Grower Stories #95: Danielle Rosellison

Tia Moskalenko
Tia Moskalenko

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.

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Grower Stories #95: Danielle Rosellison

How to Grow Cannabis With Love: Our Chat With Danielle Rosellison of Trail Blazin'

In the interview with AskGrowers, Danielle Rosellion shares the story of Trail Blazin', how it all started with "a great idea," what makes the brand different from others that are similar, along with the predictions about the cannabis industry for the next decade. In addition, you'll get some top pieces of advice about the best products to chill and relax. #growerstories

Danielle Rosellison is the co-founder and CEO of Trail Blazin' Productions. She is a board member of The Cannabis Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to advancing a sustainable, ethical and vital cannabis industry. She spent three years as their first democratically elected president. When she's not working at Trail Blazin', she's trying to help shape intelligent cannabis policy through appropriate government channels.

On a local level, Danielle is a board member for the Association of WA Businesses, has been an Ambassador to the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce since 2015, and has written for various publications, including Marijuana Venture.

In her spare time (ha!), she loves to travel, read, ski (or snowboard), and see live music with her kids and her best friend and husband, Juddy.


Tia (AskGrowers) : Tell us how you started Trail Blazin'?

Danielle Rosellison : I was pregnant with my first child in 2009, and my husband came home with "a great idea." Our friend, who had grown our cannabis for years, was graduating, getting her master's degree, and going to work a government job.

She asked if we wanted the recipe.

We had our medical cards, so we said "sure"! Within 24 hours, my washer and dryer were moved out of my laundry room. There were four cannabis plants there. Those 4 plants turned into 15 plants, which turned into 30 plants, which turned into 30 plants at different houses, which turned into 60 plants at a warehouse. In 2012, after legal adult-use cannabis passed in WA State, my husband came home with another "great idea." And that is how Trail Blazin' was born.


Trail Blazin' founders picture
Tia : How does your brand differ from others similar to yours?

Danielle : Trail Blazin' is the socially responsible cannabis provider of consistent and reliable medical-grade products offering consumers viable alternatives to pharmaceuticals for people seeking physical and emotional relief because LIFE'S GETTING BETTER.

Out of more than 1500 licensed cannabis farms in WA, we are one of just a handful that certifies all our products as medical.

That means that instead of promising that we have clean cannabis, we can prove that we do through pesticide and heavy metal tests. We do not use any pesticides on our products and use an organic nutrient regime.

Cannabis is medicine first and foremost.

We're also really consistent. Every time you purchase something, you want to know what to expect. And this is especially important if you're purchasing something you're using for health and wellness. #ConsistencyIsKey

We're also proud to live the change we want to see in the world. Almost 100% of our upper management are minorities, women or people of color or both.

We hire people intending to help to end generational poverty and recognize and accept the extra work that means for us as executives.

Finally, there is our commitment to sustainability. We were one of the first cannabis farms globally to switch to 100% LED's, decreasing our energy consumption by more than 65% of traditional indoor grows. We created water reclamation systems that reuse 95% of our water. We reuse and reduce - sustainability is at the forefront of all the decisions we make.

"We do what is right, not what is easy. But over time… as you do what is right long enough, it becomes easy."


Tia : What's your best-selling product, and why do you think it is so?

Danielle : Our Amnesia is one of our top sellers.

Probably because it's the lowest yielding flower we have. #MurphysLaw After that, our GG4 takes the cake, as it has that traditional couch-lock that a lot of adult-use consumers are looking for, and if you consume more, you'll sleep like a baby.

That said, we have a line of capsules hitting the market, and I think they will blow our flower sales out of the market!


Trail Blazin' interview quote
Tia : What's the best weed out of your products to chill and relax?

Danielle : It depends on the person. Each of our bodies wants certain things. For example, each person tends towards different smells. I'm a peppermint or eucalyptus type of person.

My husband loves orange. My roommate loves lavender. So each of our bodies tends towards certain terpenes that match our body types. Cannabis is the same. The other question is, how often do you consume? As a working mom in her 40's the definition of "chill and relax" is VERY different than when I was in my 20's. Now, I want low THC, high CBD to take the edge off (Harlequin), but in my 20's I wanted to get high...REALLY high...so I would have preferred something like the Dutch-47 or Northern Lights.


Tia : Where should the consumer keep your weed to preserve it for longer-term use?

Danielle : The glass jar it comes in. In a cool, dark place, with +/-62% humidity.


Tia : Tell me more about your capsules. Why have you decided to move forward with them, and how do you make them?

Danielle : OMG. I'm so happy you asked! So, as adult-use became legal, people were excited to get high legally. And I get it. But there is this whole demographic of people who want to experience the medicinal effects and NOT be high. Or they want to lay off things they usually imbibe in to relax and try something more natural. An entire demographic is looking for this experience, and they happen to be my demographic. So I'm excited to make something that is tailor to people like me.

Everything we make is in-house, and the only ingredients are cannabis and coconut oil.


Tia : Are there any brands in your state you appreciate and follow? And in the USA in general?

Danielle : Heylo (100% women-owned), Skagit Organics (they make killer, clean RSO), Hollingsworth Company (African American owned, family-run, and super involved with creating good state policy).


Tia : What is your cannabis consumption routine? Does it affect your work/ life?

Danielle : I take a Harlequin capsule between 3-4 daily, and I can "feel" it by the time off work. When I say "feel" it, it just relaxes me a little bit. If it's a weekend, I'll take another once I get off work. Then I take a 9# Hammer or GG4 capsule before I go to bed.

It allows me to sleep for 8 hours without waking up or feeling groggy in the morning.


Trail Blazin' interview quote
Tia : Your top strains to smoke? Why?

Danielle : If I don't have any capsules, I'll dry flower vape Harlequin after work and 9# Hammer before bed. Why? The Harlequin is so that I'm a better mom and takes my family from right up close to an excellent arms-length distance. The 9# Hammer, to sleep.


Tia : What are the three main trends in the cannabis industry in 2021 for you now?

Danielle : At Trail Blazin', we don't follow trends. We set them. We have our mission, and we don't deviate, no matter what everyone else is doing. What trends do you see from others? Delta 8 and CBD. What is Trail Blazin' focused on? National legalization, how it will affect the industry, and how we can help as many good players to succeed (i.e., not get slaughtered) during this transition.


Tia : If you could have a chance to smoke with anyone on this planet, who'd that be and why?

Danielle : [tooltip title="14th Dalai Lama, known as Tenzin Gyatso" content="The spiritual leader of the Tibetan people."]The Dalai Lama[/tooltip] or [tooltip title="Esther and Jerry Hicks" content="Spouses and co-authors of Abraham-Hicks teachings."]Abraham Hicks[/tooltip]. I think the conversation would be illuminating.


Tia : Do you plan to expand your brand with time? If yes, what do you plan to add to your product line?

Danielle : We've got lots of ideas, but if I told you, we'd have to kill you.


Tia : What are your predictions on the cannabis industry for the next 5-10 years?

Danielle : My predictions go primarily toward global legalization and annihilation of most small cannabis companies that got us where we are today. If companies are ready, they will capitalize on the situation, but overall, we will lose many good people.

As an industry, I still dream that cannabis could be the first socially conscious industry in the United States.

Due to where we came from (pre-legalization), we could create guidelines that the entire industry values sustainability, their employees/community, and their shareholders. But that window is getting smaller and smaller.


You can follow Trail Blazin at:

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

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