Producing profoundly good concentrates that are promoted with fun, engaging branding is the telltale mark of having made it in the cannabis industry. But behind that forward-facing magic is another important component at play that needs to be considered: company culture. For 710 Labs, exceptional products and the best vibes go hand-in-hand.

“It’s important to us that we hire people that really want to be at 710 and know who we are and what we stand for,” said 710’s CEO and Founder Brad Melshenker. “I think that’s been our philosophy from the start; we want people that want to learn, want to grow with the company and want to be there and not just clock in for a paycheck. It takes time to build that culture and find those people.”

Coming into the company from humble beginnings, Melshenker was determined to do something with cannabis, even if he admittedly got off to a rocky start.

“I connected with cannabis at 16 years old and never looked back,” he explains. “Twenty-three years later, I still love this plant more and more each day. I sold my first eighth of what we called ‘Kind Bud’ when I was 16 years old, so that I could smoke for free. Fast-forward to 2005 when I moved out to LA to get into the fashion industry; that’s when I began to learn the ins and outs of the Prop. 215 model and the business side of the industry. I thought if I could take what I did for the previous eight years while in college and afterwards and do it legally, it would be a dream come true.

“I was acting as a broker between some of the top growers and the best dispensaries in the state, soaking in both worlds as much as I could. Once Obama took office, and Eric Holder announced he was going to leave it to the states to regulate, I knew it was a sign to leave the fashion industry and go all-in. I raised friends and family money in 2008 and built my first grow house in Encino, California. That was a total failure, with me using LEDs before LED technology was sufficient to grow cannabis indoors. But, like all mistakes that are really the path to success, that failure led to the next chapter of our moving to Colorado, where you could be a for-profit LLc as opposed to California, where you had to hide behind the non-profit model to be in compliance at the time.”

With headquarters in both Colorado and California, it’s important to Melshenker that each employee, no matter how recently hired, feels a personal connection to the brand and wants to grow with the company. In an industry that sometimes puts profits over people, this is huge.

“I want to make sure that I build a relationship with everybody in the company; that’s really important to me,” Melshenker said. “I want to get to know them; I want them to understand this is, in a sense, a family. I think it’s important to grow that way with people that you care about and are invested in the company and its success and each other.”

With an early interest in cannabis paired with an entrepreneurial spirit, Melshenker knew he was destined to work with cannabis, but he had aspirations beyond small-time selling and smoking. Once he realized that some states were going to start legalizing the plant, he got into growing and then extraction, and the rest is history.

“Our commitment is to only sell products that 1 would consume,” Melshenker said about the pride and care that goes into 710’s offerings. “Quality over everything is our ethos. Even over making money. And I know every company says that, but we live it. First-rate hash over self-interest is the formula. We throw batches out in the trash if they don’t meet the quality-control standards, literally. There is a lot of creative branding and packaging out there, a lot of mid-grade product, but I learned early in my career [that] high-quality product always sells the fastest and breeds loyalty. Our fans know they can count on us for consistency as well.”

Known for unique products like water hash and Noodle Doinks (a.k.a. hand-rolled joints), 710 Labs has set itself apart from others in the concentrates industry and stands out from the crowd due to the consistent quality of its offerings.

“Quality over everything is our ethos. Even over making money. And I know every company says that, but we live it.” —Brad Melshenker

“This is the product I am currently most proud of,” said Melshenker of 710 Labs’ pre-rolls. “There wasn’t a pre-roll on the market in either California or Colorado that I would want to go buy. I’m not the best joint-roller in the world, although it is meditative for me. I wanted to develop the ultimate joint with the highest-quality flower inside it. No smalls, no trim, no shake, no ground-up, powdery, dry nugs.

“I wanted to develop something that my weed-snob mind would buy. We cut off excess paper for the perfect bud-to-paper ratio. We added in the gluten-free rotini noodle as the crutch/ filter for airflow and stability, and boom, our Noodle Doinks arrived on the market, and we can’t keep them on shelves. Tensecond Tom, who runs this department and helped set up the process since it’s very laborious, is credited for making my vision become a reality in terms of producing these at scale.”

In addition to the company’s focus on creating some of the best products out there, the 710 crew also has an eye on social equity. Specifically, with a location in Oakland, they try to make sure that the underserved community has access to resources.

“We embrace social-equity programs, as we understand and empathize with the injustice that has occurred due to the government’s previous War on Drugs,” Melshenker said. “Specifically in the city of Oakland, where our California facility is, we have two social-equity partners in two of our cannabis licenses, and, in addition, our company also supports the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, which helps find jobs and offers community and support for formerly incarcerated individuals.”

710 Labs has also worked with a transitional program for foster youth to help them get real-world work experience. The company has interviewed and hired some folks from this program who have gone on to be huge assets to the team. Unlike other brands that only talk the talk, 710 Labs makes sure to walk the walk when it comes to actual inclusion.

In terms of what’s coming up next for the brand, Melshenker has lots of exciting plans in the works. “We have many announcements in terms of new product lines, like our Rosin Pods, which are dropping in a few months, as well as our Persy Doinks (three grams of flower, one gram of hash rosin),” he said. “Also, we are adding new flavors to our genetic library from the extensive pheno hunting we do for new cultivars.”

Finally, consumers can anticipate future collaborations that have leading creators partnering with 710 Labs. “We will continue to release limited-edition artist drops and collabs, similar to our notable ones with Richard Prince, Camp High and Joe Roberts (LSD World Peace),” Melshenker shared. “I’m very excited about our upcoming collabs with the Elder Statesman and our new line called itsPurpL with Jaleel White that was recently launched. Finally, our seed company, Green Beans, will hit the market in 2022. We are definitely in expansion mode on all fronts, including new states and markets.”

For more information, visit 710labs.com.

Read this story originally published in High Times August 2021 Issue in our archive.

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It seems like every month there’s a new cultivar vying for our attention. Fancy mylar this, rapper founder that—nine times out of 10 the hype isn’t living up to the product. While consumers are hungry for the new, many brands are just rushing to market and hoping their marketing and influencer network will sell their product. Unfortunately for them, the most commonly overlooked, and frankly most important factor in breeding a new genetic, or growing for the top shelf, is the strength of your cultivators. That’s why when The Cure Company says they’ve got that new fire, I drop everything and tap in.

Founded all the way back in 1996—the very same year Prop. 215 passed—it’s clear to even the farthest outsider that these guys care about their products, and that they are producing something special. While frequent readers of High Times should be more than familiar with The Cure Company by now, let their time in the space be the first co-sign for those out of the know. You don’t last this long in the industry if you don’t know what you’re doing, or if your product is low quality. The industry will eat you up. To the contrary, The Cure Company has successfully rode the waves of legalization—not just hanging on like most, but growing in both reputation and skill.

The subject of our Brand Spotlight in the September Art Issue specifically for the variety and vibrancy of their cultivars, The Cure Company has brought standout flavors with their own unique twist to market for years. In the past I’ve written about their Curelato, its descendent King-lato, and I even dropped some hints about this particular cultivar in my Quarantine Cop List, but now it’s time to open the kimono further…

Introducing Fritz

The latest branded variety grown by The Cure Company team, and bred by the incomparable J Beezy from Seed Junky, is standout by just about every measure. With picturesque buds absolutely covered in trichomes, it wouldn’t be a Cure Co staple if the nose didn’t punch back. With a sampling of several of the different iconic cannabis terpenes, the Fritz produces an aroma that moves from pine to diesel to mint, and all come through in the smoke.

Though a lot of these flavors hint that you can expect to knock out, this is a truly balanced hybrid, providing both energy and relaxation—a rare pairing! Taking things even further, and I know, it’s just in production and not here yet, but you’re going to want to keep an eye on the Cure Co’s packaging updates over the next few months.

They’re gearing up to list their terp profiles of their strains on the packaging to help better educate the consumer, even if the State of California isn’t interested in helping yet. I think we can all agree that’s an important step in the right direction, and a huge reason to shop with these guys even if you’re just dipping your toes into the space—anyone trying to help you understand what works for you, and not just shill you whatever they happened to have that day, is someone you should trust.

While the brand knows flavor is paramount, it’s worth noting the Fritz clocked in at 32.3 percent THC for those of you out there only buying off percentages. (And if that’s you I hope you’ll start to dig deeper when looking for the fire—you’re being misled with that number alone…)

A World of Flavor

While the Fritz can of course stand on its own, The Cure Company knows exactly how to make sure their unique varietals pop off. With seven crosses already in production, and some already on shelves, the Co crossed Fritz with the genetics the market has already dictated are category leaders, like Biscotti and Gelato, and developed a product that pulls the best elements from both—just like they did with their Curelato cut.

Having already debuted the Fritz, and its Animal Cookies cross, Animal Fritz, a few weeks back, the newest flavors hitting the shelves are Miami Fritz and Biscotti Fritz, which have already propelled the terps to new heights. Going in I was expecting Miami Fritz to be the king of the litter, but the Biscotti cross not only put me on my ass, but provided a unique flavor I can’t stop myself from running back to.

Their upcoming releases include Triangle Fritz, Curelato Fritz, and a yet to be named heater I’ve dubbed ‘Skinny Fritz’ but will likely be called something else, so keep an eye on The Cure Company’s socials for the drops or head over to City Compassionate Caregivers to see what’s in stock. Having smoked all the cultivars available on shelves today, I’m happy to report that each of these truly hit. Trust, if you were a fan of the Curelato, you’re in for a real treat.

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