CHECK IT OUT
‘Check Yourself’ a first-of-its-kind cannabis collaboration to
support breast cancer awareness
How does candy combat cancer? Where do gummies support boobies? In California’s compliant cannabis industry, that’s where. This month, Kiva Confections announced it has launched a new Lost Farm Live Resin Passionfruit Gummy to support Keep A Breast, a nonprofit devoted to helping young people make monthly self-checks the norm. Airfield Supply Co., the largest single-site dispensary in California, has rallied five other cannabis retailers to sell the gummy across the state with an ultimate goal of raising $20,000.
Because It’s Personal
Airfield Supply Co. Chief Marketing Officer Chris Lane initially reached out to Kiva to support breast cancer awareness because it’s personal. His mother-in-law is, fortunately, a survivor and his wife is determined to be one, too.
Born with the genetic marker that indicates breast cancer, this 30-something mother of two has made the difficult choice to have a choice. She’ll undergo a radical double mastectomy in the coming year so that breast cancer won’t get to call the shots in her life. She will.
Lane says, “As someone whose immediate family has been marked by breast cancer, it’s important to me to underscore that breast cancer isn’t just an issue in October when it is traditionally highlighted. Affecting men as well as women, breast cancer is a human issue that impacts us all every single day of the year. We’re excited to begin the New Year by setting a focus in 2021 around long-term personal wellness and shining a light on the importance of consistent self-care in preventing this disease while helping to raise funds for this truly inspiring nonprofit.”
Philanthropy + Cannabis
There are less than 700 legal cannabis dispensaries in California, a state that could ably support 5,000 such retail outlets. Because their numbers are so exclusive, dispensaries wield an unusual amount of influence on the industry.
For a dispensary like Airfield to lead a charitable drive that does little to impact their bottom line speaks volumes to what is possible when philanthropy and cannabis come together. Never before have six disparate retailers combined their power to support a nonprofit.
“Creating a small-run, limited-edition edible is not something we take lightly at Kiva, where research and development can be time-consuming. The passion that Airfield has for this cause was simply contagious, and it quickly became clear that we had to be involved. Our team is incredibly proud of the Passionfruit gummy that resulted from this collaboration, but we are even more proud to support Keep A Breast’s important, life-saving mission,” says Adam Grablick, COO at KIVA Confections. In addition to the Lost Farm gummy development, Kiva has also committed to giving $10,000 to the nonprofit.
In addition to Airfield Supply Co. (San Jose), look for the Lost Farms Live Resin Passionfruit Gummy at other leading dispensaries throughout the state, including The Apothecarium (San Francisco), Jayden’s Journey (Modesto), King’s Crew (Long Beach), March and Ash (San Diego), Solful (Sebastopol), and Sweet Flower (Los Angeles). Additionally, consumers will have the opportunity to support the work of Keep A Breast through point-of-sale donations at Airfield and Sweet Flower’s registers or online at CheckYourself.funraise.org.
Just the Facts
•. Forty percent of all breast cancers are first detected through a lump
• One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime
• Ninety percent of breast cancers occur in women with no family history
• The early detection survival rate over five years is 95%
• Ninety percent of all breast cancers may be caused by lifestyle and environmental factors
• Only 10,000 units of the Lost Farms Live Resin Passionfruit Gummy were produced
