Baked Bros, Arizona Family
Baked Bros is a company you’ll get to know being a patient in Arizona; their education being some of the best around. Their work to reshape the education of patient consultants has been much appreciated and is a small step in their mission to change the views of cannabis. Both of the co-owners, Nadeem Al-Hasan and Thomas Rimbach have firsthand experience seeing cannabis used as a medicine that they hope to share with others. Baked Bros is becoming a driving force in working with the cannabis community by taking part and facilitating exciting events that build the culture of our industry and allow outreach opportunities to volunteer here in Arizona. They work with Phoenix communities in need to help better aid and build our cities up rather than adopting the common passive stance of other businesses. In the same way, they strive to provide quality products, they work to build a quality culture within their company. I was able to talk with them, but also to participate in their activism that is having an effect on my communities both at home and professionally. Baked Bros is a company that aims to provide the best quality products, team, and events for their patients.
The Baked Bros Family
I started my Sunday deciding that I was going to participate in a charity event called #hashtaglunchbox with the Change Society, AZ 101.1 the Beat, Baked Bros, and others in volunteering to prepare food with inspirational messages of hope for people in need. I live next to the Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS), and I can only say thank you for any donations or volunteers. The work being done to help our community, by Baked Bros or anyone else, is greatly appreciated. I showed up at 10:30am and people were already unloading, which involved carting supplies from the basement of the Monarch theatre to our assembly areas. When everyone else arrived around 11, we began working to break down boxes, fill bags, build sandwiches, and write messages of hope. The crew of #hashtaglunchbox then setup at CASS around noon to distribute these bags to those in need. While here, I was with Baked Bros team members Dell Foster, Director of Business Development, CMO Nadeem Al-Hasan, and Lee Rimbach, the father of co-owner Thomas, all are working alongside others to provide for those less fortunate. The ethics and personality of Baked Bros come through their company as a culture of love, respect, and compassion for their patients. I get a chance to learn about how they’re working to improve our communities. This company changes the perception of cannabis and keeps bringing high standards asked of them by their patients who rely on their products for relief.
As I participate and get to see firsthand as the company does the work to raise their brand standards, by elevating their character first and foremost. The integrity involved is not a surprise from Baked Bros as they have long been leaders for providing quality to their patients. Working first to provide top quality edibles, they put in the work to ensure that their patients are getting the best possible medication. As a former chef, hearing about procedures for cleaning and maintaining the production facility was a testament to their standards. Baked Bros is one of the few companies to put out high-quality syrup that allows patients to medicate with ease. The fantastic thing about their syrup is that it does not separate like some of the other brands on various markets. Thomas worked hard to perfect the syrup, utilizing his background in chemistry to address issues seen with separation in other syrups. Having every batch of syrups 3rd party lab-tested, which are available on their website, is a perfect example that this company is working to provide a new standard of transparency to serve their patients.
That willingness to put in the effort to create better products is a trait seen in their gummy line of edibles as well. The gummies have vegan-friendly options (Sour Kush Kids and Watermelon Kush Slices), with all the gummies hand infused in small batches to ensure consistency, and backed with the same testing as their syrups. Both lines of edibles are available in several dosing options, syrups in the 150mg, 300mg, and 600mg sizes, while gummies are offered in 80mg, 150mg, and 300mg sizes. Baked Bros worked hard to build relationships with patients while also cultivating trust in their medical edibles. This trust has come to be depended upon by their clientele, and it is a shining example of their company putting forth the care to bring education to patients. This includes dosing for their products, allowing for accurate and consistent results for patients who depend on this information to function best while using Baked Bros products. Dosing information and education for cannabis products is often overlooked, or not treated with the urgency that is required. Too often, when helping a patient, I would find them asking questions about edibles with a fear that was driven by the unknown. I would often help patients start edibles using Baked Bros products, as the dosing information was crucial to them taking the first step.
Challenging views of cannabis and building a relationship of trust is where Baked Bros makes its mark upon Arizona. A high-quality product line with genuine concern for patients drives this company to put out some of the best medicine in Arizona. I don’t have to count on unreliable edibles or companies who cannot provide essential information for my own well-being. I’ve instead chosen to purchase products of high quality, and the accompanying benefits keep Baked Bros products in my life. Arizona MMJ realizes the value of a business that partakes in community building, works towards making the best products and extends that quality into the education of patients. The chance to connect and build upon that trust by learning and taking the time to educate myself on what differences exist allowed me to better understand the values behind Baked Bros. Those values drive a business to transcend beyond the standards of others and provide a medicine with quality, consistency, as well as a level of excellence not common in our marketplace. I got a chance to ask some questions of Baked Bros, and I’m happy that they remain committed to being the best at what they do.
Photo by Camiren Huth
When did Baked Bros officially form?
Baked Bros officially formed in 2014. We were driving down the I-17 when the Event Coordinator for the High Times Cannabis Cup called needing a name for our booth. It just clicked after a little brainstorming, and we loved it because it spoke to where we were at that stage in our lives. We were best friends who loved cannabis, and that is still a driving force behind who we are as a company.
What are some goals for the future?
Our primary goal is to provide relief. In our personal lives, we have seen the consequences of alcohol, drug, and pharmaceutical abuse. Every year an estimated 88,000 Americans die from alcohol-related causes and an additional 47,000 from opioid overdoses. Cannabis has never lead to a lethal overdose and is not associated with the level of risk. We want to provide options for people who are trying to make the transition from some of these other substances to cannabis. The second goal we have for the future is to remove the negative stigma associated with cannabis. In the cannabis industry, it can feel like we are past the stigma, but over half a million citizens of the United States are incarcerated every year, the vast majority for simple possession. We hold ourselves, our products, and our educational content to the highest standard, so when someone not familiar with cannabis meets our staff or reads our material, it truly shatters their perception.
How does personal experience drive you to make such high-quality products?
How does it not is the real question! I (Thomas) served in the military and went to school to pursue becoming a doctor which had a significant impact on the attention to detail you see in our products. I wanted a product line that allowed patients to dose their medicine accurately and safely. Nadeem, on the other hand, served as one of the first caregivers in Arizona, growing cannabis, and making edibles. His early experience in the industry and working with patients heavily influenced Baked Bros care towards our patients here in Arizona. Our friendship and business have led both of us to push ourselves to be better every day, which translates directly to our products.
Photo by Camiren Huth
Baked Bros, brings community along with ethics and empathy; how does this shape the culture within your company?
Internally, our focus is on improving the quality of life for our staff. We take time to come together as a team to engage in education and discussion. Each day has a focus, such as cannabis education, motivation/inspiration, mindfulness, etc. I (Nadeem) also taught the team a series of mobility exercises to give them resources they could use to improve the functionality of their bodies while at work! We believe in taking care of the people who work to bring our vision to light. The care and attention they put into their craft are reflected in our products and our interactions with patients.
Can patients depend on Baked Bros to continue their dosing information and education?
Of course, we want to lead the industry in education and community outreach. Many patients are trying cannabis for the first time, and we will always have them in our minds when creating packaging and dosing information. Getting these things right, leads to more positive experiences with cannabis which is a win for our community. In terms of outreach, people tend to judge what they don’t understand. We want to provide accurate information to help people understand what cannabis is and what it can do when used correctly. Again, we want people to walk away from an event where we are at and think, “That is not what I expected from someone who uses cannabis!”.
Photo by Camiren Huth
Why does Testing Matter?
We’ve been asked this a lot, and we think it’s a funny question because why wouldn’t medicine be tested? How can you possibly think you are going to provide a safe-consistent product without 3rd party testing? We recognized this was a problem from sourcing medicine throughout the budding industry and seeing the test results. We lost all confidence in the consistency or safety of certain products. That’s why we needed to provide our patients with nothing less than the transparency that they deserve. Our choice to test every single product in an unregulated market comes with a severe financial cost, but we will not compromise on the values that our patients hold us to.
Any favorite strains, dispensaries, meds that patients should check out?
We are the original strain-specific, and our favorites are GDP (Indica) and Blue Dream (Sativa-Dominant Hybrid). Start there, go low and slow, and see what your body and mind enjoy!
Do you have a favorite recipe using Baked Bros Syrup, or a favorite candy?
Check out our instagram page and also check out our Recipe Page on our website.
Anything New, or any news to share with patients?
Be sure to stay on top of cannabis education with our Doses of Education
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