Cannabis opened doors that transformed far more than his health.
Patient Wellness ~
Meet Ricky,
Cannabis Patient
Cannabis opened doors that transformed far more than his health.
by Kassie Ferrero, contributing writer
Ricky Kreklow visiting the mountain region of the Philippines. One his favorite places. He says,“ The beaches and mountains are stunning there.
Cannabis is medicine for many people, but behind every patient card is a story. As Missouri continues to grow as both a medical and adult-use market, it is more important than ever to remember the individuals who turn to cannabis not for recreation, but for relief. Their stories remind us why this plant matters and why compassionate access remains essential. Join us as we hear from the people in our community whose lives have been transformed by the power of the plant.
For Ricky Kreklow, cannabis has never been about simply getting“ high.” It has been about healing, learning, and ultimately helping others. Long before founding Riverview Living Soils, Ricky’ s life revolved around basketball. He starred at the University of Missouri before transferring to the University of California, Berkeley, and later earned his graduate degree at Creighton University. He continued his professional career in Germany and Australia. Years of competing at basketball’ s elite level took a heavy physical toll. By the time his playing days ended, Ricky had undergone seven surgeries, including multiple procedures on his back, feet, and hand.
Like many athletes, pain management largely meant prescription opioids. Throughout his collegiate and professional career, frequent drug testing made cannabis a nonviable option, even as perspectives toward the plant slowly began shifting. Once basketball was behind him, however, Ricky finally had the opportunity to explore cannabis on his own terms.
Initially, it became a tool for managing chronic pain and improving sleep. Today, while those benefits remain, his relationship with cannabis has evolved. Running a rapidly growing business has introduced a different kind of challenge, and cannabis has become part of his routine for managing stress, calming an always-active mind, and creating a space to recover after long days.
“ During basketball it was physical,” Ricky explains.“ Now, it’ s more stress, anxiety, and sleep.”
28 September 2026
That journey eventually led him to commercial hemp cultivation in Montana during the early days of the CBD industry. Invited by friends to help oversee a large outdoor grow, Ricky discovered something he hadn’ t expected— he genuinely loved growing plants.
“ As soon as I got into that hemp opportunity,” he recalls,“ it just clicked.”
Working in hemp exposed him to commercial agriculture, living soil, and regenerative growing practices. It also taught him hard lessons. A devastating hailstorm destroyed much of one season’ s crop, and shifting market conditions made the business increasingly difficult. Rather than discouraging him, the experience sparked a new idea. While sourcing premium living soils from companies on the West Coast, Ricky realized there was almost no comparable option serving growers across Missouri or the Midwest. Instead of accepting that gap, he decided to fill it himself. That decision became Riverview Living Soils.
Riverview Living Soils are available in various size bags.
What began as mixing soil for his own cultivation gradually transformed into a company serving home growers, commercial cultivators, and nurseries throughout the region. Today, Riverview supplies living soils, composts, fertilizers, and worm castings while continuing to expand production. Despite that growth, Ricky is careful not to describe Riverview as simply a cannabis company. One of his biggest goals is helping normalize cannabis by placing it alongside tomatoes, peppers, herbs, flowers, and every other plant people grow in their gardens. Rather than separating cannabis from traditional horticulture, he believes treating it like any other crop helps remove decades of unnecessary stigma.