Blazin' Brands
Tara Misu has been a trailblazer in the cannabis industry ever since she founded
New Jersey’s first edibles company, Blazin’ Bakery, back in 2009.
Woman-owned from day one, Blazin’ Bakery has been pioneering the national trade show market
with unique CBD and DIY edibles products for the past decade. Tara recounts, “I created the first
brownie mix designed specifically to make edibles called Blazin’ Brownies. It was revolutionary
and people were instantly intrigued. Knowledge of how-to make edibles was not easy to come by
back then. I made a how-to video which went viral and put me on the map. In 2013, Spencer Gifts
approached me at the Champs Atlantic City trade show. They said, “we know who you are, we want
your product.” Blazin’ Brownies have been in their 700+ stores and countless independent smoke
shops nationally ever since.
In 2018, Governor Murphy took office and talks of legalization
came to New Jersey. At this point, Tara decided to transition
from strictly a business woman, to a prominent voice and leader
in the cannabis movement. Being a trailblazer in her home
state, Tara was appointed a consultant and advisor position on
the new medical marijuana bill. She worked with legislators to
write the historic Jake Honig’s Law, New Jersey’s first cannabis
legislation passed in nearly a decade. Combining her significant
cannabis business knowledge with first-hand experience of the
state’s legal policies, she was named Executive Director of the
New Jersey CannaBusiness Association, the state’s first and
largest cannabis trade organization.
Since then, Tara has developed and taught Cannabis 101 at
Atlantic Cape Community College, which is one of the first
three cannabis courses to become available at an accredited
college in NJ. This inspired her to create an online course,
which is planned to launch in 2021 and will cover all aspects
for people looking to work in the industry. In addition to
knowledge, course registrants will have access to online group
discussions, and a weekly virtual think tank session with Tara
to discuss their goals, plans and progress.
Tara affirms, “Since we are seeing a general move towards online learning, this is the best way to help the largest number of people. I really am proud of what I’m putting together. I truly believe it’s the best course and value available yet.”
Currently, Tara runs Blazin’ Brands, does consulting privately
for cannabis businesses/applicants, and holds her position at
the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association, while continuing
to do speaking engagements and now, hosting her very own
podcast. The Trailblazin’ with Tara Misu podcast was launched
on 4/20/2020 at 4:20 pm, the once in a century occurrence
when the day, month, year and time were all 420. Because of
the diversity of the show and its guests, Trailblazin’ with Tara
Misu attracts a wide range of listeners, including hopeful
startups, CBD and ancillary business owners, industry service
professionals, activists and even just the canna-curious. “I
started Trailblazin’ with Tara Misu because I love podcasts, it’s
my absolute favorite way to consume content. I wanted it to be
both educational and entertaining, something where listeners
could laugh a little but still learn a lot.”
Tara aims to introduce listeners to advances in technology
that save business owners time and money, help patients,
and set dispensary owners apart from their competition. The
podcast has already had such a rich variety of guests, with
cutting-edge cannabis research, from epigenetic tests for the
endocannabinoid system, to a company that manufactures
machines which cryogenically cure cannabis in 24 hours. To
keep things fun celebrate the culture, there’s celebrity guests,
such as Bob Marley’s daughter, and NFL Super Bowl winner
and CBD advocate, Cullen Jenkins. As progress is realized and
legalization is more eminent than ever, the show is intended
to address the issues on both the state and federal level across
the country while updating listeners on all things cannabis.
Trailblazin’ with Tara Misu will continue to provide lots of great
industry information with guests such as edibles makers, food
scientists and extraction experts. In addition, it will feature
vital talks with cannabis service providers such as marketing
specialists, people who deal with banking, insurance, licensing
and other areas that are often an issue for cannabis businesses.
Tara believes that, “A good podcast host makes you smile,
trust their opinion, and look forward to spending that hour
with them every week. The time flies by and you leave feeling
inspired or maybe just a little wiser, which is what I strive for.
I want Trailblazin’ with Tara Misu to be a fair voice to all sides.
Small mom-and-pop shops as well as MSOs, cannabis legends
and hot news voices, even some people occasionally who inject
a dose of healthy skepticism. Not saying I’ll always agree, but
come on the show and let’s talk about it. “
The podcast provides the perfect opportunity for Tara to
share her extensive knowledge and experience in the cannabis
industry with newcomers. After her life flipped overnight from
a laidback manufacturer who wore a t-shirt to work most days,
to having a full business wardrobe and driving all over the state for meetings with suits of all kinds. With respect to all the new
opportunities in the cannabis industry it came with, Tara was
left feeling nostalgic for the t-shirt days. In order to blend these
two worlds, the Trailblazin’ podcast became a platform where
corporate meets culture, merging together into one bigger
and better industry. In a post-covid world, the industry is a
completely different environment than it was just a few months
ago. What’s amazing, is cannabis is more normalized than ever,
which has led to some great improvements in legislation. At the
same time, things like trade shows are going away, leaving people
to look for alternative means of communication. Podcasts are
going to be one of the channels that really experiences growth
as people are looking for virtual entertainment and exposure.
After making her mark on the industry with her well-known
original Blazin’ Brownies mix and noticing the evolution of the
industry, Tara has positioned her brownies to be the delicious
chocolate foundation on which she builds her cannabis empire.
Blazin’ Brands is now the umbrella company that has been
busy expanding from Blazin’ Bakery’s claim to fame with new
product lines. These include the CBD product line for dogs,
Blazin Barkery, and other new CBD products and lines such
as a new women’s line (coming in time for the 2020 holiday
season), which will be geared toward sophisticated and high
end consumers, with well thought-out packaging and feminine
branding that will be on trend with the current move towards
whole plant alternative medicine and spiritual influences, to
manifest some truly magical products.
The Blazin’ Barkery CBD line
for pets came about after Tara
read terrible product reviews
for CBD dog treats of dogs
having kidney failure, vet
trips, hospitalizations and
even in extreme cases, death,
on Amazon. Her keen eye was
able to identify the treats were
all white labeled from the
same supplier, and found the
source to be insanely cheap,
low quality, and unregulated
from China. Because hemp is
used for soil remediation, sometimes even on site from nuclear
disasters, it can be grown cheaply and is excellent at absorbing
the contaminants from soil, which is great when the hemp is
disposed, not made into CBD. This is why CBD coming in
from overseas is a fifth of the price of US grown hemp. CBD
oil and isolate is made by extraction, thus literally extracting
the contaminants and waste back out of the plant and into the
CBD, rendering it unsafe for consumption by anyone. Tara
understands this and believes that every pet deserves for their
owner to do their due diligence to make sure what they get is
the best quality, safety and purity possible. She started Blazin’
Barkery to help pet owners by providing the quality, innovation,
and attention to detail necessary to test her treats on her own
3.5 pound Chihuahua. CBD can’t be a race to the bottom, it
needs to be high-quality, tested products. That’s what Blazin
Barkery is about, along with all products from Blazin Brands.
Tara’s position in the industry is clear as she asserts that
“Consumers are better informed these days. It’s crucial
that operators be ethical and shop owners carry quality
products because the world is watching and it’s up to us to
act responsibly, to manufacture, distribute and sell only great
products that are going to stand the test of time. Retailers and
manufacturers have a massive new market with entire new
demographics for the first time, so the industry must respect
these new customers and create repeat buyers by providing
quality products they will come back for. That’s my mission
with Blazin’ Brands, the podcast, everything. Be upright,
provide great value and do this industry proud.”
Tara plans to speak at the Chicago CBD Expo this December
11-13th and CWCB New York in spring 2021. You can reach out
to her on social media to connect. She is seeking more private
speaking engagements in the next year. Tara is also planning to
release a series on Patreon, called Tales from the Trail which
is a collection of stories and lessons she’s learned through the
years in cannabis.
“The best possible case of what the cannabis industry should be is the marriage of a rich cultural history with a bright shiny new future. By respecting the past, yet generating excitement and hope for the road ahead, all elements combine to create a beautiful thriving industry. I hope through my podcast, products, activism, and consulting, I can help move this industry in the right direction and inspire others to do the same.” – Tara Misu
WEBSITES
Podcast: TrailblazinPod.com
Products: BlazinBakery.com
SOCIAL MEDIA
(Instagram & Twitter)
Tara Misu: @iamtaramisu
Blazin’ Bakery: @blazinbakery
Facebook: facebook.com/theblazinbakery