Fresh Drops, Flowers & Fundraising Advice
Fresh Drops, Flowers & Fundraising Advice
Weed and hemp news, coming in hot.
The Broccoli Report
Monday, October 25, 2021
Time to read: 5 minutes, 22 seconds. Contains 1076 words.
Good morning!
Whew—I’m still processing everything I saw and heard in Las Vegas last week during MJ BizCon and MJ Unpacked. It was extremely exciting to get a lay of the land after a chaotic couple of years where so many new states legalized cannabis, and I will be sharing everything I learned in a juicy recap this Friday for paid subscribers. Anyone working in weed, hemp, or looking into doing so won’t want to miss this one.
Speaking of Friday subscribers, we’ve got something very special coming very soon: an Ask-Me-Anything-style video chat with cannabis investor Alison Gordon. The industry expert on fundraising will open up her brain to any and all questions—the more specific, the better—to offer concrete help to entrepreneurs facing fundraising obstacles and opportunities. This event will be open to paid subscribers only, so subscribe now to get access to this exclusive experience.
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One-Hitters: Cannabis News at a Glance
A Weed is a Flower, Broccoli’s new 168-page hardcover book of artful cannabis photography, has finally bloomed! Favorite shoots gathered from the pages of Broccoli and freshly picked images from more than 25 artists around the world showcase global interpretations of the natural beauty of cannabis. You can order one for yourself here, and you can listen to a chat between Broccoli founder Anja Charbonneau and me about the making of the book and the relationship between weed and flowers here.
In a recent interview with The Globe and Mail, Alison Gordon gave clear, pointed critique and suggestions in regards to making Canada’s industry more profitable to all. While it focuses on the shortcomings and miscalculations of Canada’s regulations, there’s relatable guidance for American markets; it’s essentially a hit-list for important, often-overlooked elements that can make or break the success of a legal market. Check out some highlights here, if you don’t want to create an account.
Lantern announced the launch of its fourth social-equity incubator program, the New Jersey Cannabis Project. It will provide New Jersey equity entrepreneurs a two-part program of seven sessions led by industry experts, tailored to the pre- and post-license process, and is open to social equity applicants pursuing microbusiness, retail, distribution, and delivery licenses. Applications for the fall cohort must be submitted by end of day October 29.
Nike made hemp kicks! The Nike ISPA Drift NTRL’s earthy hemp textile and blocky cork-inlay soles have big hippie hypebeast energy. I’m not sure if they’re my vibe (and since they were a limited edition release through Nike France, the only way to find a pair now is on sneaker resale sites) but I know I love how these sustainably-inspired sneaks remind the world that hemp textiles need not be boring.
Bud photographer Erik Christiansen broke down the arduous process behind those macro zooms on sticky trichomes and glittering budlettes for Willamette Week.
Upscale event company Cloth & Flame entered the cannabis game, as highlighted in this Business Insider recap of a $195 dinner in Sedona, Arizona. The writer didn’t note the chef behind the low-dose, multicourse meal, but it sounded delicious, and each course offered a “dosed or non-dosed” option. While pre-dinner joints in hammocks set the tone, the writer notes that she didn’t feel the brunt of the high until she was back in her hotel room a couple of hours later.
In other Arizona news, Sunday Goods just announced their second retail location. The sleekly designed, 5,000-square-foot space on the Tempe/Scottsdale border serves both medical and adult-use patrons and offers complimentary kombucha, cold brew, and drive-thru service from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily.
Year-to-date cannabis sales for 2021 in both Massachusetts and Nevada each hit $1 billion.
A Philadelphia-based entrepreneur launched a much-needed search engine for jobs that don’t require cannabis testing. Phynally is still in beta mode and doesn’t have a ton of listings yet. Still, the interesting angle here is that it is designed to serve the general population—anyone who happens to consume cannabis and is looking for work. Until federal laws better protect employees using cannabis legally, this is positioned to be an incredibly helpful resource.
A few Fridays ago, I talked about craving more magical packaging. Then, Santiago Rodriguez Tarditi’s new brand, INTŪ, crossed my desk. The journalist and editor, most notably of Gestalten’s High on Design: The New Cannabis Culture, launched the “eco-responsible CBD company” earlier this year, and their full-spectrum CBD oil is presented apothecary-style, in a pleasingly round glass bottle with a cork cap sealed with plant-based wax, a burlap cord, and recycled paper. You actually pull the burlap cord to open it—like a magical, earth-friendly potion.
Virginia natives Ronald and Sarah Morton were pleasantly surprised when their state voted to legalize cannabis. When Governor Northam moved the effective date for recreational marijuana legalization from January 2024 to July 1, 2021, they got busy developing a product to help people exercise their new rights freely and safely. Their company, LOCKGREEN, sells lockable stash kits designed for securely transporting weed to and fro. The heavy-duty kits have a hard-shell outer casing, a waterproof and smell-proof zipper, and a built-in, three-digit combination lock.
If you’re in LA and seeking fall picnic supplies, Mister Green has these cool Old Pal Igloo coolers in stock at their Rowena location.
If you’re in LA and craving pizza, Forbes just profiled the scene’s latest semi-underground infused pop-up: Stoney Slice. Primarily operating via Instagram DMs, Stoney Slice lets customers specify a dosage of 30–100 milligrams on their wood-fired pie and pick up from the private kitchen curbside. I love an underground pop-up as much as the next weed-centric gourmand, but after features in Forbes and the LA Times, I’m curious to see whether the media attention will help the business grow or if too much light shed on these kinds of unlicensed operations only brings about a quicker crackdown.
Professional pot pizza inspector,
Lauren Yoshiko
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