Native Veteran: Living Soil and Giving Back
Art Courtesy of Rebekah Jenks
Caleb Neal was one of the first fellow veterans that I met after moving to Oklahoma. Caleb is co-owner and head grower at Native Veteran, a licensed craft living soil grower in Oklahoma. Caleb co-owns Native with his Native American partners. Caleb’s warm welcome and invaluable assistance with my own home grow was greatly appreciated, and his friendship to me and other veterans has been an ongoing source of great meaning and support. In this interview, I’ll talk with Caleb about penny grams of flower and hash for veterans, Oklahoma’s volatile medical cannabis market, and the development of Native Veteran’s solventless lab.
F2 Day 36 Flower Windwalker | Credit: @NativeVeteranMJ
I first spoke with Caleb Neal for a Beard Bros Pharms interview two years ago. Since then, the Oklahoma cannabis market has seen significant change.
Oklahoma has over 6,500 growers and over 1,800 processors (as of June 2023). Oklahoma’s population is less than 4 million people, and roughly 355,000 of those are patients. While about 9 percent of the state are medical marijuana card holders, there is still intense market saturation.
A recent study claimed Oklahoma’s licensed producers are growing 64 grams for every 1 gram of demand (Mudd et al., An Empirical Assessment of Oklahoma’s Medical Marijuana Market 2023). While it is clear there is over supply, I was not impressed with the methodology of the study. Industry operators such as Caleb and others reject the study for a small sample size and other issues. Regardless, it is worth the challenge for many, including Caleb.
Read along with our interview to hear how Caleb is navigating in this austere environment.
Since our last interview, the Oklahoma cannabis market has experienced significant changes and witnessed the rise and fall of numerous businesses.
[Alex] :1. What motivates you to persevere in this industry, and how do you ensure that Native Veteran's flower stands out among the competition, commanding a higher price and earning its place on the shelves?
[Caleb]: Helping Veterans access, clean cannabis grown in a water only, living super soil mix. It is important that medical patients understand the implications of utilizing synthetic and systemic products. Even “organic” products such as soybean, corn, and other concentrated oils are carcinogenic.
Our two-man team focuses on quality over quantity, cutting zero corners getting the flower to market.
Native Veteran's commitment to cultivating quality cannabis is evident in the market.
[Alex] :2. Can you share some insights into the meticulous processes and practices that contribute to the exceptional characteristics and medicinal qualities of your flower? How does this attention to detail set Native Veteran apart from other cultivators?
[Caleb]: We don’t use any synthetically chelated or systemic solutions to the plant during its entire cycle. Trichome ripeness and preservation are key. We slow dry, hand trim buds off the stalks, and finish off with a 4-week glass cure in a “cure room” set at 65F. Moisture control, Gas Exchange, and Trichome preservation are factors most operations miss. Large scale manufacturing machines such as trim machines, buckers, etc., encourage trichome destruction and degradation before the flower has time to cure properly.
[Alex] :3. I've had the pleasure of experiencing the quality of Native Veteran's cannabis. That’s why I’m so excited to learn more about their solventless. Can you update us on the progress of your solventless lab? What inspired you to venture into hash, and what unique products can consumers expect from Native Veteran's solventless line?
[Caleb]: The processing lab is complete currently. We will have bubblehash rosin available July 2023 with another batch of topical salve to compliment.
We were inspired to venture into the solventless concentrate realm to help give patients more choice in the marketplace. Some companies use carcinogenic compounds such as pentane to make THC diamonds. Some states have outlawed its use due to safety concerns, but Oklahoma's legislators and regulators are clueless about those issues. They are too busy listening to police and lobbyists about market regulations. They do not take input from legal marketplace operations to help the market.
@NativeVeteranMJ Solventless
Bubblehash, Bubblehash Rosin, Flower Rosin, Topicals, will be available this year, 2023.
Native Veteran's mission has always centered around supporting veterans and providing them with access to clean, consistent, and high-grade medicinal cannabis.
[Alex] :4. In the past two years, have there been any significant advancements or initiatives in Oklahoma or beyond that have improved veterans' access to cannabis as a treatment option? How does Native Veteran continue to champion this cause and raise awareness about the potential benefits of cannabis for veterans?
[Caleb]: Not that I am aware of. As a veteran business owner and operator, the state legislature has done nothing but make my life more difficult. Flip flopping regulations, ignoring the market's request for open dialogue in favor of lobbyist opinions, raising fees, requiring additional permits with backlogs of more than a year, etc.
We need open and honest dialogue about the plant. It is not my fault that smoking a plant is the only thing that helps me function normally with my PTSD. Prejudice, opinions, nor social norms should dictate access or policy. Only science regarding the endocannabinoid system and compounds in the plant should be the basis.
It makes it apparent who is here for money, power, and control of a market over patient access.
Native Veteran's reputation for quality has not only resonated with the local market but is popular at high quality dispensaries statewide.
[Alex] :5. Are there any plans to expand Native Veteran's reach and make your products available to a wider audience? How do you maintain the same level of excellence and consistency as you scale up your operations?
[Caleb]: We are always open to being available in new shops. Patients just need to tell their favorite dispensaries to reach out on IG, FB, or email. All contact info will be included below.
@nativeveteranmj
FB: Native Veteran
[Alex] :6. As the cannabis industry continues to evolve, new trends, regulations, and consumer demands emerge, how do you stay ahead of the curve and adapt to these changes while maintaining your commitment to quality? In what ways does innovation drive the growth and success of Native Veteran?
Windwalker by @NativeVeteranMJ
[Caleb]: Focus on product quality, consistency between batches, and patient relations. The experience doesn’t end when the sale is made. Patients know they can reach out and ask questions, interact with posts, and have a relationship with the farm. Other states' regulations make it difficult to do that.
In a saturated market, do not follow the herd. Everyone is growing the same strains, with the same nutrients, with the same lights, with the same IPM, with the same trim machines, with the same turkey bags, etc.
Advertisers and merchandisers are getting rich while the patients are getting fleeced out of diversified cannabinoid and terpene profiles.
[Alex] :7. You have navigated the industry as a veteran, patient, cannabis activist, and licensed operator. What are some valuable lessons you've learned along your journey? What advice would you give to aspiring cultivators or individuals looking to enter the cannabis space?
[Caleb]: Consistency is key, Attention to detail is crucial, and momentum is difficult to stop.
Start growing plants at home. Experiment with different living soil recipes, strains, and cannabinoid/terpene expressions that can be brought out. Uniqueness and diversity are the ways to dominate a market flooded with stale, dry, harsh, cardboard terps.
Native Veteran is still here. Many companies have gone out of business in the past few years.
[Alex] :8. What are your aspirations and goals for Native Veteran? How do you envision the company's future, both in terms of cultivation practices and the impact you hope to have on the veteran community?
Windwalker by @NativeVeteranMJ
[Caleb]: To remain a patient choice cultivator and processor for years to come. Our expansion came online this year, and the future is looking bright. We plan to keep up the same quality and consistency patients have come to depend on, while expanding the penny gram program to our processing side.
Starting mid 2023, select dispensaries across the state will have access to penny grams of rosin, bubblehash, or hash rosin. Veterans in need will be able to grab a gram of concentrate, per month, to help with their monthly budgeting needs.
We are one of the smaller operations in the state, hoping our penny grams of flower and concentrate influence the larger market trends to do the same. So far, it has been quiet.
Here’s one for readers and supporters who want to get involved and show their support.
[Alex] :9. Are there any upcoming events, promotions, or collaborations they should be aware of? How can they contribute to the continued success of Native Veteran and the mission to support veterans through cannabis?
[Caleb]: The best way currently to contribute is to ask dispensaries to carry our products, give us honest reviews, and interact with us on social media.
We plan to have our merch available for sale later this year on our website.
[Alex] :10. You have the floor. Is there anything you want to add or leave the readers with?
[Caleb]: If you cannot talk to the grower of the brand you are buying the flower from, you will never truly know what is in or your own flower. It is important every patient tries to cultivate their own, focusing on methods that are beneficial to the earth. Synthetics and systemics can disrupt biomes via runoff. Living soil systems can be tailored to avoid those problems.
Thank you, Caleb. Your unwavering dedication to quality and your commitment to helping veterans have been an inspiration to many. I know it inspires me and I am always grateful for your friendship and the medicine you supply Oklahomans with. We eagerly anticipate the future of Native Veteran and the positive influence it will undoubtedly have on the cannabis industry and the veteran community! I know I am ready for the bubble hash and more…
Resources:
Battle Brothers Foundation
https://battlebrothersfoundation.org/
Veterans Crisis Line:
Call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1
https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help/hotline
White House VA Hotline: 1-855-948-2311.
https://www.va.gov/ve/whvahotline.asp
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Hours: Available 24 hours. Languages: English, Spanish.
800-273-8255
