Minnesota Cannabis Brand Introduces Affinity Network Where Anyone Can Be an Influencer
Minnesota-based cannabis company Crooked Beverage is celebrating the state’s first legal 4/20 — the cannabis-oriented celebration that takes place annually on April 20 — with new programs and expanded technology to drive awareness and education.
Ahead of its "Friends in High Places" 4/20 launch party, Crooked Beverage unveiled its forthcoming cross-brand marketplace and affinity network designed to enable small businesses to participate in the hemp-derived THC market with a low barrier to entry, and to mix with influencers, community leaders or anyone exploring the Minnesota market, according to a media release. (Low-potency products containing THC derived from industrial hemp rather than full-strength cannabis have been legal in Minnesota since 2022.)
Interestingly, the network will allow anyone to sign up as an influencer and will allow any legal product/producer/brand (even competitors) to list their products for sale. Influencers will have a dedicated page on HighMinnesota.com, where they can select the products they want to offer for sale to their network of friends and family.
Participating brands will be able to sign up to list their products in the marketplace. Crooked Beverage’s fulfillment network will manage the delivery to the consumer, while the influencer/referring party is also commissioned for the sale.
The company also launched a findCrooked.com tool that helps consumers find authorized retail locations that sell Crooked products near them. The company’s product assortment currently spans a slew of low-potency THC-infused canned tonic beverages as well as a growing line of clever Minnesota-themed apparel and accessories.
Once a new retailer is established in Minnesota, the system conducts an onboarding process. Merchants are provided a login to access required training modules, earn safety certifications and order point-of-sale items (e.g., decals, endcaps and coasters). Once the merchant has completed training and installed their POS items, they are automatically added to the findCrooked.com interface.
"It's another example of how we are able to support our retail partners and make it easier for our loyal customers to find our yummy drinks," Maddie Schenk, co-founder of Crooked, said in the release.
Crooked also offers a dedicated “Learn” page within its website to educate consumers on the benefits cannabis can have and insight on safe and legal consumption and sales in the state.
"Crooked is committed to the safe and legal sale and consumption of its products across the state,” Ryan Winkler, co-founder of Crooked, said in the release. “A healthy and thriving marketplace from hemp-derived THC means all participants need to focus on safety and a high-quality consumer experience. We launched our crookED training and certification platform to focus on safety and compliance, but we also want retailers to help educate consumers on these exciting new alternatives to alcohol.”
Additionally, Crooked released its spring/summer 2023 “Cannabis Mocktail Guide” (CMG), which is published twice a year and available virtually for free, to help its consumers and restaurant/bar partners explore new ways to enjoy the brand’s THC infused tonics. Crooked also encourages readers to submit their own recipes to be published in future CMG issues. The next issue is expected late summer and will feature a festive fall/winter collection.
Crooked Rewards was also recently introduced, enabling customers to earn points that are redeemable for purchases of the brand’s tonics/apparel or access to Crooked events.
Additionally, Crooked Beverage will also participate in the Dream Gala, supporting the Children's Cancer Research Fund, in Minneapolis on April 21.
While hemp-derived consumables have been legal in Minnesota since 2022, the future of legal high-potency recreational cannabis in the state has hit some headwinds as of late. A major rewrite to the bill was conducted in March to regulate the state’s already flourishing market of low-potency THC consumables, plus ongoing differences between the state’s House and Senate have also stalled the bill. However, there are some parameters pretty set in stone; it’s just a matter of solidifying the circumstances, the timeframe, and the business and tax structures.
One of Crooked’s co-founders has been part of cannabis legislation in Minnesota, and two others helped shape the cannabis landscape in California.