When I hear people speak about all the amazing ways the cannabis industry can help advance the Black community, I look at Jade’s Elevation founder Danielle Buntyon as a real-life example of that optimism.
The Memphis born businesswoman turned her degree in agriculture and used it to create her company.
Specializing in everything from growing to consultation, Danielle is a pool of knowledge and experience ready to be tapped.
Recently, I had a chance to speak with Danielle about how she found herself in hemp, her daughter’s role in the business, what hemp can mean to the future of Black History and more.
CashColorCannabis: Who is Danielle Buntyon?
Danielle Buynton: I am from Memphis, TN I am a Mother first, A farmer who specializes in growing hemp, I am a processor and a manufacture . I’m a creative spirit who believes cannabis is a business beyond simply smoking a joint.
CashColorCannabis: Explain to us your background and what brought you into agriculture?
Danielle Buntyon: My background is very entrepreneurial and mixed with a touch of corporate life. I hold a Marketing Degree from The University of Memphis and a Graduate degree is Health and Human Performance. I’ve co-founded several business but this was the first one I’ve started all by myself. I got into agriculture really after learning to get into the cannabis industry I could grow hemp. My lawyers would say that smart because it can be shipped. Once I found that out I searched for schools that taught you about agribusiness. I found out and was very fortunate that Tennessee State University had a certificate program where the focused on being a new farmer, helping you get set-up and the focused on HEMP.
CashColorCannabis: How did Jade’s Elevation come to life?
Danielle Buntyon: It came from the intense love of my daughter and my intense love of cannabis.
CashColorCannabis: You mentioned that your daughter is not just the name of the company, but she’s
Danielle Buntyon: Actually part of it? What made you want to involve your daughter in the business? For tax purposes a working mother can pay their child up to $6000 per year if the child works for an LLC. ( I was thinking about her college fund and its more to it but this was the short version) I also saw she liked STEM projects so we spent the summer studying botany and working numbers for extraction projects. She is also my trimmer when we harvest our plants.
CashColorCannabis: And whats my best selling product?
Danielle Buntyon: The best moment to date was waking up to my face on the front page of our local newspaper. That was the best week of my life to date. My story also ran in Nashville. The worst moment was when I got robbed for money from a broker. (Yes its a lot of scams in the hemp industry) This also lead me to becoming vertically integrated. I know my product from start to finish.
CashColorCannabis: know consulting is growing to be a big part of Jade’s Elevation. What are some of the most frequently asked questions you get asked from clients?
Danielle Buntyon: Yes consulting becoming a huge part of my company. Some of the main questions I get are, How do they replicate my business model? How can they hire me to make their product? Do I work with them to develop their own unique product line?
CashColorCannabis: Jade’s Elevation have their own signature products? What are some of the products in the line?
Danielle Buntyon: Yes we do have our own line. We make everything in-house and are third party lab tested to insure quality and compliance. Our signature products are Dominate Energizing Tincture, Soothe Pain Rub, and Revive Bath Salts. We have new products that we will be releasing this year like our infused pre-rolls, Chill TFO -our new CBG tincture, Agent Green is our new massage rub which doubles as eczema cream to help with dry skin. and also our concentrate line.
CashColorCannabis: What is your favorite or do you have one
Danielle Buntyon: My favorite would be our new pre-rolls. I’m a smoker so my way of consuming my hemp is through inhalation. I love to get people who smoke weed to smoke a pre roll and see the difference.
CashColorCannabis: Farming is a back part of the Black experience in America. We’ve moved past this for the most part. Do you think Hemp going legal could be a big towards bringing Black people back into farming?
Danielle Buntyon: Yes and no, Yes because it shows many people of color a safer alternative then pushing illegal products but no because so many people are only looking at it in a small way and will miss out on a lot of advantages of being a farmer.
CashColorCannabis: February is Black History Month? What do these moments (taking restrictions off hemp, legalizing cannabis, decriminalization) mean for Black History?
Danielle Buntyon: As of right now it simply gives us the freedom to perfect our growing skills, find new products that can be made and also possibly lead to legalizing all of cannabis.