Marijuana Business Magazine January 2019

Marijuana Business Magazine | January 2019 98 A s interest and investments in cannabis-infused beverages grow, one California manufac- turer is quickly carving out its niche— and expanding its market share. Christopher Schroeder and Clay- ton Coker, co-founders of Somatik, an Oakland-based maker of can- nabis-infused cold brew coffee and chocolate products, started their company in 2016. In just two years, they have: • Expanded Somatik’s shelf presence from five Bay Area dispensaries to more than 70 shops throughout the state. • Increased the production capacity of their beverages more than tenfold. • Relocated from a 200-square- foot manufacturing facility to a 3,000-square-foot commercial space. • Expanded Somatik’s product line to include chocolate-covered coffee beans and goji berries. Schroeder and Coker largely attribute their company’s growth to using double-distilled cannabis oil and nanoemulsions in Soma- tik’s infused beverages, sourcing high-quality wholesale ingredients from local partners and investing in and educating consumers about an ethical supply chain. “One of the primary things that sets us apart is our focus on elevating cannabis in the eyes of mainstream consumers by pairing it with connoisseur ingredients that consumers are already used to thinking about in terms of notes, flavors and terroir,” Schroeder said. Dial in the Formula Coker and Schroeder developed 48 different formulations for Somatik’s infused cold brew coffee. Science + Ethics By Joey Peña Business Strategies | Infused A California infused product maker relies on potent growth formula of science, local partnerships and an ethical supply chain to scale Somatik Sparks are chocolate-covered coffee beans. Courtesy Photo