McGrath/Power, an independent integrated communications agency, has been selected to handle media relations and external communications by C4 Distro, a New Cannabis distribution company based in Southern California. C4 seeks to build a modern cannabis supply chain that shapes the way that products are distributed to California dispensaries and consumers and creates a model that can be emulated by the rest of the country.
C4 is co-founded by Eric Spitz, the entrepreneur behind the re-launch of New England’s beloved Narragansett beer and former co-owner of the Orange County Register, and former California Attorney General Bill Lockyer. C4 Distro is drawing from lessons learned during the evolution of the California cannabis market and the post-Prohibition alcohol industry to create a modern and repeatable New Cannabis supply chain capable of moving cannabis from a backpack-carrying black market business to a briefcase-carrying white market industry.
“Every industry needs a strong center of the supply chain and this is especially true for an emerging and regulated product, like cannabis,” said Spitz. “Like we’ve seen in many other industries, new regulations bring new challenges. Incumbent businesses in the cannabis industry are coming out of the grey or black market. They simply don’t have the expertise to move from ‘backpack to briefcase.’ Our mission is to help them navigate this business transition, stay compliant and succeed in the New Cannabis era. How we communicate as a brand is central to that mission and why we selected McGrath/Power.”
Spitz believes that the New Cannabis market has a striking resemblance to the beer industry, an industry he knows well after being a member of the executive team that resurrected the Narragansett Brewing Company via innovative distribution and supply chain strategies. In Spitz’s view, a proper supply chain promotes responsible consumption and enables the success of small businesses. C4 Distro is centered on the needs of those small Cannabis businesses, with a full suite of services built around the 4 Cs: Compliance, Commercialization, Communication and Commerce. This provides a unique distribution model that can serve as a case study for the rest of the nation as the legalization of cannabis for recreational adult-use takes hold in an increasing number of states.
“Over the last three years since we first became involved in the cannabis industry, we have seen it move from a taboo topic to a thriving market ready to take the next step in its evolution,” said Jonathan Bloom, CEO and founding partner of McGrath/Power. “Working with C4 Distro excited our team not only because it would allow us to further engage in the dynamic and rapidly evolving cannabis industry, but because it presented the opportunity to play a critical role in ushering in a New Cannabis era and contribute to the success of an industry that holds so much promise – the likes of which we haven’t seen since the dot.com boom.”