Although Jason Kassin hit a few bumps in the road when venturing into the hemp business—a business partnership that went bad and difficulty finding banks willing to loan to hemp-related start-ups—he kept his head up, and this past February, he launched Belfiore414 pre-rolls, hemp flower, cannabidiol (CBD) oils and pain butter.
Kassin, an independent wholesaler-distributor of hemp, recalls how some people in the hemp industry that he spoke with were focused primarily on CBD oil, but they hadn’t been aware that hemp flower could be rolled up into a joint and smoked. He saw an opportunity to broadly market hemp in smokable forms, so he created a marketing plan for what would become his signature product: BelFiore414 CBD pre-rolls and flower.
Belfiore414 hemp comes from Central Greens, located near Miller Park. Many people might recognize Central Greens’ aquaponics operation from their produce, live basil and culinary herbs that were available at local grocers. They’ve since converted to growing hemp, and they’ve a hemp nursery with boutique hemp flower, says Bowen DornBrook, one of the four partners of Central Greens. They’re building their strain catalogue and sell clones to farms. “Everything I have is made in Milwaukee,” Kassin states. He purchases bubble gum strain plants cured on-site from Central Greens, and then he hand-rolls the CBD joints and packages the flower. Belfiore414 is a one-man operation at this time, but Kassin hopes to eventually hire people and provide jobs.
The bubble gum flavor and aroma come from terpenes—the aromatic oils that give cannabis varieties their distinctive flavors. Kassin says Belfiore414 CBD smokable products are available at Hazy Dayz and Elev8 Milwaukee; the Petro Mart on Fifth Street and Lincoln Avenue; at the Citgo on 13th Street and Lincoln Avenue; Pete’s Market on Hawley Road; and R&R Liquor on 84th Street and Morgan Avenue.
Kassin has also introduced 3,000-milligram CBD oils and pain butters designed to help decrease inflammation. He helps promote New Jersey–based CannaTru products in Wisconsin, and he networks with artists and professionals in the hip-hop industry to advance the positive wellness qualities of hemp. “Hemp is helping people get off of opiates and alcohol,” he says. Having formerly worked in the construction industry, he knows the aches and pains that people can endure on the job, and how CBD can help. “I feel great since using CBD.”
For more information, visit facebook.com/jasonk1211. Please note that any health claims in this article are intended for information purposes only and are not to be taken as substitutes for medical advice. Consult with a health care professional before starting any treatment.
