The newest Cannabis to drop in California this month comes from a partnership between California giant Connected and the heartfelt and passionate couple behind the popular lifestyle brand Broken Promises. Jason Blake and Mandee Bence founded the company almost a decade ago and have since gained a dedicated following and released multiple big-name collaborations with movie and anime franchises. No strangers to the Cannabis scene (Jason’s brother Sean and his partner Becky run the Cannabis brand Your Highness), Jason told Leaf that he and Mandee found the perfect partnership to incorporate Cannabis into their lifestyle brand.
The new brand, Smoken Promises, is helmed by the duo of Blake and Bence, along with Ted Lidie from Alien Labs and Caleb Counts from Connected. Part of the ethos of the Broken Promises brand is embracing the emotion that comes with experience, be that having a promise broken by someone or getting high with your friends. Jason says the team has been focused on “curating a menu of flavors and emotions that allows each customer to craft their own emotional high.” Mandee and Jason even offer suggestions on the brand website for which activities pair with which flavors, along with testimonials from smokers.
By working with a breeding powerhouse like Counts and Lidie, who often QC 60 strains or more a month, this brand has high-quality flower built into the recipe. Examples like Chem Brulee, Fresca Fiesta and Mystical Gelato show a nice range of effects and flavors for this opening year. Plus, with an additional six strains to fill out the initial lineup, there’s bound to be something for just about everybody (there’s even a classic Wedding Cake).
Connected says this new endeavor represents a years-long desire to work with Broken Promises due to the way their brand aligns with both Alien Labs and Connected aesthetics. With Smoken Promises, Counts says Connected’s breeding program has added a third identity, one that reflects Blake and Bence’s personalities just as Alien Labs does for Lidie. With a well-received launch that included 175 stores throughout California, Broken Promises fans seem quick to show their support for this new extension of their favorite lifestyle brand.
