When it comes to cannabis hardware, Cloudious9’s founder is a pioneer
“We [are] very adamant about innovating, we’re adamant about making sure we bring people something completely different,” says Richard Huang, founder of Cloudious9.
Cloudious9 is a cannabis hardware company based out of the Bay Area. The products Cloudious9 creates are designed to make the smoking/vaping experience smoother for consumers, and the company seeks to constantly innovate and be pioneers of the industry.
Cloudious9’s three products so far are the Hydrology9 filtration pump, the Tectonic9 grinder, and the Atomic9 vaporizer.
Introduction to cannabis and Cloudious9
Huang is based in the Bay Area but grew up in Taiwan. When he was 10, he moved to the Bay Area.
“I’m a first-generation immigrant. So I did not grow up knowing what cannabis was whatsoever.”
Huang first tried cannabis in high school at a friend’s apartment. So he was familiar with weed, but not in any large capacity, and certainly not in a professional sense yet.
Then, when Huang graduated from college, he went to his mother’s house one day and found that she was growing a marijuana plant in her bathroom.
Huang would view and use cannabis products but noticed clear improvements that could be made.
“It was just me, kind of keeping an eye on the industry and thinking and [seeing] that there is a deficiency,” explains Huang.
He explained that it took about two years to line up the right partners to be able to start the research and development section to then manufacture products. Finally, Hydrology 9 was born as Cloudious 9’s first product.
“In a way, we felt like we had to prove ourselves.”
Innovative cannabis hardware
And with Hydrology 9, they did that. Huang felt that the product “resonated with a lot of people in terms of what they wanted.”
It was a very successful launch. And its success propelled Cloudious9 to being a part of the industry, allowing them to sign up with distributors that distribute to thousands of stores.
From there, the momentum was picking up, and Cloudious9’s expansion was coming.
Speaking of his products, Huang said:
“We make sure we create it from scratch. So we don’t ever take anyone’s design ideas, we always try to make sure we go for something different.”
Huang referenced Cloudious9’s product, the Tectonic9, as an example. As a grinder, it is a simple concept, something to break up the cannabis product.
Grinders are everywhere, but that is not the point. Cloudious9 created a product that stands on its own, apart from the competition, as a unique and optimized tool for dispensing weed.
“So what we try to do is take something very common, that people are already familiar with, but make a major improvement in terms of its utility.”
Work during the pandemic
When the pandemic hit, everyone felt the effects.
Huang, a man from Taiwan with connections across the globe, saw firsthand how friends and partners of his in other countries were affected. But his connections also gave him a chance to help out people in dire situations.
He was able to get masks sent over to hospitals in need in the Bay Area. He was able to get thermometers sent over to the San Francisco Fire Department.
“It was really us being in a position where we have the experience and connections to be able to obtain the products that people couldn’t obtain at the time. It was simply just trying to make sure that [whoever] around our circle that needs it… we were able to get it for them,” says Huang.
A Taiwanese-American in the cannabis industry
In an industry unfairly dominated by whites, Huang feels a certain distinction as a Taiwanese American. It does not consume his work experience, but his unique perspective and connections play a role in the work that he does.
“My experience… [with the] certain aspect of my cultural heritage, [I’m] able to share that into this big melting pot within cannabis,” says Huang.
“I will probably be able to provide a lot more assets to this industry as someone who [can] really communicate with the manufacturing process overseas… that would be the unique experience that I can bring to the table to this industry,” he continued.
In every industry, authenticity and the ability to set oneself apart is crucial for growth. Huang, as an immigrant in the U.S., sees the benefits that being born and raised in Taiwan have given him and Cloudious9.
“We want to try to embrace that uniqueness, as opposed to just try[ing] to be like everyone else,” declares Huang.
Huang also sees it as beneficial for all workers to utilize their background and past experiences in their work. When everyone brings something different to the table instead of working hard to conform, the output is optimized.
“It’s important to find out [where] everyone’s coming [from in] the industry, with their own unique path and experience. And it’s important to be able to understand what you could bring, what your past experience was, and stay true to that.”
On advice Huang would give to aspiring lovers of cannabis, who want to break into the industry:
“Stay more grounded in terms of what you’re trying to accomplish. Be focused and stay the course on that. I think it’s also important for people in this industry, especially new people coming in…”
He continued:
“There’s going to be times where you’re really uncertain. As long as you’re the most dedicated, then it’s important for you to vet out your ideas and refine it with as many people as you can. And be the one that works the hardest to execute it.”