Meet Alex Puig | Co-Founder of The Holding Company

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alex Puig and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
I would say quality control is probably the biggest unknown for outsiders. Up until recently, testing wasn’t required for potency, contaminants, etc. for hemp products. People were not far off when they compared CBD to snake oil in a lot of cases – not at The Holding Company. My partner and I work with a farm outside of Boulder that grows USDA certified, pesticide-free Colorado grown industrial hemp, and is extracted using a patented chemical free extraction process that produces the cleanest and most effective CBD and CBG products on the market. A lot of other companies use imported hemp, they use CO2, butane, ethanol, along with many other chemicals and harsh solvents only to create a far less effective product.

Not only do tons of subpar products exist, but a lack of education is an issue that the cannabis and hemp world faces – people buying THC free products is the #1 thing we are trying to change the stigma around. There are legal or health reasons that people choose THC free products, but people choosing them because they are afraid to get high is what we’re here to shake up. All of our products contain the legal amount of THC across the US (less than .3% THC per product), and we are huge proponents of not just hemp and CBD, but all cannabis. Cannabinoids work together synergistically in what’s known as “The Entourage Effect”, and while our products do contain THC, they are not intended to get you high when taken in suggested doses. People need to fix the stigma around cannabis and THC specifically, otherwise, by not utilizing the WHOLE plant and only isolating CBD or single cannabinoids to use at a time, people are going to feel like there is much to be desired. We’re her to change that, educate the world, and provide a cannabis experience that changes the way people view the plant we love so much.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve been in the cannabis industry across some well known brands in the state and have a passion for sharing quality products that help make people realize the whole plant potential, not just one or two isolated cannabinoids. While we focus on full spectrum CBD and CBG at the moment, we intend to do so much more in the cannabis space.

I’ve worked managing a dispensary, as a budtender, and for the last 4 years, I’ve been in gardens growing for many respected companies. I think my understanding of the industry from the inside out, along with my total respect and love for the plant separates me from a lot of other people in the cannabis space. There are a lot of people in this industry for a check. I’ve learned that being curious and wanting to learn as much as possible about cannabis allows me to meet like-minded people. You can learn so much more and connect more genuinely about a topic (not just cannabis) if you always approach the subject as a student. Too many folks think they know everything, or even worse, openly admit that they don’t care about cannabis and just the money. When you don’t care for the plant and just want the money, I can see right through that and it shows in peoples products.

My partner Max and I truly have a deep rooted love for cannabis and providing the absolute best products for people to enjoy. Our brand is rooted in 60’s counterculture and we are striving to recreate that through our brand. Not only a safe space for dialogue about plant medicines, but a place for healing, peace, and love for all people of all walks of life. There is so much hatred in the world today and we want to contribute to turning the trend. We are so excited to grow into this brand and we hope that by casting a wide net of genuine interests, people will see the sincerity and join us for the ride.

I want the world to start to understand cannabis more. With so many more people interested in products from CBD to dabbing, companies put out cheap products that are easy to get stuck buying. These are products you are ingesting, smoking, and using regularly – you should really take the time to understand what you’re putting in your body, and spend the money to get a product from a brand that respects the plant and uses it in ways that leave you with a good representation of the plant in its most natural form. People strip away terpenes or sell products with 0% THC marketed to help, when they mostly do nothing at all. You ARE supposed to feel CBD, weed IS supposed to taste good, and most people are just blindly buying the cheapest product and getting a very mediocre cannabis experience – we’re here to bring good times and great cannabis products together. Hop on the bus with us 🙂

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Definitely gotta plan trips around a show – preferably Red Rocks or The Mishawaka. Red Rocks is a must – music or not. The Mish is great because you can knock out some camping and see some music, so that’s always a blast for someone visiting. Living in Denver these days, we would probably do a quick trip to Boulder to maybe do the farmers market and creek, or a quick hike depending on the visitor. Always love grabbing a bite at El Five in Denver, I don’t get out much these days with a 1.5 year-old, but there’s some good drinks over in the Highlands that are all close enough to walk to from there. Other than that, maybe try and get over to Comedy Works for some stand up, explore downtown Denver a bit, and most people coming to Colorado have an idea of some things they’d like to do, so I always like to see where visitors have in mind as well 🙂

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Definitely my family and my business partner, Max. Starting a business in the middle of a pandemic gave us the motivation to power through and have something to show for our time at home, but having just had my first son last February, things can get busy. My girlfriend, Megan, has been so great in supporting/putting up with all the craziness that comes with starting not only a business, but a family at the same time – she’s the real MVP. My business partner, Max, also deserves a major shout out. We both bring very different skill sets to the table which allows us to really cover a lot of ground, and having someone to deal with the stress and head aches that come on a daily basis is huge. This is absolutely not a journey I’d want to be on alone.

Website: www.theholdingcompany.co

Instagram: @the_holding_company

Other: Personal IG accounts: Alex – @creamyal Max – @max.hofert.design / @jimmyboofit

Image Credits
Nikki Russell