Wendy Baker, founder of Space Gem, celebrated a decade of making edibles in 2023—a monumental achievement that stems from a lifetime of appreciation for cannabis culture, and a commitment to working exclusively with Humboldt County ice water hash. Her products have won multiple awards at cannabis competitions, including the Humboldt County Cup and the High Times Central Valley Cannabis Cup, but most recently took home two first place trophies at the 19th annual Emerald Cup in May 2023.
From Spacedrops gummies to Mind Expanding Belts, Gem Guice beverage enhancer, and Cosmic Tincture, Baker has put her edibles out into the universe, designed to uplift and inspire. The edibles only use organic coloring and flavors, are free of chemicals or solvents, and are made in Humboldt County, California.
Baker grew up in Chicago, Illinois, but moved to Humboldt County when she was 21, drawn to the region’s rich cannabis culture and lifestyle. Initially she worked as an indoor cultivator but decided to enter the edibles market in 2013.
“You know, I saw the market changing for growers and, being a woman selling weed, I wanted to create a product,” Baker says. “I love edibles and I went to all these candy classes and I learned how to make candy.”
Baker knew that she wanted to showcase the exceptional quality of Humboldt-grown cannabis in an edible that is both delicious and also made with ingredients she could stand behind. Originally she used butane hash oil (BHO) to make Space Gem products but decided that ice water hash made the most sense.
“I don’t know about those chemicals [in BHO]. And I don’t want that on my conscience at all. I just felt better if I just used ice water hash,” she says.
Making BHO requires using a chemical solvent, in this case butane, to strip the cannabinoids and terpenes from plant matter. In order to prevent chemicals from lingering in the extract, the BHO must be purged in order to remove traces of the solvent.
Ice water hash, on the other hand, is a solventless method of extraction that uses only ice, water, and cannabis. The cannabis plant matter is mixed with ice and water, which freezes the trichome heads, making them more brittle and allowing them to more easily detach or break off into the water. After being gently stirred and sifted through numerous bags with varying sizes of small holes (measured in microns), the final product is full-spectrum ice water hash.
While there are many other different methods of both solvent and solventless extraction, Baker prefers ice water hash for the best effects.
“I feel like the different high, there’s like so many levels to it,” she explains. “And you’re getting like the full cannabinoid profile of the flower and you’re working with that, rather than stripping the plant of just what you need, you know?”
She’s also proud to use ice water hash made from Humboldt County-grown cannabis.
“Our hash comes from Humboldt,” Baker says. “I like to work with people who grow really good flower. And it all has to be processed here in Humboldt, too, because we have a Humboldt sticker on our product. So all of our products have to be made here in Humboldt and come from Humboldt.”
Space Gem’s gummies, called Spacedrops, contain a collection of 10 gummies nestled together in a tin package and contain a random assortment of the brand’s 23 rotating flavors. The gummies are offered separately as sweet or sour varieties (10 mg THC per gummy), and also a CBD variety (5 mg CBD and 5 mg THC). They’re all made with organic food coloring, but the flavors in each tin vary widely—no two tins contain exactly the same assortment. Baker shares that she is particularly fond of the fig flavor but ultimately loves all of the fruity tastes she’s developed.
“It’s a rainbow of deliciousness in your mouth,” she says. “And, you know, I just couldn’t pick. I can’t pick. I love them all. I love fruit. And I just thought like, if I just do the same thing over and over again, that’s so boring.”
In addition to Spacedrops, Space Gem also offers a single-flavor Mind Expanding Belts, available in sour apple, sour watermelon, sweet sleepy fig, and sweet wildberry. Space Gem’s Gem Guice is a beverage enhancer that contains 100 mg of THC per bottle and comes in either grape or passion fruit flavors. The brand’s Cosmic Tincture contains of 600 mg THC per bottle and comes in blackberry, strawberry, and mango.
On the back of each Spacedrops tin is the brief, uplifting message: “May cause miracles.” Each package also includes an inspirational quote on the inside of the lid. Baker explains that she and her team put a lot of effort and time into finding inspiring quotes—which come from a variety of famous people such as Dr. Seuss, author Matshona Dhliwayo, and musician Pharrell Williams—with the intention of brightening someone’s day.
“You can make an impact on people, you know?” Baker says. “Sometimes the tiniest things can make someone smile or change their thoughts.”
Reflecting on 10 years of success, Baker is proud and grateful for what she’s accomplished and how Space Gem has impacted people across California.
“It’s pretty amazing how we grow up, and sometimes we just don’t think we’re good at anything. But I always was like, ‘Man, I’m good at this,’” Baker says. “You know? Self-confidence, believing in yourself, and just trying to make a difference, try to be an inspiration. People come up to me, you know, women, they’re like, ‘You are just picking up as a woman in the [cannabis] space.’ I’m so grateful to hear that because I want to inspire other people to be able to live what they want, [and achieve] their dreams, and their full potential.”
This article was originally published in the December 2023 issue of High Times Magazine.
Read the full article here
