From cultivation to creation, Granite Peak’s final step is connecting Montana-grown cannabis with the people it was meant to serve.
Granite Peak Distributing’s dispensary shelves showcase months of behind-the-scenes work with Montana-grown flower, concentrates, edibles and capsules, bringing cannabis products directly to those they were grown to help.
The shop’s shelves are the result of teamwork — growers, chemists and chefs all play a role. Flower, concentrates, edibles, capsules and specialty products stem from the Peak Process, which starts long before a customer walks in.
For Drew Stensland, one half of the team that created Granite Peak, the company began with a vision. While also working in real estate, Stensland and co-owner Tanner Halseth, who were both employed at a local refinery at the time, pursued their cannabis venture after work, driving around Billings in search of their first licensed location.
“We had some of the best blue-collar jobs in the valley,” Stensland said. “My wife was three months pregnant at the time, so absolutely it was risky; however, we knew if we could get our foot in the door and start growing, our efforts would take hold.”
What started as a single shop has grown into a vertically integrated operation covering cultivation, processing and product development. Still, Stensland said the dispensary remains the company’s foundation.
“It’s kind of the mothership,” Stensland said. “It’s our staple. It’s what keeps the medicine flowing and keeps us going.”
Granite Peak’s approach focuses on providing a broad portfolio: hand-picked cannabis flower recognizable for its aroma and consistency; solventless concentrates tailored for purity; edibles designed for flavor, discretion and specific effect profiles; and capsules precisely measured for medical dosing. These offerings target the varied needs of Montana medical patients and recreational users.
“We really try to cover medical needs first and foremost,” Stensland said. “By offering many different ways people can use cannabis, we are able to help meet individual demands and health concerns.”
Some products target patient needs specifically. Peak Pops, for instance, were developed for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy who rely on ice chips for comfort.
Granite Peak is innovating with new product forms. Their latest CYN line — smokeless cannabis pouches modeled after nicotine pouches — delivers measured cannabinoid doses via discreet placement between lip and gum, offering a vaporless, fast-acting experience unique to Montana; dubbed by Stensland as “Montana’s Pouch Brand.”
“We’re always trying to stay on the cutting edge of what’s coming out in the cannabis space,” Stensland said. “There are a lot of different ways people use cannabis now, and we want to make sure we’re offering options that work for them.”
The shop also sources flower from some of Montana’s most respected growers while continuing to expand its own cultivation operations. Maintaining quality across every category remains the guiding principle.
“Everyone will say they have the best,” Stensland said. “But we can guarantee every product we’re putting out.”
For Stensland, the most meaningful moments come from the people who return with stories about how the products have helped them. He recalled one longtime customer who initially came in recreationally before later being diagnosed with cancer. After incorporating cannabis products into his routine, the customer eventually entered remission and found comfort with Granite Peak’s customer care and products.
“Seeing things like that is really incredible,” Stensland said.
As Granite Peak expands with new products, greenhouses and locations, the goal is unchanged: to build something that lasts. “We want to create a legacy company,” he said. “A place people can rely on. A place that will always be here."
When asked what he hopes people think of when they hear the name Granite Peak, Stensland keeps it simple. “Quality,” he said. “Good vibes. Consistency. Everything that is, at its roots, Montana.”
At Granite Peak, the process may begin in the soil and pass through the lab and kitchen, but its purpose is found here — where staff helps customers choose products that support health, comfort and quality of life, one conversation at a time.
This concludes the three-part series on Granite Peak Distributing and its commitment to quality, accountability and lasting impact.
Visit granitepeakmt.com for more information.
