After having already established an affinity for smoking flower and the cannabis culture as a whole , it was a trip to the Denver High Times Cannabis Cup in 2015 that left Kemper craving a piece of the action . After an experimental period that may or may not have , according to him , involved “ blasting quarter-pounds in my buddy ’ s backyard — highly sketchy , and not advised ,” Kemper was hooked .
When not working at Nuthera Labs , Matt Kemper enjoys taking in Rocky Mountain High views . ( All photos contributed .)
With a focus on ( and passion for ) turning cannabis flower into some of the best hash you ’ ll ever consume , Kemper soon found himself pushing out the fire in the same Legacy Market he once was merely purchasing from .
One of the coolest perks of manufacturing some of the city ’ s best hash while working at
The fruits of Kemper ’ s labor at Nuthera Labs on full display .
a well-respected smoke shop in the mid-tolate 2010s was the constant possibility of establishing connections within the underground cannabis scene as its members came in to purchase smoking tools . For Kemper , the connections coming through the door would eventually turn above-board .
While still working at It ’ s A Dream , Kemper met Alex Paulakovich , Nuthera Labs ’ former director of operations ( now serving as Nuthera ’ s vice president ).
“ I was curious what that could mean for me in my clandestine hash-making journey ,” Kemper explained .
After going through the interview process , getting on with Nuthera Labs , and working his hash off , Kemper now finds himself as Nuthera ’ s extraction lab manager . While still proud of his Legacy Market family getting their products off the old-fashioned way , he obviously had to change his manufacturing methods to take it to a business-level scale . Still , Kemper is clearly living his best life .
“ Making hash is my hobby , my work , my stress relief ,” he reveals . “ There is something intrinsically special about making a quality product that you then can share with other people . It ’ s the gift that keeps on giving . Every single day I process concentrates , there is something new or some new way I want to try something .”
While Missouri ’ s cannabis scene will only go as far as its hardest workers take it , it also was only going to start off as dank as Kemper and his family in the Legacy Market could leave it upon prohibition ’ s end .
“ I love the cannabis industry because it ’ s all about evolving ,” Kemper says . “ How do we make cleaner , tastier , more effective products ? And let ’ s be honest , being able to legally get paid for something that I ’ ve been doing for so long is truly full circle .”
Rocco Scarcello is a production floater for Elevate Missouri . He is a former college baseball player , graduating from Missouri Valley College in 2017 before getting into newspaper and radio news / sports broadcasting in north central Missouri , youth baseball tournament coordination in Kansas City , and eventually into the medical marijuana field . He is also a studio artist currently releasing music and working on his first album .
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