Meet Tom and Amy, a couple who have found a unique way to strengthen their bond through a shared passion for cannabis. Join us as they share their journey of growing cannabis, creating high-quality edibles, and how this joint venture has positively impacted their relationship – a testament to the power of shared values and empathy.

Features

• Release Date: Monday, September 25, 2023
• Episode Number: Season 1, Episode 52
• Special Guest: Tom & Amy, founders of Good Buddy Edibles

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Full Transcript

Tom: I think as you get older, you start to realize how much more of these relationships really mean. 

Amy: I would say that if there’s really something you want to do, go for it. You never know when your number’s up, and things can change on a dime. If you are passionate about something and you want to do it, go for it, be fearless, and don’t underestimate yourself.

Announcer: Welcome to the Well With Cannabis Podcast, a show dedicated to telling the life-changing stories of those who live well with cannabis all while teaching you how to do the same. Meet your host, Emily Kyle, a registered dietitian nutritionist turned certified holistic cannabis practitioner. Emily changed her life for the better with the help of the cannabis plant, and now she’s committed to helping others do the same.

Tune in each week to hear heartwarming stories and gain the knowledge you need to feel connected, inspired, and supported on your own cannabis journey. Whether you’re a new cannabis consumer or a lifetime lover, you’ll benefit from these uplifting tales of real-life journeys that will show you how you, too, can live your best life well with cannabis.

Disclaimer: Hi there. Before we jump into today’s episode, I wanted to share a note on potentially sensitive content. The episodes on the Well With Cannabis Podcast are created for adult audiences only. We will, at times, cover sensitive topics, including but not limited to suicide, abuse, mental illness, sex, drugs, alcohol, psychedelics, and the obvious use of plant medicine. Explicit language may be used occasionally. Please refrain from watching or listening to the show if you’re likely to be offended or adversely impacted by any of these topics.

The information on this show is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice. If any of the content on this podcast has brought up anything for you, please reach out or speak to a professional or someone you trust.

Emily: Hello, and welcome back to another episode of the Well With Cannabis Podcast. I am super excited because this is our first double interview. I have two guests here with me today. We have Tom and Amy from Good Buddy Edibles. I’m super excited to talk to them about cannabis, how it fits into their current lifestyle, and how they’re introducing it into business. So welcome, Tom and Amy. Thank you so much for coming on the show. Thank you so much for joining me today. 

Tom: Thank you, Emily, for having us. 

Emily: You wrote me the sweetest email and followed my journey when I lost my Instagram account and wanted to start this podcast. I wanted to say thank you so much for being so kind and so supportive. I really appreciated that. 

Tom: Oh, you’re so welcome. There was so much that went on there that I witnessed on that platform. And I just wanted you to know how we felt about it. 

Emily: I really appreciate that. I haven’t talked about that publicly for a lot of people, so I’m just going to give a little background if you guys don’t mind. So, I had an Instagram account that grew to 70,000 followers. I had a video of me and my seven-year-old son harvesting a cannabis plant that got 3.5 million views. We were super excited about it, but the world just isn’t ready for cannabis yet. So many people reported my account that it ended up getting shut down.

Emily: But the other side Tom saw that not a lot of people saw is that people were very mean in their comments and their DMs and things they said regarding it. And now that I look back on it, I am so glad that my Instagram account was taken away from me. It was a mentally abusive place, and I’m so glad the decision was made to leave. I’m here now having better, more intelligent conversations. I do believe that everything happens for a reason. Thank you for supporting me through that dark time.

Tom: Oh, I can imagine it was, especially since you had over 70,000 followers, I think, at the time. 

Emily: Yeah, there were a lot. I built it, but looking back, I think I got wrapped up in the numbers and vanity of it.

Tom: Yeah. But the way that you were attacked was very unfair. And I felt like it came from a place of ignorance and that anyone who really knew anything about cannabis would know that if you touched a plant if you just merely touched it, nothing would happen to you. Whether you were an adult, a child, or an animal, nothing can happen to you from just brushing up against the cannabis plant.

Emily: Absolutely.  And that’s why I’m glad that I’m here now and we can have this conversation. Hopefully, we’ll reach more people this way and share the truth about cannabis. That’s what I want to do with you both today: talk about how cannabis benefits you in your everyday life. If you want to give me a little background on you both and what brought you to cannabis. 

Tom: Let me start by saying that today is our 25th wedding anniversary. 

Emily: Congratulations! Happy anniversary! 

Tom: Yeah, and it’s really crazy, but it actually equates to now we’ve been together for half of our lives in numbers.

Emily: That is so special. Thank you for sharing your day here with me today. 

Tom: Absolutely. Absolutely. So when we first met back in the nineties, we lived out on the West Coast of San Francisco. Living on the West Coast, cannabis was totally different, but we moved back East about a decade ago when everything was still very much illegal in New York state.

Tom: We still smoked cannabis, but we just had to buy it from a neighbor of a friend of the neighbor or something like that. And through the course of our time here, one of the people in our lives was our now-deceased friend, Steve Shulman. He was an older fellow, and he had a terminal illness. I would supply cannabis for Steve also, and he would try and contribute financially, but he didn’t have a lot of money. And so his doctor told him that he did qualify for a medical card, but Steve did not follow through with it because the closest dispensary to where we live is 60 miles away and he didn’t have a vehicle, plus he couldn’t really afford it. So he continued to receive it from us, and around the time everything was becoming legalized, I started to grow it, and unfortunately, he did not live long enough to try the first harvest.

Emily: Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss. 

Tom: Thank you very much. He was 100% behind it. He couldn’t wait to try it and everything else. But, we really wanted a regular, quality supply, not just to share with him, but for our own purposes, to know that what we were consuming wasn’t tainted or that it was of the highest quality or purity that we could get. That was the initiative behind us growing those first few plants. 

Tom: We both do consume cannabis, and I was the one that actually started growing it. We ended up having so much of it that we thought we should do something with it all. Before we did anything that we showed anybody else, we made a couple of batches of brownies that Steve had tried during his life. But nothing really happened for a while. 

Tom: We started playing around, making some cookies and brownies for our friends here in upstate New York, and eventually, it caught on through word of mouth. We wanted to make something that was really delicious and wasn’t too strong. We were looking at things you may consider low-dosage. We’ve really streamlined our products, and we have a detailed ingredient label, so anybody can know if they have food allergies. They can know exactly what’s in one of our cookies.  

Emily: That is amazing. Tell me a little bit about your clientele. Are they a certain type of person, a certain demographic? Who is coming to you in need of your services? 

Tom: It’s actually a little bit older of a demographic than maybe your listeners might think. 

Emily: I think you’d be surprised; most of my listeners are of the older demographic as well. And that’s what I thought you might say.

Tom: Yeah, it’s generally people in the, what I call the 30 to 50 something range because when we hit 50, we don’t really want to say what number comes after that. They are people from our community, from teachers and health inspectors to people who work down the street at the store and enjoy our products.

Emily: That is amazing. When you’re working with people, do they tell you what they’re coming to you with ailments, pain, anxiety? What exactly are they looking to relieve? 

Tom: Most of our older type of people are interested in having something they can trust and gauge pretty well. So if they want to eat half of a brownie and feel a little bit of relaxation and pain relief, that’s fine. And if they’re having a rough day, they could eat the whole brownie and get more of an effect. So some is pain, and some is anxiety. They like that they can break it in half, eat half now, and save half for later, depending on their feelings.

Emily: Absolutely. And it’s so nice to have that freedom and flexibility to choose how much, depending on what you need. And so, I have to assume a lot of education must go into working with new and elderly clients. How does that look for you?

Tom: We definitely always query them about their experience with edibles. If they have not had any edibles at all, we always recommend that they start with a very small piece, like a quarter of a brownie or a fifth of a brownie, rather than the whole thing. We try to encourage them to start with a small amount for the first or second time and then build up from there by small amounts as needed.

Emily: That is so perfect. So let’s talk about how you guys work together to make all these magical things for people.

Tom: I’ll start because I make the butter. I actually watched your videos and used some of your edible calculator tools. When I figured out the actual THC percentage of the cannabis I was using, that made it really easy for me to use your calculator correctly for the dosages. I rely on that to make the butter, and Amy makes the baked goods. 

Amy: Yep, I’m the baker. 

Emily: And Amy, I think this is the first time our listeners have heard from you. So hello. 

Amy: Hi! Tom does the butter for me. He likes to get very mathematical, but this is my area. I tell him to give me the butter and move out of the kitchen.

Emily: How fun! You get full creative freedom after that. 

Amy: Yes. We were doing cookies, brownies, and a rice crispy treat occasionally, and we received feedback that some of them were a little harder to chew. We ended up doing something we call a softie, a soft cookie, which seems to have been a really big hit. 

Emily: That is such a thoughtful product, too, because I guess I never really considered how many elderly people have difficulties chewing or swallowing. It’s so nice that you are tailoring your products based on people’s needs. 

Amy: It’s really important to us to hear from the people that consume our goods because that’s really how, especially for me, I can learn and grow and find out what it is they like, and they don’t like and keep going from there and trying different things.

Emily: Oh my gosh, that is amazing. Now, Tom touched on this a little bit. You use cannabis as well. What do you both personally use cannabis for in your lifestyles? 

Tom: I use it really to help combat anxiety. I’ve been through a lot with anxiety and the type of thought patterns where I worry incessantly, which can snowball. It’s nice to recognize that I’ve done everything I was supposed to do for my regular job today – or even 75% of my job – and then be able to take some of the pressure off of myself and take a couple of puffs.  I still smoke joints with rolling papers and all that. 

 Tom: My day job is to make maps, so if I only get 75% done or 90% finished, everybody is going to survive. Just to put it in perspective, in case anyone is wondering why I don’t finish 100% every day. I’m making a map, not trying to do brain surgery.

Emily: Making a map sounds pretty hard to me. That sounds awesome. 

Amy: I use cannabis mainly to unwind at the end of the day. I feel like it’s a creative outlet for me. It gets my creative mind working and coming up with new and different ideas, and just a way to relax at the end of a hectic day.

Emily: Oh, isn’t it the best to be able to relax? All adults should be able to feel that way at the end of the day without needing to rely on alcohol. Having something different that, at the end of the day, you can relax, be yourself, and be comfortable in your own skin is such a gift. 

Tom: Yeah, it is. It’s okay to go ahead and allow yourself to have that little break. We happen to be very fortunate that we live in a state where it’s been legalized. I’m sure that there will be people listening to this podcast who live in places where it’s still illegal. Hang on. Keep talking to your legislators; someday, your state could be legalized like ours.

Emily: It’s going to happen. It has to happen. The people want it. I have interviewed several people from Texas and the Bible Belt down south, and it’s unbelievable the rules that they have. I am thankful that New York has been so progressive. It’s not perfect, but we have come such a long way, and I’m thankful for the opportunities that we have with cannabis up here.

Tom: Oh, we definitely are, too. We’re very thankful that, to a certain degree, it’s like out of the shadows, which it needs to be. It’s not something that should have been in the shadows all those years.

Emily: No. And that’s why I really want to do this podcast. Thinking about your demographic and the folks that consume edibles, they don’t have their friends to talk to or are unwilling to talk to other people about it. The more we all come together and discuss it out loud publicly and talk about the benefits, the more (hopefully) other people will jump on board and realize the beautiful gift that it is.

Tom: Absolutely. Absolutely. We lived in California and Oregon, and we got to live there before it was legalized in both places and then we went back later and saw that it really didn’t change anything. It was just interesting at the time; people just went to a store for their cannabis. Eventually, it’ll become normalized in New York State, where we live, but it’ll just take a little while, probably a few years. 

Emily: It does seem that time heals all wounds. It feels that way for cannabis as well. I’m sure, obviously, you’ve seen that in both California and Oregon. 

Tom: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. It’s so normalized out there now. It’s completely different. People are just in line at a store.

Emily: You are the first couple I’ve interviewed, so I want to ask you a question.. How does cannabis work with your relationship? I always tell people that cannabis is a benefit to a lot of relationships, especially at 25-year marriage. How do you feel cannabis is helpful to your relationship in any way?

Tom: I’ll give you an example. I don’t know exactly for how long, but Amy has had this little glass jar for years. It’s a little bigger than my thumb and has a little wooden cork. For the entire time she’s had it, she has brought me this little glass jar and asked me to put something in it when it’s empty. I go and find the nicest-looking thing I can find to put in that jar. It’s always so cute to me. She’s had that jar since we lived in Portland, Oregon. That’s one way.

Amy: Tom really loves his plants and they give him something to do. There are times when I need to remind him that there are people in his family, too! He is with his plants quite a bit, playing them music and talking to them. He wants to buy the best things for them. It could be considered a borderline obsession, but he loves them so much. I am so happy to see him with them because it makes me happy to see him so happy.

Emily: Oh my gosh, that is so sweet. I’m asking for my own selfish reasons now. Can you give us a piece of marriage advice after 25 years of marriage?

Tom: Don’t sweat the small stuff. There’s going to be a lot of it. 

Amy: Yeah, I think that would be a good one. And maybe when things get really heated, walk away, take a breath, and come back. It saves a lot of agony.

Emily: I feel like cannabis helps with both of those. I feel like cannabis can give us the step back that we need.

Amy: Yes, definitely. 

Emily: Congratulations to you two; 25 years is amazing. I have another business-related question for you before we get into our final questions for the interview. So, for business, I have so many listeners and readers who dream of starting a cannabis business, an edible business, doing exactly what you’re doing right now, and they want to help people the way you’re doing it. But you guys are actually doing it. So, do you have any advice for someone who might be listening or wanting to make edibles for other people? What is your advice to them about getting started?

Tom: My advice to them about getting started would be to try and be as transparent as possible about all of the ingredients that they’re using and where those things come from. 

Amy: And I think it’s just to have fun. I love to bake. I especially love being able to bake with cannabis because it incorporates Tom’s love of plants and my love of baking. I love coming up with new, fun ways to make things,  being able to share things with other people, and seeing them get excited. I think you have to go for it and trust that if you are doing what you love and making a really good product, I think people will naturally be drawn to it. 

Emily: Absolutely. That’s the best advice: get out there and do it and see what happens with the best of intentions. You can build something beautiful just like you guys are doing. 

Tom: Oh, thank you so much.

Emily: I find it’s such humanitarian work to offer medicine to elderly folks who can’t get it somewhere else or to provide that relief. I find it to be some of the most rewarding and special gifts that we can give other people to share our love and knowledge of the plant. You two are doing that, and it sounds like you’re making so many people feel better. It just warms my heart. I’m so happy to see what you guys are doing. 

Tom: Oh, thanks again, Emily. 

Emily: I want to be respectful of your time, but I want to ask you both four questions, and I’d like you both to answer each question. Are you ready for them? 

Tom: Yes. We went out the other night and just sat at a little place and talked about our answers. So, hopefully, we’re ready. 

Emily: No wonder you’ve been married for 25 years. That’s adorable. All right. The first question’s up. What are you most proud of?

Tom: I was going to go first on that one, but I was going to say that I’m really most proud of the people that our daughters are becoming and these wonderful humans that they’re turning out to be.

Amy: I’m going to say that I’m really most proud of Tom and I think I’m changing my answer on him right now. So he has overcome many obstacles in his life, and he keeps on going. I’m really proud of the enthusiasm he has for what he’s doing right now and the way that he just loves what he does. It makes him a better person, and I think it makes us all a better family.

Emily: Wow. That’s so sweet, Amy. Oh my gosh. All right. Next question for you both. What would life look like without cannabis? 

Tom: If I’m going to answer this completely honestly, it won’t be the most cheery answer. At certain points in my life, I felt like alcohol was taking over, and a few years ago, I had to close that door. I didn’t want alcohol in my life anymore, and I think that cannabis helped me so much with that. Without cannabis, I’d probably be drinking a beer right now, and I don’t want to do that.

Emily: That’s awesome.

Amy: I’m not really a fan of prescription medication. I feel like there are many times when I’m going through something, and even though I believe that sometimes you have to feel what you’re feeling, sometimes that feeling is just too big. I feel like cannabis has given me the tools to get through hard times without having to get a prescription. I’m grateful for that. I’m also grateful that there really aren’t a lot of if any, bad side effects from cannabis.

Emily: Yes, absolutely. Next question. If you could go back 10, 20, or even 30 years ago and give yourself a piece of advice, what would it be? 

Tom: If I were going to give myself a piece of advice, it would be to keep everybody as close to me as possible. Every single person, whether I realize how important they are to me or not. I think as you get older, you start to realize how much more these relationships really mean.

Amy: I would say, too, that if there’s really something you want to do, go for it. You never know when your number’s up, and things can change on a dime. If you’re passionate about something and you want to do it, go for it. Be fearless, and don’t underestimate yourself. There have been so many times throughout this process when Tom and I looked at each other and said,
“Wow. We just did that!”

Emily: That is such perfect advice. Amy. I feel like you’re my kind of woman. I love listening to everything that you’re saying. Last question for you both. If you could be remembered for just one thing in the cannabis space, what would it be?

Tom: If I could be remembered for just one thing in that space, it would be that everyone always knew that whatever I had grown was absolutely purely organic.

Amy: I think for me, it would just be that I would want to be known for bringing a smile to people’s faces through my desserts. I love to make silly little things. We’ve done different themes and fun things. I thought it would be fun to share a cookie with somebody, so we made a two-pack. You could buy the two cookies, have one, and share the other with someone else. It’s fun to come up with cute, fun ways to be able to enjoy and share cannabis and make it not so scary or taboo.

Emily: Oh, my gosh. You both are doing that beautifully, and I can’t thank you enough for coming here and sharing everything that you did with us today, especially on your anniversary. Now, if people are interested in learning more about you both, where can they find you and more information about Good Buddy Edibles? 

Amy: Right now, we are on Instagram. That’s really the only platform we have. We’re slowly evolving, but you can check us out there. We’re using Instagram as our menu, and I can showcase all my little desserts and things I do.

Emily: Thank you so much for joining us today. I enjoyed this conversation very much, and I appreciate you coming and doing this with me on your anniversary. 

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