About The Brand: Move over Mary Jane– here comes Ken Ahbus. Ken Ahbus makes apparel and accessories that allow cannabis consumers to express their love for the plant in sleek, fashionable ways.

Ken Ahbus Founder Sara took a moment to chat with Etain about the brand and their Necessity Pouch sold at all Etain medical cannabis legal dispensary locations in New York.

What’s the meaning behind the Ken Ahbus brand name?

High– and thank you Etain for having me! A few years ago, when I was trying to get into the cannabis industry, I attended a lot of trade shows and events. At one of these trade shows there must have been 30 companies named Mary Jane (something or a variation of Mary or Jane. It just seemed like a lot of Mary’s and I thought, why has no one personified cannabis in a male way. While I understand that the plant that produces the flowers we love is female, from a branding perspective I thought it was a cool idea. I sounded out the word marijuana to try to think of a male name but couldn’t make it work so I tried to make a male name from cannabis. Ken sounds like cann and Ahbus sounds like abis. And if we want to get nerdy I also tried to pick a 3 syllable name. Many successful companies named after men have 3 syllables– Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, etc. Ken Ahbus will hopefully join their ranks one day.

What made you decide to create the line and where is it produced?

I didn’t like the options of cannabis apparel & accessories that were presented to me. Drippy lettering? Cartoon characters? Rainbow tye-dye? Pot leaves? Green everything? Not for me. I wondered if others felt this way and sure enough there were. Initially, Ken Ahbus was 100% print on demand, in which an order would be routed to a printer who would print and ship on my behalf. This was great at first because it allowed me to experiment with designs quickly and cheaply but the biggest drawback was the variable quality of the printers. I’m proud to say that we’re done with print on demand and almost all of our printing is done with Spectrum Designs. Spectrum Designs is a nonprofit organization based in NY that trains and employs people on the Autism Spectrum. While profits are great and necessary for businesses to thrive, I believe in a triple bottom line approach. Profits, people, planet. If it’s not good for all 3 I won’t do it. I love working with Spectrum Designs because they hit all three buckets.

Since starting the brand, what’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a women-owned business?

The bit of advice I’d love to share with women in business is to get yourself a male counterpart. Seriously, create a male assistant or coworker and make him an email. It’s just a few dollars a month. I’ve learned that people respond to ‘Ken’ more than they respond to ‘Sara’. You may find that you get more replies, direct answers, or event encouragement when you are your male counterpart (this comes from all genders).

How do you think the Ken Ahbus’ Necessity Bag compliments Etain’s medical cannabis products?

Ken Ahbus and Etain belong together like peanut butter and jelly. Jokes aside, I’ve been wanting to work with Etain since I moved to New York. New York is a city of movement, and Etain’s products are designed with that in mind. Feeling sore? Pop a tincture. In a rush but need your medicine? Try their Motif vape. I also like that in a city of chaos, the dispensary itself is abundant in tranquility. That said, our Necessity Bag fits this movement lifestyle as it’s easy to grab and can fit all of your necessities. All you need to conquer your day is your phone, your keys, your wallet, and your weed.

How do you Take A Moment?

I get outside and take a walk. There is nature around us even in NYC and I find that it helps me a lot to refocus and destress. I’m right near Madison Square Park which has an amazing dog park that my dog loves. She gets to run around and I’m able to take a moment (and pet some dogs). It’s the best!

Shop Ken Ahbus at all Etain medical cannabis legal dispensary locations in New York