Grower Stories #167: Dylan Raap

Tia Moskalenko, author of the AskGrowers blog, brings a unique blend of content to her readers. She is known for conducting insightful interviews with key figures in the cannabis industry, including brand representatives, manufacturers, and experts. In addition to her interview skills, Tia has a keen focus on CBD. She expertly curates product selections and reviews, offering her readers detailed insights into the various effects and benefits of CBD. Tia's ability to combine in-depth interviews with comprehensive CBD analysis makes her a valuable asset to the cannabis community, offering a well-rounded perspective on the industry.

Published

Sep 07 2022

Updated

Nov 16 2023

Interviews

660

7 min

Our chat with Dylan Raap, founder of Upstate Elevator Supply Co.

The AskGrowers team chats with Dylan Raap about his company, Upstate Elevator Supply Co. He talks about how the company was formed and what it stands for today. By advertising cannabis products as a lifestyle approach, Upstate Elevator has made a name for itself when it comes to producing innovative and high-quality products. Raap also sheds light on the company’s plan to go sustainable, his favorite strains to smoke, and some important tips for cannabis buyers, among a lot more.

My name is Dylan Raap and I’m the founder and CEO of Upstate Elevator Supply Co. I grew up in a gardening family and (poorly) cultivated my first cannabis plant at 16 in my parents’ backyard. That kicked off a lifelong love affair with growing cannabis.

Tia: How did you start the Upstate Elevator? Tell us your origin story!

Dylan: I opened a cannabis growing supplies store called Green State Gardener in 2015. We were the first retailer of CBD products in the state of VT. There was a point early on where 50% of our revenue in an unnecessarily large grow store came from 20 square feet of counter space devoted to this legal(ish) cannabis product. It became pretty obvious that starting a CBD brand might be worth a shot.

The grow store became a skunkworks that allowed me to breed new CBD seed lines onsite, tinker with emerging extraction technologies, and get direct market feedback on product development avenues. Being a first-mover allowed us to run downhill when it came to opening new wholesale accounts throughout New England, which in turn provided the capital to invest in an online storefront.

sustainability project

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

Dylan: On the product side, we zealously focus on quality and innovation. When it comes to marketing, we embrace a lifestyle approach rather than the health and wellness focus that most of our competitors have. On the customer service front, we prioritize customer retention over customer acquisition and we strive to educate while delivering a seamless purchasing experience.

Tia: What are the things you’re proud of when it comes to your brand story/products?

Dylan: I think we do a pretty decent job of bringing the core tenets of Vermont business to a wider audience – artisanal quality, sustainability, ecological entrepreneurship, northern pragmatism.

Tia: What do you do to maintain sustainability in the company? (How do you utilize the wastes? How much electricity do you spend on a daily basis? / Do you use IoT to reduce the spendings on sustainability? / Packaging issues / soil/ water etc?)

Dylan: Our biggest sustainability project over the next year will be moving to a regenerative style of field cultivation where we aim to have our hemp crops become a net negative carbon sink - meaning that they will measurably sequester more carbon than they release into the atmosphere.

optimal-dosage and delivery method

Tia: As a rule, CBD is consumed to minimize stress and relax. Does CBD work for everyday usage?

Dylan: It absolutely does for many people, but it’s also not the cure-everything panacea that some would lead you to believe. While isolated CBD is a decent entry point into the world of cannabis, it’s really the ensemble effect of many plant compounds (cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, etc.) working in symphony that tends to provide the greatest therapeutic benefit.

Tia: Many investors are starting to invest in cannabis brands because of its profitability and prospects. Do you need investments / would you accept investments?

Dylan: We’re sufficiently capitalized to support our present growth plan. Then again, it’s always better to raise from a position of strength than weakness.

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

Dylan: It starts with demanding full-panel testing from an ISO-certified testing lab for any cannabis-based product you are considering. At the manufacturing level, you want to look for products being made in a cGMP certified and FDA registered production facility using USDA-certified organic ingredients whenever possible.

Tia: What’s the number 1 thing people should know about CBD and hemp before buying it?

Dylan: Finding your optimal dosage and delivery method is really subjective and requires some tinkering but if you stick with it for a couple of weeks, you may find some interesting and unexpected benefits beyond whatever ailment you were aiming to address.

There’s an increasing wave of anecdotal evidence, not to mention peer-reviewed research, supporting the idea that the metered introduction of phytocannabinoids like CBD can help the body to regulate key systems and maintain homeostasis, which can lead to a range of perceived improvements in the quality of life.

Tia: Do you think the cannabis industry has become less biased based on race, gender, religion than other industries?

Dylan: I’d say the jury is still out on the bias but I do think that the cannabis industry has done a better job than most for shining a light on systemic inequality, given the very clear historical underpinnings of targeted injustice to minorities dating back to the time of William Randolph Hearst and herbal jazz cigarettes.

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

Dylan: I like to take our triple spectrum capsule in the morning, which is a 1:1:1 ratio of CBG:CBD:CBDA, to help with focus. I’ve been getting into pickleball lately and I find that our full spectrum muscle cream helps to reduce inflammation in my knees. At night, I reach for our Elevated Spectrum CBD + THC tincture to take the edge off and help me get to sleep.

Tia: Your top strains to smoke? Why?

Dylan: Usually something with equatorial roots that leans towards more electric than euphoric, with a healthy dollop of limonene or pinene. Mexican, Columbian, and Thai Sativas are typically my happy place.

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

Dylan: I’d get Salvador Dali, Miles Davis, and John Cleese in a room with a kilo of Nevil’s Haze and ask them to riff on the nature of creativity.

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

Dylan: I’d give a plug to the handful of international breeders that are working to preserve the dwindling genetic diversity of the cannabis gene pool by focusing on landrace accessions and heirloom breeding projects. Companies like Cannabiogen and The Real Seed Company should be supported for their stewardship of the plant.

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

Dylan: Yes. We recently internalized our affiliate program through the ShareASale network. We are always looking for well-aligned partners to join our affiliate and brand ambassador programs.

Tia: What’s the number 1 rule when you’re in the cannabis business?

Dylan: Adapt quickly and keep moving forward. The ability to shuck and jive with everchanging and sometimes conflicting labeling, marketing, and regulatory requirements is mission-critical and oddly entertaining.