Mesobis is an artisan cannabis and lifestyle brand, inspired by the celebration of Latin American culture, and has announced its debut line of cannabis gummies with Latin-inspired flavors. The gummy line, Gormitas, is rolling out across dispensaries in California, with plans for nationwide expansion.
The brand, founded by lifelong friends, Nelson Cury and Santiago Cervantes was born in Los Angeles, California maintaining its Latin roots. Cury was in cannabis finance and realized that nobody was marketing to people like him, a first-generation Latin American cannabis consumer. Cervants was creating a concept for a Mexican cannabis brand ahead of federal legalization, but because of the delaying legalization process, the project also stalled.
When the two schoolmates ran into each other again in Los Angeles and realized they had a common interest in their cannabis passion, they began collaborating to create Mesobis.
Mesobis hopes to translate elements of Latin American culture into the present, with their curated collections of products, experiences, and content. The name itself is a combination of “Mesoamerica” and “cannabis.”
The launch includes three flavors inspired by cultural classics: Mango con Chile, Tamarindo con Chamoy, and Acai. The gummies are formulated using advanced nanotechnology, which the company says ensures a fact-acting, even-dosed experience every time. The gummies are pyramid shaped, in 10-piece packages of 10mg per gummy. The team also hopes to add more product categories to their line as the brand grows.
Along with the adult market, the co-founders are working on a new release of high-end streetwear, collaborating with local artists on projects and promoting the art studio’s mission to create a cannabis brand for Latin Americans infused with both culture and cannabis.
“We believe in the power of creativity and empowering creatives to make pieces of art or experiences that can have some meaningful impact in people’s lives. That’s also our goal with the gummies—for people to learn about cannabis, learn about themselves, and learn about their culture. We just feel art and what we’re trying to do go hand in hand,” Cervantes told Ganjapreneur.
Both founders also pointed to the fact that, while there may be Latin American-owned cannabis companies, many of them don’t include their culture in the company’s products and branding.
In that, Mesobis looks to represent and serve the Latin American community identifying with a hybrid background and culture, especially since the industry has ignored its connection to cannabis in the past.
“Despite the exponential growth of the cannabis industry in recent years, a gap remains in authentic and culturally relevant brands that resonate with diverse consumers,” Cury said in a PR Newswire press release. “This is particularly true in California, where Latin Americans are the largest and fastest growing population. The launch of Mesobis represents a collective dream to see a brand that is a true representation of us, by us. Through Mesobis, we hope to inspire the industry to celebrate Latin America’s rich culture, and empower everyone to be proud of where they come from.”
The co-founders also noted that their branding is intended to break the cannabis stigma that is still common in Latin American households. They cited their experience after the founding of Mesobis, facing judgment and fear from their loved ones, but they knew someone had to forge the path.
“That was always the point with Mesobis, we knew that there needed to be a brand that looked a certain way, that felt a certain way, so that we could overcome these cultural barriers and these often misguided perceptions of what cannabis is, which comes out of the war on drugs,” Cervantes said.
He added that the misconceptions are understandable, given the turmoil in Latin America because of drug trade and cartels.
“When you look at our aesthetic, the reason we’re going so sophisticated is because we understood that if we want to have a brand that has a chance to later launch in Latin America, that my parents or my grandparents could look at and could feel comfortable consuming, it’s going to have to look like any other brand they would purchase, but it’s cannabis,” Cervantes said.
