California-based Kaneh Co. is bringing gourmet cannabis-infused baked goods to Michigan

When Rachel King decided to expand her California-based cannabis-infused baked goods company Kaneh Co. to Michigan, she says she did it partially because of the Great Lakes State's huge marijuana market, which reported just under $1 billion in sales last year.

There was another reason, too. Like seemingly everyone, she has a connection here.

"Michigan's also near and dear to my heart — my husband's from Midland," she says. "We go out to Michigan like once or twice a year ... I jumped at the opportunity to be able to be somewhere that I could possibly visit family."

King was a pastry chef in San Diego for about 10 years, where she earned kudos from Food & Wine magazine for her gourmet desserts like cinnamon sugar doughnuts with malted dark chocolate cream. But about five years ago, she decided to make the jump to pot-infused sweets when the "opportunity presented itself," she says. The company was formed by King and a group of "close-knit high school friends."

Kaneh Co. — a name King says was gleaned from the Torah, referring to an anointing oil, though she says it's pronounced like "canna" — entered the Michigan market at the end of last year, in addition to selling its goods in California and Oklahoma. The company bills itself as one of Michigan's finest makers of gourmet cannabis-infused edibles, producing high-quality products made with only premium ingredients. The sweets sold in Michigan are manufactured at the Brand Labs in Warren.

Kaneh's Michigan line of products features many top-sellers from the California market, including lots of brownies: a Triple Chocolate Brownie, a S'mores Brownie, a Peanut Butter Fudge brownie, and a "Best of Both Worlds Brownie" — aka a "brookie," or a brownie with a cooke inside.


Kaneh Co. also sells cannabis-infused "Blondies" — think a chocolate chip cookie minus the chocolate chips — and a Red Velvet cookie.

"With that product mix, we figured there is a little bit of something for everyone and it was the best representation of our brand to bring there," she says.

The transition to cannabis wasn't simple as King thought it might be, though.

"Looking back, I was a little nonchalant," she admits. "Like, oh, this will be so easy — it's just making brownies. I was used to making 20-component plated desserts with ice cream, cake ... So I was like, yeah, brownies are going to be cakewalk. [It] was not the case, so I was humbled very quickly."

King says the biggest challenge was making sure the cannabis dosing was just right. "It takes a lot of R&D to perfect," she says. "And then on top of that, we are a packaged food. In a restaurant, I make it, somebody eats it right away. So the shelf life and consistency that we've had to nail down in the past five years has definitely taken a lot of work on my end."

King also says the cannabis industry has changed a lot in just the past five years as more states legalize marijuana and the industry grows more professional.

"There was just a little bit of a culture shock when we started this because it's different now," she says. "Especially at that time, the professionalism in the cannabis industry was lacking, I would say."

The Michigan product line is available through Cloud Cannabis Co., as well as other dispensaries including House of Dank, Puff Cannabis Company, Green Pharm Cannabis Center Detroit, and Gage Cannabis Co. Prices vary by product and location but range between $10-$22.

"We're personally excited to be there — me, you know, for my own reasons, but I think that we're trying to bring our best products to Michigan," King says. "Hopefully we're a great addition to the market out there."

More information is available at kanehedibles.com.

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