Unique cannabis brand grows from Whidbey roots

In dispensaries across Whidbey, patrons can find a popular brand of cannabis known for its consistency, kindness to the environment and colorful packaging.

What people may not know about the Port Angeles-based weed farm, Falcanna, is that it would not exist without an iconic falconer on South Whidbey.

Bethany Rondeaux started training with falcons at the age of 14 in Oklahoma, inspired by “My Side of the Mountain” by Jean Craighead George, an adventure novel set in rural New York. When she was 18, she set off to Clinton to meet with Steve Layman, a well-known falconer whom she considered the best in the world.

To become a falconer, one must work under someone certified through the game department. The certified falconer must agree to sponsor the apprentice and assume liability for them, which is not an easy thing to find, Rondeaux said.

One February day, Layman introduced Rondeaux to his apprentice, Justin, a Washington native who was also inspired by falconry after reading “My Side of the Mountain.” By August, the two were married.

Watching a raptor hunt, diving through the sky to catch moving prey, is one of the coolest things to witness in nature, Rondeaux said. Falconers make this happen on demand.

“It’s very addictive in that it’s so raw,” she said. “The apex predator is your semi-companion.”

The bond between human and raptor isn’t overly affectionate, she said. In the wild, only 15% of some hawks make it past a year old because they die of starvation. The bird sticks to the human as a reliable food source.

The Rondeauxs began growing medical marijuana when she discovered how much it helped her migraines, she said. When the couple had a surplus, they opened a small medical marijuana dispensary while rehabilitating raptors.

Rondeaux had been going to school for chemical engineering. The dispensary was never meant to burgeon into the business they run today, she said.

They originally named the shop Olympic Sinsemilla, but as the Rondeauxs always had hawks and falcons in there, customers referred to it as the falcon dispensary. When it came time to renew for a grow license, the Rondeauxs closed the store and rebranded as Falcanna, shipping products to dispensaries across the state.

Falcanna uses organic inputs and no pesticides. The goal is that the growers can pick up their flower from anywhere in the state and enjoy it consistently.

“A lot of growers have their own little secret stash that only the owners smoke and then they have what goes out to customers,” she said. “We don’t do that. Everything that we sell we’re really proud of and we love.”

Falcanna creates custom strains with in-house genetic crossing.

“It may not look like the new stuff that’s very hybridized and super pretty and crystally, but the proof is in the pudding, right?” she said. “Smoking our flower is a different experience than a lot of what’s available on the market because our genetics are so unique to us.”

Falcanna’s most popular indica is called Deep Sea, which Rondeux said creates an uplifting happiness and long-lasting high. She describes the flavor as “bright,” sour upon inhale and sweet upon exhale, and smokers may find themselves glued to the couch.

For those that prefer sativa-dominant strains, Lemon Cookies is a dense, resinous, zesty flower with a unique smell, smoke and high.

Falcanna’s unique buds can be found in dispensaries across Whidbey. Perhaps one day they will simply appear on the doorstep, dropped from the sky by one of the Rondeaux falcons.