Enjoy this interview series recorded live on the showroom floor of MJBizCon 2025 in Las Vegas. We partnered with Respect My Region to spotlight operators who are building real supply chains—oil, products, distribution, and the relationships that keep shelves stocked. Catch the highlights in this blog and watch the full episode on Respect My Region’s YouTube.
Who’s in this episode
Respect My Region sits down with Orlando Watts, Co-founder of the brand Elevated, representing New Mexico. The conversation covers what it takes to scale extraction, stay competitive in a price-compressed market, and keep retailers confident in your consistency.
New Mexico’s border-market reality: demand is real
Orlando frames New Mexico as a unique market—especially near the Texas border. He points to border towns like Sunland Park as proof of demand, describing an ultra-dense retail zone where many dispensaries operate close together and still perform strongly.
His takeaway is practical: intense retail density doesn’t just create competition—it forces quality upward. If retailers don’t hold the line on standards, consumers move on quickly.
The backbone: “good oil” or nothing matters
Orlando makes the core point early: everything starts with extraction. If your oil isn’t right, the product doesn’t recover downstream.
He explains Elevated put a heavy emphasis on extraction from the beginning:
- Started small: a 200 sq ft room with a two-pound machine
- Grew step-by-step by reinvesting into equipment
- Built the operation bootstrapped, without leaning on outside capital
That “incremental build” approach shows up in how they talk about operations: scale comes from process discipline, not shortcuts.
Fully integrated, built to scale
Orlando describes Elevated as fully integrated (with retail as the exception). Their capabilities include:
- Cultivation
- Extraction across hydrocarbon and ethanol
- Solventless production as well
- Production “at scale,” not just small-batch drops
This matters for buyers because it signals reliability: they can support consistent runs, not just one-off releases.
The real differentiator: relationships with retailers
Orlando is blunt about how they view the market: extraction alone isn’t the whole job.
They place heavy emphasis on:
- Relationships with retailers
- Customer service
- Turnaround times
- Consistent quality
- Pricing that works in a market experiencing price compression
He also highlights a key retail truth: budtenders and buyers notice immediately when the product drifts away from what customers expect.
Elevated product lineup: live rosin, distillate, and everything in between
Orlando shares that Elevated produces a broad range because the market demands both premium and accessible options.
Products shown and discussed include:
- Infused chocolates (including both live rosin and distillate options)
- Infused honey caps, made using local organic honey
- Live resin and cured resin cartridges (he calls these a strong performer)
- Concentrates and dabs
- Gummies and ratio-style products (example shown: a 20:1 cannabinoid ratio gummy)
The theme is clear: offer premium when the customer wants it, but keep an “attainable” line that hits price-to-value targets.
Scaling beyond your own brand: manufacturing and licensing deals
A big moment in the interview is Orlando explaining how they scaled equipment so they could support:
- Elevated’s own SKUs, and
- manufacturing and distribution for national brands inside New Mexico
He mentions licensing deals and collaborations with recognizable names, including:
- Mike Tyson
- Ric Flair
- A new partnership with Blue River (he specifically references working with Tony from Blue River)
He also previews new innovation in the pipeline, including an “oral concentrate” concept described as fast onset and designed to deliver a strong flavor-forward cannabis experience—positioned as a different format for consumers who want something beyond standard edibles.
(As always, product performance varies by individual and local regulations.)
Orlando’s message to retailers and buyers: integrity shows up in operations
Orlando’s closing message is simple and direct:
- Elevated is built on relationships
- Driven by quality
- They aim to prove themselves through how they show up and how they operate
- Integrity is rare—and it matters
For decision makers, this is the signal: they want long-term accounts, not quick transactions.
Where to find Elevated
Orlando’s guidance is straightforward: if you’re in New Mexico, ask dispensaries for Elevated products—edibles, vapes, and concentrates.
Sponsorship note
This interview is part of Respect My Region’s MJBizCon 2025 coverage. Canna Brand Solutions supported the broader series as a sponsor.
