Hemp Jeans & Weed Beefs
Hemp Jeans & Weed Beefs
Plus: Last call for Lonely Hearts.
The Broccoli Report
Monday, July 25, 2022
Time to read: 4 minutes, 18 seconds. Contains 861 words.
Good morning!
I hope everyone’s staying cool, physically and mentally.
Thrillist just dropped a really fun, comprehensive guide to rewarding U.S. road trips, if anyone out there is seeking OOO inspo, and I recently contributed a small piece to one of my favorite annual publications: Willamette Week’s “Best of Portland” issue. While the alt-weekly runs a concurrent city survey to name the city’s best destinations as voted for by the people, the issue features a totally subjective and random list of wonderful, weird things that local writers never found a place to write about that year—think a Tinder profile editor for hire, salt lick sculptures, and lab-assisting polar bears. And—by yours truly,—the vintage furniture repairman behind some of the best design memes online. Nothing to do with weed—well, almost nothing—just fantastic memery.
A little housekeeping: This is your last call for getting a post into the next Lonely Hearts Board, which drops Friday. I’ve got a ton of fun, potentially fruitful posts to share, but there’s always room for more. Freelancers: Don’t be afraid of manifesting your dream gig. Brands and managers: Peep your team calendar for any extra needs on the horizon. This is a great opportunity to find potential collaborators that are more than likely to be people who care about doing their best to do things better. I’m looking forward to seeing sparks fly when the Board goes out this Friday!
One-Hitters: Cannabis News at a Glance
Did you know the first pair of jeans were made in Nimes, France, from a sturdy twill woven with hemp and dyed indigo? (They were possibly predated by Indian dungaree fabric, a debatable forerunner of denim). France went on to be a major exporter of hemp textiles throughout the 19th century and actually remains one of the biggest suppliers of hemp seeds. A recent Cannabis Business Times interview with the co-founder of the Tissages d'Autan mill gave me this hemp history lesson, as well as a helpful breakdown of the less sustainable issues around processing and weaving hemp at scale in a globalized world.
The latest cannabis employee turnover statistics from Headset may not be as shocking as they sound. According to their analysis, approximately 55% of budtenders who worked at any point over the previous 12 months in both the U.S. and Canada left their jobs. When I first read this report, those numbers felt like an ominous indicator of employee dissatisfaction, but, lo and behold, that percentage is actually in step with general retail employee turnover over the past year (57%). I guess that’s why they call it the Great Resignation.
Chris Roberts ventured into Curaleaf’s Russian roots for The Guardian, telling the entrepreneurial origins of the company’s American-born chairman Boris Jordan and tracing his fortunes’ connections to the now-sanctioned tycoon Roman Abramovich and Andrey Blokh—a Moscow-based dual citizen and Curaleaf’s second-biggest shareholder.
In a juicy MIT Tech Review piece, Amanda Chicago Lewis chronicled the rise in awareness around cannabis hyperemesis syndrome—a.k.a. “scromiting,” a disturbing portmanteau of “screaming” and vomiting”—the key role that cannabis publicist and CHS sufferer Alice Moon plays in the community, and how an internet spat between Moon and famed cannabis scientist Dr. Ethan Russo has impacted CHS research.
On The Revel is throwing a hell of a networking opportunity for aspiring New York cannabis entrepreneurs on August 28 in Brooklyn. The Summit and Block Party will span the day, starting with business presentations on licensing processes and ancillary opportunities and concluding with a celebration open to the public with food, vendors, and DJs.
OG cannabis lifestyle brand Mister Green unveiled a fresh round of apparel, accessories, and home goods, including a smaller, five-gallon size of their signature grow bags, and the Poetry Cap and shirt with “green” repeated a dizzying, delightful amount of times.
Rose Los Angeles’ gummy edible collaboration with Lexie Park of Nünchi matches the playfulness of her whimsical gelatinous desserts: The yellow ones are made with Bernard Ranches’ citrus fruits, while the dark blue ones are made with oolong boba. All are infused with Rose’s Hammerhead Banana flower rosin. If your tolerance allows, the two flavors can be smushed together for a multicolored, multisensory 10mg bite.
Cannabis equity platform Cannabis Noire is kicking off a multicity “tea party” tour, popping up in Philadelphia on August 13 and Atlanta on August 21 with a fun, immersive event that will include cannabis pairings with mocktails and live entertainment. They may still be considering vendors, if you are interested.
I am hypnotized by this surreal Globe pipe by new LA accessory brand Flora Nero. Part spaceship, part magic lamp, part more than a couple month’s rent—it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and the most interesting part is that it’s meant for dry sift hash, not flower.
Session Goods dropped a fresh round of essential accessories, the most exciting of which (imho) is the $10 Stash Pods. The mini containers are ideal for storing a small amount of bud on the go, with a hole in each cap for attaching to key rings, backpacks—even press-ons, if you’re game.
Until next sesh,
Lauren Yoshiko