Employee Spotlight
Matt Kemper
Living a Dream as
Extraction Lab Manager
by Rocco Scarcello , contributing writer
Despite the sweetheart status Missouri ’ s adult-use cannabis market has earned with its consumers and workers alike , it ’ s only natural for there to be a few things people haven ’ t fully grasped about the inner workings of this flashy , billion-dollar-plus industry .
Since its inception in 2019 , The EVOLUTION Magazine is one of the only publications in Missouri that has continually shined light on the stigmas and common misunderstandings of the state ’ s cannabis industry and its workers .
But , in case you ’ re new to the state or these pages ( welcome !), something we ’ ve tried hard to illuminate is the fact that despite potentially facing disapproval from peers and family , sometimes having to take a pay cut to join the action , and for many of us ( myself included ), we continually grind through the challenges of a new industry that didn ’ t always show as much life and promise as it does now . Nevertheless , by and large , the Show-Me State ’ s favorite industry was molded from the resilience of the workers operating the plan and the blueprint that Missouri ’ s Legacy Market ( or unregulated market , both pre- and post-prohibition ) created over many years and battles .
At this point , stories of Missourians leaving what appeared to be a dead-end job and finding success in cannabis are plentiful . But somehow , it feels like less attention has been paid to the transition of workers from one sort of job — those who operated or worked for “ smoke shops ,” many of whom at one point or another had workers deeply engrained in Missouri ’ s Legacy Market .
While dispensaries have taken over in some communities and capacities as the main hub for cannabis consumers , smoke shops — also known as “ head shops ” or “ glass shops ” — were once ( and oftentimes still are ) the undisputed backbone of the town or area ’ s cannabis culture . For many consumers , the story of their cannabis journey couldn ’ t be told without mentioning their favorite smoke shop at least a few times .
In fact , if you haven ’ t done this already , look at the lobby and / or sales floor of the next few dispensaries you shop at and notice how similarly structured to a smoke shop it might be . Coincidence ?
With this in mind , if Matt Kemper , extraction lab manager for Nuthera Labs , looks familiar to you , it ’ s not because he joined the industry after a successful career driving your child ’ s school bus .
“ I ’ ve always loved the different walks of life that venture into a smoke shop ,” Kemper says . “ Being able to guide someone into buying an apparatus and taking a proper dab is just as satisfying . I ’ ve probably sold 80 percent of KC ’ s stoners some sort of bong or pipe at one point .”
Despite many different choices in Kansas City , a few smoke shops ended up separating themselves from the herd , and one of the most notable of these dispo-ancestors is It ’ s A Dream in Kansas City ’ s Westport area .
“ Josh Funk and I ran It ’ s A Dream for a span of about four or five years — Josh is the creative genius ,” Kemper humbly explains .
“ Josh would set up artist meet-and-greets or find any excuse to throw a party and have some glassblowers roll up and hang out ,” Kemper says , describing the talented people able to turn and manipulate materials into beautiful smoking utensils through high-temperature flames and torches . “ Our Halloween parties were always great at the shop , and it was good exposure for local artists , too .”
Whatever happened to those Halloween parties , though ?
Matt Kemper hanging out in Kansas City . Despite being born and raised in California , Kemper loves going to Arrowhead Stadium and supporting the KC Chiefs .
“ Now ,” Kemper says , “ they have evolved into what CannaBrew Kansas City ( a wellrespected glassblowing contest ) is today .”
40 March 2024