Fashion Joints & Grateful Vapes
Plus: Eat less CBD. (Maybe).
Monday, October 23, 2023
Time to read: About 6 minutes. Contains 1,158 words.
Good morning!
I am unsure how much I’ve revealed about my historical fascinations here, but I love old-timey things. I love watching historical dramas. I want to perceive what the world looked like 50, 75, and 125 years ago: how people lived, what they wore, where they went for groceries, how they spoke to each other, etc. Sifting through volumes in historical societies is my kind of stony afternoon activity.
So, when I saw the vintage sensibilities of GRAV’s newest gravity bong, my curiosity was instantly piqued. I previously understood gravity bongs as a method involving the top half of a gallon soda container—GRAV’s Monarch piece conceptually follows the same design but is executed with thick, sophisticated glass pieces decoratively cut like a whiskey decanter. It looks like something out of Gatsby’s cigar room. I wanted to know if my historical spidey senses were correct and what shapes and ideas inspired this piece, so I contacted Micah Evans, senior designer on GRAV's Product Development team, to find out.
I’ll be sharing the illuminating conversation with this old-school glass artist-turned-big dog designer this Friday, during which he shares his process and gets real about maintaining creative space as a company grows, what it was like moving from the garage to partner manufacturers abroad, and more. This one goes out to paid subscribers only, so be sure to sign up for the behind-the-scenes peek at one way brilliant, beautiful accessories are made at scale.
One-Hitters: Cannabis News at a Glance
Although we’ve seen designers incorporate cannabis into runway shows, memorable one-off releases, and one smokewear brand bridge cannabis and fashion realms, we haven’t seen an established fashion brand launch a sincere foray into weed. Tommy Hilfiger is preparing to change that with a partnership with Green Horizons, a cultivator preparing a massive California launch. The cannabis venture centers around Boast USA, the edgy tennis brand of the ‘70s featuring a small “Japanese maple leaf” formerly rocked by the sports bad boys like MacEnroe. The brand has been revitalized in recent years, and in 2024, a Boast line of infused pre-rolls, vapes, and gummies will launch alongside a revamped clothing line of polo shirts, shorts, jerseys, and hats. To learn more about Boast’s provocative origins and how this collaboration with the Hilfiger team came about, listen to this episode of the Different Leaf podcast, and check out the latest issue of Different Leaf mag for all the details.
Arizona’s market seems to be hitting that first post-legalization price dip. Numbers have trended downwards since June, and big chains like Cresco have sold off their Arizona entities.
On the other end of the spectrum, MIssouri’s first year of sales is going strong. Since February, the state’s clocked $953 million in sales—and the year isn’t over yet. Considering the few brands shouldering for shelf space and the multiple neighboring states without adult-use markets, if I were a cannabis brand looking to establish a presence in a new state, I’d be heading here.
One last thought on Arizona. For what it’s worth, I don’t see these “dips” as death knells. They signal that all people who were already into weed and comfortable with the idea of shopping at a dispensary have made their way into a shop. It’s more of a starting bell for the real work to begin—the destigmatizing, the breaking down of old fears, and the varying levels of education to help people see how it can serve their wellness and recreational pursuits. My home base of Oregon has had legal sales since 2015, and new folks continue to trickle into a dispensary for the very first time.
A UK food regulator has changed their stance on CBD dosage, slashing the recommended 70 mg daily dose to just 10 mg. Based on input from an “independent science committee,” the Food Safety Agency says that consuming over 10 mg of CBD a day over a period of time could produce “adverse impacts on the liver and thyroid,” reports The Guardian. They also state that this is just an advisory and they won’t render those products exceeding 10 mg illegal. Similar to alcohol, the FSA is highlighting potential dangers if consumed in excess.
Cornell University just got a million-dollar grant for hemp research, so here’s hoping they can help define a more concrete stance on safe daily dosage.
Georgia is about to be the only state where medical patients—a narrow, particular group of medical patients—will be able to purchase cannabis at a regular pharmacy. This will be huge for that aforementioned destigmatization piece, just presenting low-dose THC products alongside pharmaceutical pills to help people see it as the medicine it is. But let’s be real—pharmacy hours are even narrower than the eligible patient group. Can pharmacies be open till 10 p.m. like legal weed shops?
A dark reminder of the cost of disparate cannabis laws state-to-state: New York budtender Jumal George was pulled over and arrested for driving without a license earlier this month. He was in possession of an edible at the time, which is legal in New York but not in Philadelphia, so he is currently being held at Rikers Island jail for potential extradition to Philadelphia. There is a GoFundMe to help with his legal defense and bail—he’s halfway there at the time of writing this.
High Finds: Lifestyle Goods I Like
Everyone’s favorite fake pot plant company just got surreal with it, dropping a light pink edition of their typically very realistic cannabis plants. At least there won’t be any confusion when my landlord spots these!
Rohan Marley, son of Bob Marley and former partner of Lauryn Hill, launched a cannabis brand in Michigan called Lion Order, and it looks good. The brand’s visuals go beyond the classic Rastafari motifs with vibrant collage-styled imagery from Caribbean, African, and cannabis cultures. The vibe feels fresh and powerful—I’m into it.
A gift for any and all Dead Head: A cutting-edge vaporizer officially emblazoned with the Grateful Dead skull. This Grenco Sciences collab includes a branded G-Pen and a Stundenglass gravity infuser.
If you’re a parent/work with curious youth, Weed: Cannabis Culture in the Americas deserves a place on your bookshelf. The book, written by journalist Caitlin Donohue, is a compilation of years of research, personal experiences, and interviews with a range of cannabis experts, assembled as a well-rounded, digestible, multicultural history of cannabis for young adult audiences.
If your kids aren’t quite old enough to comprehend the nuance of racially motivated prohibition laws, there are books for them, too, from If a Peacock Finds a Pot Leaf to the Stinky Steve series.
Well, well, well, look what the advertising algorithm brought me: a SESH stash kit with small(ish) containers to store multiple strains. I know the digital, phone-compatible locks are in vogue, but I also appreciate something I can open when my phone battery is dead.
Back to the grind(er),
Lauren Yoshiko