed
As strange as it might have been, the community around cannabis has
we all expect from GKUA.
been infiltrating the non-consumers. There are much less people who are willing to condemn cannabis as there are many proven benefits to using it. Kind Okie Is the only grow or in Oklahoma that is authorized
mind. When asked about their community
to grow GKUA. I can only imagine what an honor it would be to be
outreach and involvement, John had this to
entrusted with something as special as that. Earlier Dan mentioned
say,
Beau, that means Kind Okie works so closely with GKUA they know the
“Our end goal is a quality product for our customers. We do want marijuana to be affordable, sustainable, and available to everyone who needs it. We need and welcome legislation and control.”
GKUA President by his first name! When Chronic Magazine spoke to people from GKUA’s Team, we spoke with Beau Golob, President of GKUA and Baqi Kopelman, Creative Director.
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Kind Okie is a company with community in
Just to refresh any memory, GKUA is Lil Wayne’s brain child. The brand is so popular that they even have a “Weezy Weed Finder” on the website that will tell you the closest store near you that carries GKUA. Currently the brand only has flower and vape pens, one distillate and one live resin. Beau is an uber polite man and was thrilled to ask any questions. It seemed like GKUA was just as precious to him and it was to Lil Wayne. As for Baqi, he had the same vibe just with more umph as he is the creative director and what we see is mostly him.
PHOTO BY: JOHN DORSEY - @THEHERBCHRONICLES
As GKUA is gaining intense popularity it is spreading even faster. As of right now GKUA is available for purchase in four states including Oklahoma, California, Michigan, and Colorado (and they did this during COVID-19, a struggle in and of itself). Beau mentioned at the start of our conversation that,
“We appreciate you guys giving us so much love in the Oklahoma market. We're really passionate about the brand and everything that we're doing and we're excited to be working in Oklahoma. We are in hundreds of dispensaries and working with some of the local manufacturers and have featured awesome menus. We just really appreciate all the love.” And boy, we do love GKUA.
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We're in California, Michigan, new in Oklahoma and are in Colorado. We're getting ready to launch in Nevada and we plan on bringing on other recreational states this year in order to grow the number of dispensaries that our crew of products can be found in. In addition, we're also opening our first retail store in Michigan this fall. Our collaboration with one of the top dispensaries in Michigan is opening a GKUA brand store.” Beau continued, “In retail stores all around the country the way
Since GKUA is moving to states so quickly, I figured
that we promote our brand is very different than any celebrity
they had to have something else up their sleeve
brand out there. We're doing it through music. and you know
other than expansion. Beau explained that “We
having Lil Wayne as a partner and being part of this helps. He's
launched the company prior to COVID-19. We started
promoting GKUA through these live events that we're going to be
in California and we've been lucky enough to expand
having as well as streaming events. Our first live event is going to
into five markets.
be in California on August 13th we're going to also be streaming that concert worldwide.
It'll be the first of many of
You’ll be seeing me at the
these events which we're going
Torch at the LA Memorial
to be taking to all the markets
Coliseum. We are using a newly
that were in. In Oklahoma right
multimillion-dollar renovated
now, if you buy a GKUA product
space for outdoor Music Festival
you will receive a free VIP pass
events that is at the Coliseum
to tune in virtually to watch his
property. But, it's not inside, it's
performance. The customers
not a sit-down inside kind of a
that are buying the GKUA
place. Also, our virtual VIP passes
product can tune in to see Lil
give you greater virtual access to
Wayne, Young Money and
elements of the show beyond the
friends, live so there's a lot of
general virtual glasses that will be
great things happening.”
available for sale.”
Baqi had to jump in and add
Promoting a brand through
specifics for those who want to
music is extremely unique and
watch the virtual concert.
interesting.
Soon, GKUA will be
virtual concert for sure,
offering edibles so non-
dancing and rapping virtually, I
combustion based consumers
hope to see y'all there too!
can enjoy the product as well. Beau says, “It is something we
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“Uproar is going to be at the
According to Beau, in
are definitely working
Oklahoma they were speaking
towards.” Beau also mentioned
with Kind Okie about how the
that their plans for a CBD line
brand has become so strong. So
had halted due to COVID-19
strong it seems they are rising
but they do plan on picking
in all categories. Due to this,
back up when the time is right.
GKUA thinks that there is an
The CBD line would be
untapped market of non-
available online so the entire
smoking cannabis consumers
nation can have access to it. (It
that would like to try GKUA in a
seems unfair but THC is still
way that makes them
federally illegal while CBD
comfortable.
isn’t. Still lame, though.)
In addition to adding to their product line, they might be introducing something new in the very near future. To give y’all a hint, remember when the first pens came out? How it had Lil Wayne’s signature on it and it was black? Ok, cool. Now, do you remember how Young Money is supposed to help promote GKUA? Yeah... think about it. Different colors, different artists, more exclusive vape pens. There is something super cool in store! (Thanks for the tip, Baqi!) Lastly, the goals GKUA has are to inspire artists and show average consumers that “rapper quality” Weed isn’t unavailable to them. For many people, the idea of luxury and marijuana don’t exactly go hand-in-hand. Marijuana is not typically considered a luxury item (especially some of the first marijuana offered when legalization happened). For marijuana to be considered luxury it is typically considered to be either extremely expensive or of impressive quality. Unfortunately, those are not often hand-in-hand either. With GKUA, the average person can purchase a luxury item at a fraction of the cost. Having the product be available and easily accessible is something that Baqi mentioned was necessary to the company. It is important to realize that celebrity cannabis brands often have their prices hiked way up or they simply do not make the user feel the way
GKUA is available in a dispensary near you! Check “Weezy Weed Finder” and you’ll be inspired and feeling like an artist in no time!
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the box promised.