the BROTHERS KEEF by e Editors H igh Times has always been about more than just the plant; it’s about the people who risked every- thing to get us here. The Knut- son brothers—Erik, Kelly, and Scot—aren't just executives; they are a cross-section of the move- ment's history: The Pioneer, The Engineer, and The Warrior. Con- sidered the largest THC beverage company in America, this family of Colorado natives is a household name. They're famous for their fabulous tasting sodas, Canna- bis Cup victories, and a storied local legacy that goes back to the very first dispensaries. We sat down to talk about the histo- ry of Keef, best memories, and their new charity arm, Karma.
A COLORADO BEGINNING High Times: How long have you lived in Colorado? Kelly : It's rare that there's actual locals, but we're several-generation locals. Scot : Yeah. We grew up in Boulder, Col- orado. Erik and I went to Boulder High. Kelly went to Fairview because our moms both saw what happened with us at Boul- der High. Erik : Both sides of the family actually are born and raised in Boulder after WWII. High Times: How did you guys get into making cola? You were into construction? Erik : Scotty had joined the Marine Corps. What was that? 2007? Yeah, by '09, it was pretty slim pickings. All the banks stopped lending. Cannabis had always been a part of all of our lives. I mean, I probably sold my first bag in like ‘96, mostly just to fund my own smoking. I think all of us dabbled in a little bit of sell- ing early on. And obviously with the family business, went into construc- tion, the crash came, everything. By about that summer of ‘09, Kelly and I were looking for anything to do. And that was when we started really looking into medical cannabis and the patient caregiver thing. A bunch of our buddies, start- ed getting cards. I think we start- ed building out what's now Green Dream in Boulder in October of ‘09. Opened that in December and yeah, pretty similar story, we had that thing open and there was just no products. I mean, I'd see some brownies. Not even any gummies at that point. Just all flower. That was when our marketing
22 MARCH/APRIL 2026
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