GreenState Featured Our Founder's Story — And We're Honored to Share It
We have some news worth marking.
This week, GreenState — one of the most respected cannabis media outlets in the country and part of the Hearst publishing family — published a personal essay from 23rd State founder Leah Kollross. The piece, titled "How MS led me to reimagine the drink in your hand," isn't a product announcement or a brand pitch. It's something rarer: an honest account of how a chronic illness diagnosis changed the way one person thought about what it means to hold a drink in your hand.
We're grateful to GreenState for the platform, and we want to take a moment here to expand on why this story matters — not just for 23rd State, but for everyone who's ever felt sidelined by a social ritual they couldn't safely participate in.
The Story Behind the Brand
In 2023, Leah was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
MS affects nearly one million Americans, and for most of them, the diagnosis reshapes ordinary life in ways that are hard to fully articulate from the outside. Fatigue, pain, cognitive disruption, and heightened sensitivity to alcohol are all common. And many of the disease-modifying therapies used to manage MS interact poorly with drinking. The math, for Leah, changed overnight.
But the social pressure to drink didn't. The celebratory glass. The after-work round. The raised toast at a wedding. Those rituals didn't disappear because she'd received a diagnosis. They just became a problem without a good solution.
That gap — between wanting to participate fully in social life and needing to protect your health — is the reason 23rd State exists. Minnesota became the 23rd state to legalize adult-use cannabis, and with two years of pre-launch R&D behind the brand, Leah set out to build cannabis beverages that could genuinely stand in for alcohol: crafted, intentional, and made for the moments that matter.
GreenState's decision to publish Leah's essay during MS Awareness Month means that story is now reaching a much wider audience. We think that's important. Go read it here.
Cannabis Beverages and the Sober-Curious Movement
The cultural context Leah writes about in the GreenState piece is one we think about constantly here at 23rd State.
The sober-curious movement has moved well past trend status. According to a 2023 Gallup poll, younger adults are drinking less than any previous generation on record. A growing segment of consumers — whether managing chronic illness, avoiding alcohol interactions with medication, or simply making a personal wellness choice — are actively looking for alternatives that let them show up fully without the consequences alcohol can bring.
Cannabis beverages are one of the most compelling answers to that demand. But not all cannabis drinks are built with this consumer in mind. A lot of what's on the market skews toward high-dose recreational experiences or relies heavily on novelty. What Leah wanted to build, and what we've worked hard to deliver, is something that belongs on any table — not just the cannabis table.
That means precise, approachable dosing. It means a drinking experience that actually feels like an occasion. It means formats that look and function like the drinks people already know and love, just without the alcohol and with the added benefit of THC and CBG.
Our current lineup reflects that vision:
- FRESH PRESS — a THC + CBG pear cider with 10mg THC and 10mg CBG per can. Crisp, sessionable, and built for the moments that used to call for a cold beer or a hard cider.
- Blush Crush Infused Bubbly — a sparkling cannabis beverage in a wine format, designed for celebration. Because everyone deserves a glass that says this matters.
- SHAKE — THC + CBG infused edible glitter drops in Emerald, Cosmo, and 24k Gold variants, for adding a little intention (and sparkle) to whatever you're already drinking.
Why This Kind of Coverage Matters
There's a version of cannabis media coverage that treats infused beverages as a novelty or a party trick. GreenState didn't do that here.
The essay they published centers a more nuanced conversation — one about who gets to participate in social life, what harm reduction actually looks like in practice, and how the cannabis industry has an opportunity to serve people who've historically been underserved by both the alcohol industry and the wellness space.
For Leah, writing that piece wasn't just about telling her own story. It was about making space for everyone who has fielded the "why aren't you drinking?" question at a gathering, who has quietly opted out of a toast, who has watched everyone else hold something and felt slightly invisible. That's a much bigger population than people often assume, and it includes people managing chronic illness, people in recovery, pregnant people, people on medication, and people who simply don't want alcohol in their lives.
Cannabis beverages aren't a cure and they're not a medical treatment. We're clear about that. But they are, at their best, a genuine option — something that allows for the full, embodied experience of social ritual without the risks alcohol brings. That's worth building toward. And it's worth talking about openly.
A Note on MS Awareness Month
March is MS Awareness Month, and we want to acknowledge that directly.
Leah's diagnosis is personal, and she's been open about it because she believes her experience reflects something broader about why better beverage options matter. Living with a chronic illness often means making dozens of invisible calculations every day — about what you can safely consume, what will interact with your medications, what will worsen your symptoms, what will cost you the next two days of function. Most social environments aren't designed with those calculations in mind.
23rd State was built, in part, to change that calculus for at least one corner of the social experience. We're proud of what we've made, and we're proud that Leah's story is now part of a larger public conversation — thanks to GreenState's platform and their willingness to publish voices from inside the industry with transparency and integrity.
If you or someone you know is living with MS or another chronic illness and exploring cannabis beverages as an alcohol alternative, we'd encourage you to read Leah's full essay. It's honest, it's personal, and it gets at something the brand messaging rarely can.
Read "How MS Led Me to Reimagine the Drink in Your Hand" on GreenState →
Explore 23rd State
If you're new here: welcome. We're a Minnesota-based cannabis beverage brand founded in 2023, with a deep commitment to craft, transparency, and making sure there's a seat at the table for everyone.
Our products are available at licensed retailers across Minnesota. All products contain THC and are intended for adults 21 and older. Individual experiences may vary.
Browse our full lineup at 23state.com and follow along on Instagram for updates, recipes, and the occasional toast to the good stuff.
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23rd State
Note: This article is not intended to be medical advice, Leah's opinions are solely hers and do not represent the company or organizations mentioned in this article. THC content: see individual product labels. Results may vary. 21+ only. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition.
