Sage advice: Choose Barbari Botanical Co. for your next roll.

Meet Meryl Mongomery and Valarie Sakota, the owners and founders of the blooming Barbari Botanical Co. 

In November 2023, the Flower Pot sat down with them to discuss their origins, their journey together as long-time friends and founders, and what lies ahead for Barbari.

Here’s what they had to say.

Q: Tell us about your business offerings.

A: We do herbal smoking blends. That's sort of the base product line. Herbs include Raspberry Leaf, Lavender, Peppermint, Sage, Lions Tail.

From there, you can mix those into your own pre-roll. 

But we also have a line of pre-rolls that we dose with Hemp CBD. In select dispensaries, we will occasionally have THC products -- so low-dose THC pre-rolls.

Barbari also sells herbal accessories, homegoods, gifts, and embellishments. But their herbal offerings have really taken off. TFP understands the potent magic of their supply, but we thought it might be illuminating to learn a little bit more about what makes their intentionally-selected herbal blends so successful.

Q: What's unique about your herbal offerings?

A: We work with almost 20 different botanicals. Each of our botanicals is effect-based, just like tea, like smokable tea herbs. So, having that targeted effect is super important to us because we want people to know that these botanicals are there for them with sort of whatever intention they're looking to achieve.

Q: What's your most popular smoke blend?

A: Airplane Mode is our best seller. It is one of our more visually floral blends. On top of that, I think people are stressed and have trouble managing their own anxieties. That is something we're happy to be able to help support them with. 

But I'll say, since we've launched our Period Daze product, it has quickly shot up to be the number 2 seller. It's made for the first few days of your cycle, and it's one of the most reviewed products on our website of people saying it gives them instant relief. They actually are looking forward to their periods now, to know that there's something that can support them in a more botanical way.

Whether it’s for tuning out the world or easing menstrual pain, effect-based herbal blends ensure that customers can tailor their experience based on their desired outcomes. That got us wondering…what was their desired outcome when initially starting their business?

Q: What are your origins? Did you always intend to be collaborators?

A: We were college friends. We went to school at Oregon State University, had many a smoke circle, and just became buds and then stayed in touch for years. 

We did a cross country trip from Oregon to New York. We did mushrooms together for the first time. In approximately 2016, Oregon's adult rec came online. I (Valarie) mentioned (to Meryl) that there was this idea I was exploring.

A week later, I (Meryl) called Valarie and said "I haven't stopped thinking about the product and the brand." That was the end of 2016. 

Our first products hit the shelves in 2018. We did an accelerator program in 2019 where we did a small friends and family round. And we've since begun working with wholesale consumers both large-scale (Urban Outfitters) and boutique (The Flower Pot). We also have direct-to-consumer sales with individuals purchasing directly via our website.

It’s a unique journey to go from friends to co-founders and an even bigger testament to their collaborative power that they’ve been able to sustain the business for almost a decade now. If it’s anything like TFP’s journey, we know it hasn’t all been uphill. Business-owning is a process of discovery…and in their case, it’s a shared kind.

Q: How important has creative collaboration been in owning a business together?

A: Even just speaking broadly to collaborative energy in this space, that's one thing that's really helped our business continue to feel supported. There's always been a really beautiful community, especially in women in cannabis.

Meryl and I (Valarie) certainly have different strengths, but we also have overlapping strengths. The beauty of that is when one of us is feeling burnt out or really needs to step back or take it a little bit slow, the other one sort of magically has the ability to step in and even take over the work load or provide a level of input that helps keep things moving steadily. 

V added: We have such a natural ability to see the other person's self, aside from the labels that are on them. And I think we both love and care about each other and want the true best for them.

What can we learn from this brilliant business duo? The collaborative approach can nurture a supportive environment. Their strategy of picking up the slack when one needs time away for the everyday hiccups of real life was undoubtedly strengthened with their 10+ years of friendship.

Q: Which three people are in your dream smoke circle?

M's Answer: My first one is Kehlani because she's my celebrity crush. I would love to just look at her. The next is Frida Kahlo because you want someone intellectual, artistic, a bit "out there" and not afraid to be "out there." The next is my step mom who passed away in 2020. She never smoked ever. She definitely didn't use plant medicine even after she was diagnosed with cancer. But I feel like now that she's passed, she might be down. And it would be great to have a conversation with her and just hear her laugh.

V's Answer: The first is Janelle Monae, obviously. I want to give a Muse spliff and she's just a good vibe. So you want that in your smoke circle. I would also want a good conversationalist. Someone who can ask the deep questions and wants to just talk about life and ponder. The last one is Marie Curie. Her and her husband (but really her) identified something about a radioactive particle that had been previously unknown. And even today, all of her journals have to be kept in radioactive compartments because they're still radioactive due to the particles she was working with in her lab. At the time, she was a trailblazing female in a scientific community that was not friendly to women. And I would love to sit down, pass her a joint, and ask her "how did you ask the question that everyone else wasn't asking."

The themes are all there! Their dream smoke circles are a testament to their diverse interests, strong-female focus, appreciation for getting real, and love for a pioneer. These distinctive values serve as the throughline of their offerings, underscoring above all, their devotion to the herbal remedy. 

Speaking of– we’re stocking some of their favs just for you:

• Hemp Flower: Imagine 7g of pure, CBD-rich hemp flower, USDA certified Organic, grown by East Fork Cultivars in Southern Oregon. Sun-kissed and hand-trimmed, it's perfect for those who love to roll their own and bask in the simplicity of nature’s finest. A fantastic alternative to tobacco. 
• Car Sex: Ready for a wild rendezvous? This blend will bring out your inner rebel with euphoric klip dagga (aka lion’s tail) and sustainably-cultivated white sage. Tailor-made for those risqué reveries and pleasurable encounters, it’s a sensual send off featuring raspberry leaf, mullein, white sage, and lion’s tail.
• Free Time:  Tap into your creative flow and let the brilliance unfold with ease. This blend invites you to play and explore, helping you access those moments of genius that arrive when you’re not forcing them. With a citrusy concoction of lemon balm, calendula, wormwood, and raspberry leaf, Free Time is all about floating through your day with a light heart and an open mind.
• Airplane Mode: Time to unplug and unwind with this calming ritual. This blend of blue lotus, rose petals, and lavender is perfect for transitioning into your moonlit rhythms. Let the soothing mix of raspberry leaf, rose, lavender, sage, and blue lotus melt away anxieties and send you on a journey in the dream realm.
• Period Daze: A lifesaver for those special days, this blend is formulated with Xula Herbs to help soothe and soften menstrual discomfort. With herbs like raspberry leaf, chamomile, pink rose, mugwort, and cramp bark, it’s all about bringing a relief you can rely on.

And guess what? These dreamy blends are the only smokables we carry in our shop – handpicked and perfect for your herbal remedy needs. And if you prefer a tea to a toke, keep in mind that the loose herb is multi-functional. Think: yoni steaming, steeped teas, and creative bath soaks. But we’ll let you experiment for yourself. ;)

With this brilliant array of blends, we couldn’t help but wonder what Barbari Botanical Co. has up their sleeve for the year.

Q: What is Barbari focusing on in 2024?

A: 2023 was a big year for us. We were going through a fundraising round in 2021 and 2022. And we did not close that round. So we had less than six months before we ran out of runway. So 2023 was all about profitability and getting to stability. 2024, now that we are stable, is definitely more of a growth mindset. I think now that we are stable and me (Meryl) personally, I feel much more healed and recovered from the fundraising round gauntlet...that I have more energy going into 2024 to focus on different kinds of growth that I hope Barbari will see. Growth is the name of the game! We're always looking for new products and new ways to expand our offerings.

A: We are currently rolling out a brand refresh and a few new-ish products. I (Valarie) have been working towards refreshing the visual center of Barbari for over a year and finally feel like I’ve landed on something that I love, which is also resonating with our customers. We’ll be introducing our new packaging slowly throughout the year as well as rotating in a few new hemp strains in flower and preroll form!

Thanks for the insights, Meryl and Valarie! With stability honed, we look forward to watching you grow and invent as you establish new avenues for Barbari’s expansion.

To keep up with Barbari, follow their Instagram @barbari.shop and visit their website barbarishop.com.