European Weed and Surrealist Bongs
European Weed and Surrealist Bongs
Plus: a lot of events.
The Broccoli Report
Monday, March 28, 2022
Time to read: 4 minutes, 35 seconds. Contains 919 words.
Good morning!
There’s nothing like a hundred PR emails about roundup-ready cannabis accessories to inspire a more thoughtful review of my own cannabis corner. I’ve long identified as a glass gal—for several years, my daily device has been a straight-shooter GRAV glass bong—but when it comes to more portable sesh-ing, many of my new favorite pieces are made from clay. This Friday, I’ll be sharing a broad update on what’s happening in the exciting ceramic space, as well as musings on what the rest of the industry can learn from these makers.
Want copies of Broccoli magazine to give away at your 4/20 event? Email the team at hi@broccolimag.com and they’ll do your best to hook you up.
Before we get to the news: a question for you. If you could get coffee with an expert and ask them anything right now, who would you be sitting down with, and what would you ask? We’re planning another Broccoli Report live ask-an-expert Zoom for paid subscribers to get one-on-one advice. Email your dream guest and/or discussion topic to yoshikolauren@gmail.com, and sign up as a paid subscriber to stay tuned.
One-Hitters: Cannabis News at a Glance
The long-established Ukrainian cannabis advocacy group Freedom March is working with the Kyiv School of Economics Charitable Foundation on a fundraising campaign for the children of fallen Ukrainian soldiers and the patient communities. You can send support via bank transfer, Paypal, or even crypto.
Copenhagen is considering a plant to legalize cannabis. All five political parties agreed to a pilot scheme to let citizens possess, grow, and enjoy cannabis freely. There would be a framework of centrally-located dispensaries and quality-control and affordability rules to allow legal product to compete effectively with the unlicensed market. Before you start looking at plane tickets, though, this framework stipulates that dispensaries would be open only to residents of Denmark aged 18 and up.
Last week in Washington State, three people were killed in dispensary robberies. It’s awful to read these headlines, and it breaks my heart to think about the wonderful experience of budtending impacted by fear of gun violence. I only hope that local coverage like this—and national spotlights like the New York Times’ recent piece on Oakland dispensaries facing similar issues—put the pressure on local law enforcement to protect these businesses as they would any other in their communities.
In brighter Bay Area news, San Francisco is throwing an official 4/20 celebration to “elevate and highlight the history, equity, and value of the cannabis industry and cannabis tourism in San Francisco.” Evergreen San Francisco—produced by San Francisco Travel—will showcase the city's cannabis lounges, dispensaries, attractions, munchie destinations, nature hikes, and immersive art, including an all-day concert on 4/20 at Golden Gate Park’s Hippie Hill. Programming will run throughout the week of April 16th–24th.
In other 4/20 news: Arizonan weed lovers seeking lively festivities can head to downtown Phoenix for Buds-A-Palooza, a cannabis-centric block party kicking off on April 15. There will be a master glassblower competition, live music, and comedy acts. Chicago-area enthusiasts can check out Waldos W33k, presented by Dispensary 33, for live music, a drag performance from Shea Couleé, a movie mixer at Davis Theater, and more.
You don’t have to be in North Carolina to attend Legalize Appalachia. This free virtual 4/20 event will focus on Appalachian cannabis storytelling, the history of cannabis criminalization in the South, advocacy tools, and tips for less cannabis-friendly regions. It also marks the debut of the organization’s zine, Cannabis for All, Y’all: A Guide for the Prohibition South. Proceeds of the zine will fund pilot programs to support communities, individuals, and families with cash aid, free therapy, mental health resources, cannabis education, and advocacy.
This Thursday, March 31st, NY Cannabis Insider is hosting a half-day virtual conference for NY cannabis businesses on banking solutions, sourcing capital, strategizing next moves if your municipality opted out, and more. Peep the details here to determine if it’s worth the $60.
Houseplant launched a mentorship program supporting entrepreneurs from underinvested-in communities. The free, six-month-long program is open to both ancillary and plant-touching companies, offering “intimate access to the Houseplant team, as well as the company’s extensive network of advisors and industry leaders.” You can learn more and apply here by May 1st.
The Cannabis Packaging Conference returns to the Anaheim Convention Center on April 12th and 13th, with opportunities for producers and distributors to network, peruse the new products and solutions, and maybe make some orders.
Congrats to Copper House for completing its renovation! The cannabis-friendly vacation rental/event space celebrated its reopening with a Revival Week of creative virtual and IRL events that brought together many corners of Detroit’s cannabis, art, and culinary communities.
HighGarden, a new consumption-friendly space/pop-up in New York, is throwing Sunday brunches, soirees with live DJs and infused tapas, and a 4/20 party complete with a Studenglass bong bar.
Good weed copy: Rose Delights’ new 1:1 California Keitt Mango flavor differentiates its 1:1 single-strain flower rosin by referring to it as a “native ratio.” This cleverly distinguishes it from the many 1:1 edibles made by combining isolated THC and isolated CBD.
Great weed visuals: Session released a fresh set of interchangeable silicone accompaniments for their signature bongs and pipes in new, Surrealism-inspired colors. The dreamy imagery accompanying the new bright blue, kelly green, and off-white colors are a welcome trip following a long, dark winter.
See you in the smoking section of the astral plane,
Lauren Yoshiko