Sonoma County’s Garden Society buys Oakland cannabis brand to expand

Garden Society has purchased Chemistry, an Oakland-based cannabis brand, in an “all-equity” purchase agreement.

The Cloverdale-based, women-owned cannabis brand known for its wide array of edibles expects to close on the deal at any time, CEO Erin Gore said. She declined to define the value of the acquisition.

The deal, announced Feb. 23, will help Garden Society scale up its product lineup and broaden its reach, including in the Ohio and New Jersey markets. The former has become a profitable space for medicinal sales, Gore said. The latter has grown in the adult-use category, she added.

“I think the country wants marijuana as a healthier alternative to alcohol,” she said, adding some seek options besides pharmaceuticals as well. “We want to expand into new markets and reach a wider customer base in brand and product type.”

Garden Society will take over Chemistry’s equipment and product line, which — with the purchase — brings its total number of offerings to 48. The Sonoma County cannabis producer will also bring Chemistry CEO and founder Paul Roethle on board to work for Garden Society as a vice president managing product, Gore indicated.

In the announcement, Roethle stated the buyout exemplifies an ideal fit for the industry as a way to blend science and nature. Phone calls placed with Roethle went unanswered as of press time.

Chemistry represents Garden Society’s first acquisition.

Founded in 2016, Garden Society is largely known for its nature-based product line. Now it hopes to combine that focus with science-based cannabinoid technology, allowing laboratory work to contribute to the development of products, Gore explained.

Susan Wood covers law, cannabis, production, transportation, agriculture as well as banking and finance. She can be reached at 530-545-8662 or susan.wood@busjrnl.com