Collabs & Stoner Speed-Dating
Collabs & Stoner Speed-Dating
Calling lonely entrepreneurs!
The Broccoli Report
Monday, February 7, 2022
Time to read: 4 minutes, 34 seconds. Contains 915 words.
Good morning!
The best month of the year has begun. It’s short and sweet (with extra chocolate); then, there is my birthday (and Oregon’s); and my favorite color is everywhere ❤️. Usually, there are the Oscars, too—my favorite reality TV—but they are delayed until March. The upcoming drop of Love is Blind will have to suffice till then.
**SUBMISSIONS CLOSED** So many people have written in re: the below, so we are closing the inbox for now. Subscribe to see weed cupid’s lonely hearts this Friday!
Here at The Broccoli Report, I’m not done with romantic content just yet. This Friday, we’re taking inspiration from the lonely hearts columns of yore, except instead of looking for love, we’re seeking business connections. And for this to work, I need to hear from you. Who do you need to make your business dreams come true?
So far, I’ve got a CBD brand looking for a licensed edible partner who’d be interested in partnering to bring a very special concept to life. Then, there’s a cool farm that’s dreaming of a radically creative part-time social media manager. And maybe there is someone out there just right for you, too. Chime in with what you need (or what you can offer) to be featured! Are you looking for something specific and service-oriented, like a specific contractor or supplier? Do you need investment? Maybe your needs are a little more emotional—a mentor to provide guidance (or a mentee to guide); a group of like-minded folks who can talk you through start-up woes and wins; or a collaborator with a shared dream and vision.
This lonely weed and hemp hearts dispatch will be an opportunity to find partners, collaborative cohorts, like-minded peers, and even sales leads, and the more the merrier. Let’s make these connections happen! Subscribe to find true (entrepreneurial) love.
One-Hitters: Cannabis News at a Glance
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, Ardent is hosting a Stoner Speed-Dating Event on Thursday, February 10th, at 7:30 pm EST. In a two-minute window, speed-daters will get to know each other, and if both hit the green “match” button at the end of the session, they’ll receive each other’s email addresses. Ardent even wrote out a bunch of weed-related prompts to use to help break the ice.
Adweek examines the biggest sales dates in 2021: 4/20 remains number one, and numbers two and three aren’t big surprises either—the days on either side of Thanksgiving. The Thursday before Christmas (12/23) earns the number four spot, but the real surprise is the Friday before Labor Day taking number five. September 3rd, y’all—it saw more sales than Valentine’s, New Year’s Eve, and St. Patrick’s Day last year.
In an op-ed for Marijuana Moment, attorney and drug policy activist Shaleen Title points out a glaring gap in cannabis legislation: antitrust laws. Implemented to prevent monopolies and protect competition that benefits consumers, these protections have been eroded over time by business interests. Title argues that the cannabis industry is new enough to enact stronger protections and that the moment to make it happen is now. It’s a long read but well worth it, drawn from her research paper published by Ohio State University’s College of Law.
Canna Advisors is inviting aspiring New York-based cannabis entrepreneurs to a Pitch Deck competition. A panel of judges will assess business proposals on factors ranging from license-preparedness and degree of innovation to social equity components. The top 10 contestants will present their plans virtually for a more well-rounded assessment, and the winners have the chance to get between $50,000 and $500,000 in investor funding. Head to their website to learn more and apply.
I commend The Cut for their deep dive on the current conversation around cannabis use during pregnancy, weed’s last major taboo. Jenni Avins highlights the many facets of a growing, semi-underground support system emerging to provide mothers with information—as well as the very serious risks that remain.
Look for the upcoming debut of the Black Box in CA. This curated box of Black-owned brands, including Biko Flower, Viola, Ball Family Farms, Wyllow, and Sixty Four & Hope, was assembled to celebrate the Black cannabis community, this month and always. The box will be available at Josephine & Billie’s and a handful of other shops.
A waking, smoking dream: Barbari teamed up with Sway on a novel smokeable they’re calling the Blue Lotus Blunt. The outer layer of blue lotus petals contains a maté and cacao-infused hemp wrap, which is filled with 2g of CBD-rich hemp. It’s their take on the “classic gift of chocolate and flowers.”
Pure Beauty announced their most fashion-y drop yet: A collection created with cult UK label Aries that includes unisex tees, a sweatshirt, and a button-down. The coolest part is the special pack of pre-rolls, packaged in a fun Aries-inspired design celebrating a new, exclusive strain for the partnership—Gateway. The pre-rolls are exclusive to MedMen in CA, but the apparel collection will be available worldwide via Pure Beauty’s Drugstore, AriesArise.com, and at LCD in Venice, California.
Chicago-based musician Jude Shuma recently released a concept album incorporating his love of cannabis, comic books, and psychedelic interstellar vibes. He recommends listening to the album while reading the comic, ideally following a joint rolled with custom papers made for the project.
If you have a moment this week where you feel overwhelmed or stressed, take a deep breath, let those shoulders drop, and visualize the serene scene of the hemp farmer nuns of Sisters of the Valley filling envelopes to mail out hundreds of gifted seeds.
Peace & weed be with you,
Lauren Yoshiko