This is how Tess Taylor founded the ‘Heinz of cannabis’ inspired by her veteran parents

Meet Tess Taylor, the founder of Dose of Saucy, a company that sells cannabis-infused condiments like BBQ and hot sauces. According to Taylor, her mission, among other things, includes making cannabis accessible for all.

She started her venture in response to the health crisis of her veteran parents. Her parents were suffering from joint pains and body aches. Her father is a Vietnam War vet. After retiring from active service, Taylor’s father was engaged as a government contractor at Operation Desert Storm. His work in the Middle East deteriorated his health as he wore 60 pounds of gear every day.

He had over 10 surgeries from knee and hip replacements to metal rods inserted into his spine, according to Business Insider. Taylor’s mother also began to feel a decline in her health. She also experienced joint pains and body aches.

To find a solution, Taylor turned to cannabis, leading to the founding of Dose of Saucy in April 2020. Her interest in the cannabis industry came when California legalized recreational weed in 2016. She applied for an accelerator program called Our Academy, which was for BIPOC entrepreneurs who wanted to enter the cannabis market.

Texas-born Taylor is now using food and cannabis to bring people together, a spirit she inherited from her grandfather, Jesse James Robinson, who was a top chef in the Navy. “Food is both communal and generational: Saucy is his legacy,” said Taylor to Hall of Flowers.

Taylor’s relationship with cannabis stretches back to stoned lunch hours in the high school parking lot when she was trying to cope after being a survivor of sexual abuse, according to thisisourdream.com. Since then, cannabis has also been a tool for healing throughout Taylor’s life.

According to Taylor, her dream for the industry is to see cannabis grocery stores where shelves are filled with innovative, effective infused products that allow people to receive plant medicine in whatever form they need and choose. 

“Ultimately, cannabis can be a great tool for self-care, self-actualization, and becoming more active participants in our healthcare, so I want to make this plant more accessible to and approachable for all. Cannabis helped me become more of my authentic self; it helped me find my purpose and my vision for the world around me. It can remind you who you are,” she told thisisourdream.com.

Besides her brand which she calls the “Heinz of cannabis”, she is also a private educator and co-founder of self-funded CBD skincare line TAYLOR + tess.