Grower Stories #120: Cindy Ortiz

Bloom Wellness Hopes to Become a Leader in High-Quality Cannabis Products

The AskGrowers team chats with the founder of Bloom Wellness, Cindy Ortiz, as she talks about her personal past experience with cannabis as a patient of breast cancer. She talks about how the company came about as a result and how it is working towards becoming a sustainable and community-driven brand. She also sheds light on the hardships the business has faced being a Latina woman-owned venture and provides insight into how other Latina women should go about starting their own companies in this space. #growerstories

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Tia (AskGrowers) : What inspired you to get into the cannabis industry?

Cindy Ortiz : In 2016, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. After struggling with pain, nausea, and lack of appetite, etc., a fellow patient introduced me to the Medical Marijuana program. It was then that I was able to live a more normal life. People always remind me about how well I handled chemo - Not really, but the marijuana sure made it a lot easier.

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Tia : How did you start Bloom Wellness? Tell us your origin story!

Cindy : As I became more familiar with the New Jersey Medical Marijuana program and learned all the medicinal benefits of cannabis, the thought of opening a dispensary started to set in. At the time, we had a friend who lived in California and on a trip back home he was explaining the cannabis culture out West and his desire to bring it to the East Coast. We brought in his brother and Will, Matthew, and I became Bloom Wellness.

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Tia : We commend you for being a Latina women-owned business. Has this presented more challenges along the way?

Cindy : It has presented a number of challenges. Obviously, the lack of funding is an issue, more so in the cannabis industry. There have been times when we have taken meetings where discussions and questions were directed at my partners. There is also the personal stigma of being a woman, mother, and Latina trying to make it in the cannabis industry - practically unheard of!

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Tia : What advice would you give Latina women looking to enter the Industry?

Cindy : I would say to vet anyone offering their services very carefully. Take the time and do some research, ask for references. There are a lot of people out there looking to make a buck but won’t deliver. More so if they see a Latin woman, and stereotypes kick in.

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Tia : Are you involved in any female empowerment or mentor programs?

Cindy : I have worked with Women Grow in the past. There are also a few women-owned companies such as My Jane that offer seminars on cannabis and the business end of it. I also have found mentors in the powerful women I have met along the way, such as Teri Branella, who is the mayor of the town that gave us the town approval required to apply for a license, and Senator Nilsa Cruz-Perez, a Puerto Rican Senator who has supported me and given me advice throughout this whole process. And my lovely, self-made interior designer Bridget McMullin of McMullin Designs who worked tirelessly to put our vision into a design meeting the state requirements.

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Tia : Tell us about “the Initiative”, the first-ever cannabis accelerator program for female founders, how did it get started?

Cindy : The Initiative’s an accelerator program, business boot camp, and funding resource for female-founded cannabis businesses. It was started by Amy Margolis in Oregon and provides resources for women to obtain funding, hosting networking events along with educating on Social Equity.

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Tia : How can we improve Social Equity in the Industry?

Cindy : For starters, if approved for a license, I would employ a diverse team. I would award equity to employees. We would hire those impacted by the war on drugs - not just the people who have done time for cannabis charges but their children and spouses as well.

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Tia : How do you foster sustainability?

Cindy : Our hope is to be able to give back to the community through our non-profit organization, Bloom Community Wellness. We want to help the small town of our potential location by funding food banks, community clean-up projects, and donation collections. Above all, educating the community on cannabis and trying to end the stigma.

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Tia : Next month is Hispanic Heritage Month. Are you planning any special initiatives?

Cindy : I will be on a Social Equity panel at NJ Cannabis Insider Fall Conference on September 23 in Carteret, NJ. https://njcannabisinsider.nj.com/wp/conferences/

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Tia : How do you think your brand is different from the wide range of others similar to yours?

Cindy : My brand is education and comfort-driven. Comfort in the sense that I want everyone to feel at ease in our space, trust in any potential products, and that is driven by education and burning the stigma so that women and the elderly can experience the benefits of cannabis.

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Tia : Why do you think CBD is getting more and more popular moving forward?

Cindy : CBD is getting more popular because it’s legal and it does not have psychoactive effects. For many, this is a great way to get most of the benefits of the cannabis plant without getting high.

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Tia : In your professional opinion, how do you think the customer can be sure he’s getting the toxic-free product?

Cindy : A customer should always check to see if the product they are purchasing has a Certificate of Analysis. These analyses give you the percentage of CBD in each product, the amount of THC (under .03% is the legal limit for CBD), and, of course, pesticides. You may pay a little more but make sure your product is clean and there is proof that what is in it is what is on the label.

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Tia : Where should the customer keep your CBD products to make them fresh and valid?

Cindy : I recommend a cool dry place, especially for gummies and jellies.

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Tia : What’s your personal consumption routine? What are the top three products that you’re using?

Cindy : I take CBD every morning. I’ll use a Sativa or a half CBD/THC vape as needed throughout the day and CBD at night with a THC tincture. I like Green Compass for CBD. They are Certified Organic, their bottles come with COA stickers, and they are an American company. For my medical marijuana products, I use Curaleaf’s AC/DC and slim vapes as well as their Mango or pineapple tincture.

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Tia : Your top strains to smoke? Why?

Cindy : I go for the AC/DC, Super Lemon Haze, and Blue Dream. There is some information out there that AC/DC and Super Lemon Haze are effective against cancer. Also, AC/DC is a CBD-dominant strain so it promotes the entourage effect. Blue Dream is for relaxing.

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Tia : If you could smoke with anyone in this world, dead or alive, who would that be and why?

Cindy : Jack Herer, for his knowledge and for inspiration to keep the movement he started going.

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Tia : Are there any cannabis brands in your state (or in the USA) you appreciate and follow? Name them.

Cindy : I follow Tribe Tokes, a great woman-owned CBD company, as well as My Jane and Foria.

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Tia : What industry would you choose to work in, if not the cannabis one? Why?

Cindy : The medical industry. I worked in the health insurance industry prior to my bout with cancer and I would like to make an impact on patient care, education, and quality. And I would always advocate for insurance coverage for medical marijuana patients.

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Tia : Do you work under any affiliate programs to spread your products?

Cindy : Our focus initially was a retail business. We are now exploring the cultivation side but are not licensed to produce any products YET.

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Thank you so much, Bloom Wellness team, for taking the time to do the interview. To learn more about them, head on over to their website.