NUWU Sessions: Tony Capone, Packwoods C.E.O. on how the brand keeps innovating

Welcome to NuWu Sessions, where we invite guests to enjoy one of our top-shelf table packages in Las Vegas' first and only cannabis consumption lounge: The Vegas Tasting Room. In today's episode, we've asked the C.E.O. of Packwoods, Tony Capone, to come by and get high. Read on as we discuss his early career, how he became the C.E.O. of Packwoods, and what the future holds for the brand. It's only here on NuWu Sessions, so let's get into it!

About Tony Capone

Anthony Capone, who goes by Tony, is the C.E.O. of Packwoods and was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Tony has an extensive background in sales and has founded over 8 companies within his first 5 years of joining the cannabis industry. 

In January 2017, Tony started making his mark in the cannabis industry by creating Cali Sweets. Cali Sweets is a company based in California specializing in edibles and where the flagship rice crispy treat, KoKoNuggz, was born. 

From Cali Sweets, Tony has gone on to create TrendHouse Distribution, a cannabis distribution company based in Los Angeles. As well as Baked Head Studio Group, a marketing and branding production studio that helps companies make websites and unique branding. Both these companies were founded in 2018, and yet, Tony still had the foresight to join and become the C.E.O. of Packwoods, now helping the brand to reach a global audience. 

Regarding cannabis, Tony is arguably one of the authorities in smoking and rolling blunts and joints (a clear indication that Packwoods is his labor of love). During this NuWu Session, Tony mentioned that although he's been smoking blunts and joints for a long time, he only recently started to lean towards Sativa dominant cannabis. Rather than the potent Indica strains he prefers, like a good Sour Diesel (to check out all of NuWu's options, click on the link)! Keep reading to gain more insights about Tony and what led him to create one of the most iconic paraphernalia and blunt brands in the cannabis market.

What got you started in the cannabis market?

Tony Capone has a long history of being in sales. However, his aspiration to work in cannabis was a constant even when the industry was still in its infancy. After Colorado became federally legal, one of Tony's friends convinced the then 24-year-old to move to Colorado and start growing cannabis in that market. 

The friends began to formulate a plan to buy several properties in Colorado, grow and distribute cannabis, and then sell the properties once their production was complete. However, the project never reached maturity, and Tony looked for other options.

A fateful L.A. conference for sales and affiliate marketing changed Tony's outlook on joining the cannabis industry. The conference was a minor detail compared to his experience visiting L.A. and seeing the cannabis culture for the first time. Tony was immediately drawn toward moving to California and setting up a cannabis cultivation facility with his friends and business partners. One such friend had already set up a warehouse in California, so Tony took up the offer and began cultivating. 

After the initial investment, including several hundreds of lights to grow cannabis indoors, Tony had to cut his losses after realizing that growing cannabis was not the field for him. Yet, this trial led to him creating Packwoods at just the right time! 

Packwoods' origins & growing pains

The Packwoods brand was created when opportunity met demand. Tony and his team worked in their warehouse and needed a product line for distribution in L.A. They wanted to have a variation of the pre-roll blunts, and Tony tried to purchase inventory from Barewoods; at the time, they were the biggest distributor of cannabis blunts in California. Tony could not get the products in time, so he set out on a mission to create his own line of pre-rolled blunts. 

The team decided on Packwoods as the brand name because the blunts were packed with cannabis and initially rolled from wood. As a businessman, Tony saw that there weren't any potent, infused blunts on the market, and he was determined to fix that.

When Tony challenged his partner, Johnny, to design a blunt that would knock any competition out of the park, he made the Packwoods Classic Blunt we know today. With 2 grams of concentrate-infused flower, hemp wrapped and coated with kief, and a glass filter to make it all hit as smooth as possible, this Blunt became the clear winner. 

Can you describe your role in Packwoods?

At Packwoods, Tony describes himself as a C.E.O. who actively wears multiple hats daily. Like many who have created successful cannabis start-ups, Tony understands that his role involves being involved in every part of the business. Still, he works closely with his business partner, Johnny, who handles the design and product development for the brand. Tony focuses on the logistics and operations of the business across the country. He constantly has to travel with his team to increase brand awareness, maintain compliance throughout different states, and expand the markets where Packwoods appears. 

"It's still such a new industry, and there are all these new areas developing, and you constantly have to travel, so you have to wear many hats." - Tony Capone

In the early days of Packwoods, what were some growing pains you guys had to endure?

As Packwoods keeps growing, there have been numerous challenges they've had to overcome as a brand to stay on top of the cannabis game. At first, they had worked for several licensed partners, and those partnerships didn't work out well because they were expanding faster than expected. This caused many problems for the budding company, and Tony decided to pull the plug on the company's operation.

Tony then had to deal with improving the manufacturing of the hand-rolled blunts. As the name suggests, employees had to learn how to hand-roll the blunts and create and use the glass tips (a rare commodity at the time).

Yet, the biggest consistent problem the company has had since its infancy has been the counterfeits that have appeared everywhere. Tony mentioned that it felt like everything they created for Packwoods wouldn't make it past 6 months without a duplicate or counterfeit popping up in other markets. Yet, ever the optimist, Tony also credits the counterfeits for helping Packwoods transition into other markets. As a strategic businessman, Tony has grown in various cannabis markets, including cannabis, hemp, H.H.C., and Delta products. As much as the counterfeits have tried to imitate them, the Packwoods brand remains far superior to any copy. 

"I see all these people counterfeiting me, but they're just spreading my name and helping me open up more accounts." - Tony Capone.

New products & new venues

Packwoods has transformed the blunt game, and its objective and goal are to strive for innovation. For the team, it's not just about creating potent cannabis and cultivating different strains. Instead, they focus on coming up with new ideas, products, and ways to expand the cannabis industry.

Tony then unveiled one of their latest inventions, Packwraps, a game changer in the blunt wraps category. The Packwraps is a rolling kit with 2 all-natural tobacco-free, slow-burning hemp wraps with terpene-infused flavors for your favorite blunt flavors. The kit also comes with a reusable glass filter and a "Pro-Packer XL," a clear tube that makes packing your blunt easier.

When the California market changed, they prohibited cannabis cultivators from using tobacco with cannabis products. Packwoods took on the challenge of creating a hemp wrap close to tobacco in flavor but much healthier. 

The wraps that Packwoods makes are put through a treatment process in the Dominican Republic, where the wraps are dyed, stained, and infused with terpenes to develop the different tobacco-like flavors. Tony mentions that this process is why their blunts don't look like they're made of hemp. Tony also said that products like these have allowed Packwoods to expand from the cannabis market to other venues for smokers. From convenience stores, gas stations, and products where any type of smoker can enjoy a hemp wrap that is identical to a tobacco wrap but much healthier.

Another simple yet competitive innovation that Packwoods has created is its new glass-tipped joints. These joints are meant to meet the demand for a glass-coned pre-roll that is similar in price to a traditional paper cone. Still, the glass cone is designed to give the consumer a smoother hit and helps keep them within budget.  

These products will be coming to the Nevada market soon, and the best part is that these glass-coned pre-rolls will be available in three forms. The first version is the traditional live resin infused pre-roll. There's the infused hash rosin pre-roll, and lastly, for the rebels, the pre-rolls also come plain for those who prefer to pack them with their favorite strains.

These new products are just a small sample of how Packwoods keeps reinventing the game, making it known to the cannabis community that they aim to stay on top.

The culture & future of Packwoods

The Packwoods team has grown over the years, yet they've managed to keep their operation small and tightly knit. On the administrative side, they average about 30 employees. Yet, they tend to stay ahead of the curve, no matter how small their team is. 

Everyone in the team understands that hard work is the root of their company culture. Everyone puts in the extra hours, constantly travels to promote their brand, and, most importantly, maintains a great relationship. The company's operations and production side also average about 30-40 employees, and everyone pulls their weight and more. Tony describes the company culture as being like a family.

"We got a good family over there, our team at Packwoods, we all travel together, we're always hanging out, doing nation-wide events, and we all work late hours, we have a great office vibe." - Tony Capone.

What are your goals over the next 5 years for Packwoods?

As a pragmatic businessman, Tony's goals are simple, yet they span many different avenues for the company. A primary goal is to penetrate the paraphernalia market with all of the different varieties of wraps and pre-roll joins coming into the market. Tony stated that they strive to keep growing at the rate they grew over the last 5 years.

One of their current objectives is to get Packwoods overseas to support the European cannabis market. This supports their goal of getting their product into every available market. These goals are no small feat, but with the dedication of the Packwoods team, it seems they're willing to take on any challenge in the market. 

Conclusion

The Packwoods brand has gained its status as a staple of the cannabis market by constantly seeking to innovate and create new solutions to growing consumer demands. Tony Capone has strived to create an all-encompassing brand that branches to as many industries as possible.

 While keeping his aim toward the future, Tony gave us some advice for the next generation of cannabis entrepreneurs. "Man, you just gotta just keep working hard. You gotta innovate and put the hours into creating your business now. It's definitely a hard market to break into, but it's achievable. This industry is still pretty young, and there's plenty of room to grow!"
That's all for this NuWu Session with the Packwoods C.E.O. Tony Capone! Make sure to check out the Packwoods website to keep track of their latest cannabis creations. If you're looking for the place to shop for all things Packwoods, then come shop with us at NuWu Cannabis Marketplace. We'll see you next time at NuWu Sessions!