Meet Stephanie Laws with Sträva Coffee

A Denver-based company, Sträva has changed the coffee game forever. In an effort to create a stand-out product within a heavily saturated industry, Sträva is the first company to introduce cannabis-infused coffee to the market. Their CBD-infused roasts are a true celebration of craft coffee and high-quality hemp extract. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Sträva’s Marketing Manager, Stephanie Laws, who gave me the scoop on this specialty coffee brand, her role in the company and all things caffeine and cannabis. Stephanie, tell us a little bit about Sträva Coffee and how it came to be.

Sträva Coffee was founded in 2015 by two guys who shared a passion for traveling and great coffee. It started as a small craft coffee roastery with the desire to find extraordinary coffee from all over the world, roast them to perfection and share with local cafes and our community.

What did your journey into the coffee & cannabis world look like?
As a coffee company, we quickly discovered that a lot of people roast really good coffee. We needed to find a way to be unique if we were going to make a name for ourselves. Being in Denver, there are dispensaries everywhere, so cannabis, mostly THC, was extremely popular. Back then CBD was just starting to make a name for itself. As we did more and more research we could not get over the amazing benefits CBD offered. We started experimenting, making sample batches to test on our friends and family the results we indescribable. Everyone loved it! It helped them wake up, focus, and go about their day with more purpose; so, of course, we thought, let’s add more! Then people really started to notice a relief from anxiety and a reduction of aches and pain. We knew we created a game-changer and with that, we were the first company to put a CBD coffee on the market.

What is your role at Sträva Coffee? What is your favorite part?
My official title is Marketing Manager, but I do a little of everything (except roasting, we leave that to our pros). I was actually Sträva’s very first employee. I started helping in production and filling and labeling bags. As we grew I moved to customer service, something our company takes very seriously. I developed our wholesale program, which I still help manage a lot of those accounts to this day. We are a small team, so we all do our part to make sure things get done, whatever that may be. My favorite part about my job is getting to organize and run events. I love getting to travel, meet and introduce people to our incredible coffee.

Why CBD and coffee?
Infusing coffee with CBD has many benefits. For most people coffee is habitual and CBD is most effective when it’s incorporated in their daily routine. Instead of having to remember another pill or gummy, Sträva becomes a part of your mornings that you truly enjoy. Combining CBD with something that people are familiar with is a great way to introduce CBD to those who might be hesitant to try it. Including CBD in your daily cup of coffee is less intimidating for those who could benefit from CBD’s therapeutic properties. My grandpa would have never let me put a weird substance like a tincture in his mouth to hold under his tongue, but he’d sit down and have a cup of coffee with me, which allowed me the opportunity to explain the benefits as he experienced them. In addition, coffee and CBD create this incredible balance. CBD has the tendency to cause you to become sleepy or lethargic, so the caffeine helps fight that feeling while the CBD will help relieve the caffeine jitters that some get when drinking coffee. It’s basically magic!

There aren’t many CBD-infused coffees on the market. Do you see the caffeine & cannabis market expanding?
Yes, I absolutely think the CBD coffee market will expand. I already know of a few bigger corporations that are waiting for the FDA to approve of consumable CBD products before they launch their own. We’re lucky to be pioneers during this time in which we are building an incredible loyal customer base who believes and trusts the quality of our products.

As a woman working in the cannabis industry, do you face any unique challenges?
I’ve honestly never thought about there being challenges because I’m female. You’re right, this is a pretty male-dense industry. My degree is in a male-dominated field as well. I guess I’m used to it, so I don’t see it as a challenge.

What CBD or hemp products do you currently use?
Sträva CBD-infused coffee every day, obviously. I occasionally take a CBG + CBD tincture if I’m really stressed out. There’s something in CBG that just makes me euphoric. And now, after trying SipCozy, it’s my new go-to beverage to take to any get-together.

How do you get cozy?
I’m simple; my favorite way to get cozy is to hunker down with a good book and cup of coffee.

Check out the Sträva website for more infused coffee options like whole bean and ground coffee, K-cups, and even Nespresso pods.

Xo, Team SipCozy