At a glance
Kushy Punch is a cannabis gummy and vape brand founded in Southern California in 2014 by Ruben Cross, also identified in legal records as Ruben Kachian. The current brand sells full-spectrum THC gummies, fast-acting individual pieces, vapes and a separate zero-THC Kushy CBD line across eight U.S. markets. Its profile must also include the 2019 California enforcement case that revoked the original operator’s licenses and reshaped ownership.
Founder and original product
The company’s history names Ruben Cross as founder and chief executive and says he shifted from cultivation to branded products in 2014. The original format was a compact, full-spectrum gummy designed around consistent servings and lower sugar than many legacy edibles.
That founding story comes from material written before later ownership changes. It describes the origin of the trademark and product concept, not the current operator in every state.
Current product families
The catalog now separates original blister-packed THC gummies from newer individual fast-acting gummies sold as ten pieces per bag. It also lists THC vapes and Kushy CBD products advertised as containing zero THC. State rules determine strength, package size and available formulas.
A Michigan 200mg package and a California or New York 100mg package are not interchangeable even when flavor and logo match.
Documented awards
High Times’ 2016 U.S. Cannabis Cup & Carnival results list Kushy Punch CBD in third place for Best CBD Edible. Detroit Metro Times readers later selected Kushy Punch as Best Edible in 2021 and 2022 and Best Edible Brand in 2025.
The High Times placement is a judged competition result; the Detroit titles are reader polls. The page keeps that distinction visible.
The 2019 unlicensed-facility case
California regulators found an unlicensed Canoga Park facility tied to Vertical Bliss, the licensed Kushy Punch manufacturer. Authorities reported large quantities of gummies and vape cartridges outside the regulated facility. California revoked Vertical Bliss’s manufacturing and distribution licenses in November 2019.
A Los Angeles County complaint later alleged millions of unregulated gummies and sought substantial penalties. Allegations are not a final judgment, but the revocation and enforcement action are established material history.
Why the enforcement history matters
The case shows why familiar packaging and an old lab PDF do not prove current legality. The same brand existed in licensed channels while investigators alleged parallel unlicensed production. Current buyers need the manufacturer, license and batch tied to the package.
Historic Vertical Bliss COAs on the brand site should not be treated as current evidence for products made under later operators.
Ownership after Vertical Bliss
After the original licenses were revoked, Happy Brain announced a license to Kushy Punch intellectual property in 2020. In 2022, Exclusive Brands announced that chief executive Gus Shukeireh had acquired ownership effective March 1, 2022 and introduced market-specific Michigan products.
The consumer brand survived, but the entity behind production changed. Trademark continuity and operator continuity are not the same.
Current footprint and licensing
The official site lists Arizona, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada and New York and displays New York processor license OCM-PROC-24-000116. Other jurisdictions use their own manufacturers and retailers.
Market availability is not interstate shipment. Use the official locator and relevant state database for current verification.
Testing and authenticity checks
Match the package to a current batch report, operator and license. Check child-resistant packaging, serving and total cannabinoid labels, and avoid informal sellers. California’s license search is updated daily and is stronger evidence than legacy marketing.
Do not infer that all current products are unsafe because of 2019, and do not erase the case because ownership changed. Compliance and accountability are separate questions.
How to read Kushy Punch today. Kushy Punch has a real 2014 origin, a specific award record, a broad current catalog and consequential enforcement history. The profile is useful only when all of those facts remain together.
Galleries should attach current products, ownership news, licenses, awards and enforcement coverage by verified identity. They should not merge old Vertical Bliss lab documents into new batches or treat CBD and regulated THC channels as identical.