When creating a company, you get two choices: to be of the industry or of the people. Companies of the industry only focus on dollars and the bottom line, while companies of the people focus on how they can impact the lives of their users/consumers. Since entering the cannabis industry, I’ve looked to highlight brands that focus on the latter. However, finding real ones that truly care about the mission and history of cannabis legalization beyond their bank accounts has proven to be a near-impossible task. Until now. Enter, LTRMN.
Junior Gonzalez pulls a shoebox of cannabis from a shelf at LTRMN to deliver to a dispensary in Portland, OR on August 8, 2018. LTRMN is a cannabis distributor in Portland that’s managed to promote and sustain the image of a lifestyle brand better than most companies in the industry thus far. (Samuel Wilson for Leafly)
At its core, LTRMN is a cannabis distribution company headquartered in Portland, Oregon that flips effects-based products backed by industry-leading support. They source flower and products, repackage them with the LTRMN brand, and distribute them everywhere. Their multiple brands include, amongst others, Sticks pre-rolls; Cabana pre-rolls; Bezel, their newly-released line of effects-based oil cartridges, as well as Beacoup, their forthcoming effects-based line of edibles. Drawing from what CEO Mike Reeves calls an athletic motif, LTRMN creatively delivers their products in shoe boxes, which is extremely representative of the company’s culture.
Kevin Stansell inspects cartridges newly released under the label Bezel, a brand of LTRMN, in Portland, OR on August 8, 2018. LTRMN is a cannabis distributor in Portland that’s managed to promote and sustain the image of a lifestyle brand better than most companies in the industry thus far. (Samuel Wilson for Leafly)
Every single product they sell is fire (I’ve personally field-tested), and in maintaining a high standard, they’ve been able to secure partnerships with the likes of high-profile brands like Viola, former NBA Player Al Harrington’s cannabis company.
Considering how small their company is (they started with seven employees, now they have 30 full-timers), big-time results this quickly are not to be overlooked. Through sheer head-down-focused-only-on-what-happens-between-our-own-walls grinding, LTRMN is putting themselves into position to be an absolute force in this industry; and while all of that is Gucci and gold, it has absolutely nothing to do with why this article exists.
Mike Reeves, CEO of LTRMN, kicks back during a meeting at the LTRMN office and warehouse in Portland, OR on August 8, 2018. (Samuel Wilson for Leafly)
This article exists because of who the people of LTRMN are and what their values, both personally and as an entire company, represent. Cannabis company that sells a variety of high quality products isn’t a unique story. However, cannabis company whose mission is to normalize cannabis by presenting an accurate depiction of all demographics that use the plant, is. If you haven’t seen LTRMN’s Instagram, do yourself a favor and take a peek at it. You’ll notice something that you don’t notice about many other brands in this industry: representation of true pop culture and the cannabis-inclusive lifestyle, as well as the inclusion and representation of people of color.
Christopher LoConti loads a delivery bag with shoeboxes full of cannabis flower at LTRMN in Portland, OR on August 8, 2018. (Samuel Wilson for Leafly)
It almost mirrors how Rihanna markets Fenty Beauty and you know, or can guess, how well that’s working. Of this, LTRMN Brand Manager Alex Veltri says, “9 out of 10 times we’re picking models that we’re friends with. Since the beginning LTMRN has been naturally inclusive. Our friends come from super diverse backgrounds. Before we were even in cannabis—it’s just who we are.”
It’s a beautiful truth that I’ve seen with my own two eyes. I’ve been to LTRMN, I know LTRMN, I’ve drank Corona-infused margaritas and eaten smothered burritos with LTRMN. They aren’t just a bunch of culture vultures who see an angle they can exploit. It’s because of this, that I say, in combination with their athletic motif and the box logo style of their newly-released merch line, LTRMN is sneakily on its way to becoming the Supreme of the cannabis industry, an invaluable position that big time players in this industry don’t even know exists.
Joe Bitters holds a cartridge by the newly released label Bezel, a brand of LTRMN, in Portland, OR on August 8, 2018.
(Samuel Wilson for Leafly)
The Green Rush is here, people. It’s here and it’s real. Day-by-day, state-by-state, more and more people are diving into the game, hoping for the huge payout that comes with being one of the first in a booming industry. And like every booming industry, everyone will get paid at first, but over time, the wells will dry, and the frauds will be exposed. And like always, the companies that stand the test of time will be the ones that are chosen by the people, the ones that truly represent the people. Don’t be surprised when the dust clears and you see LTRMN standing at the finish line.
Mike Reeves, CEO of LTRMN in Portland, OR, works at the LTRMN office on August 8, 2018.
(Samuel Wilson for Leafly)
So what’s next for LTRMN? According to CEO Mike Reeves, they are currently working on taking their first round of investment. In the process, he hopes to be able to pass off the logistics of LTRMN to another party, while shifting his focus to market share and the development/marketing/selling of brands. LTMRN isn’t just a cannabis distribution company anymore, they’re becoming a full-on brand house.
“I also want to get into some media” Reeves says. “At the end of the day, the goal is influence, and media’s the ultimate influence, so I’d like a big media presence, as well as a brand and product presence. I think that trifecta plays off each other and that’s where we’re going to get ahead. Especially with this team. So five years from now, I want to have a homebase here in Portland, I want to be knocking out effect-based products backed by industry-leading support, and I want to be expanding all over the world.”
