The Broccoli Report
Monday, July 10, 2023
Time to read: About 5 minutes. Contains 1,019 words.
Good Morning!
Happy 7/10 to all who celebrate! A.k.a. “Oil Day” or “Dab Day,” this more recently anointed holiday is inspired by someone’s observation somewhere that 7/10 looks like the word “oil” upside down (particularly on one of those old-school digital clocks). It’s mostly just another summer day to me—I’m of the opinion 4/20 is an all-encompassing day honoring all the ways we interact with this plant, and I observe that spring day with the utmost reverence—but no shame to the dabbers and marketing teams going all out today. Have fun, and be safe out there!
Today also marks the LAST DAY to submit your LONELY HEARTS posts!
You have until EOD today, Pacific Standard Time, to get your entrepreneurial want ad in the mix. This is for professional inquiries only—the first one happened to be born in the month of February, inspired by classic personal ads, and we maintain the sweetheart tone for a fun read.
The Board will go out this Friday to all Broccoli Report subscribers. You can peruse past Boards for inspo, but don’t worry too much about phrasing. Just send me a brief description of who you are/your company, and the collaborator/gig/contract you’re dreaming of, and I’ll shorten and sweeten it as needed. 💌 Send your ads to yoshikolauren@gmail.com with “Lonely Hearts” in the subject line.
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Lauren’s most sincere appreciation for supporting independent journalism and her ability to do this work.
One-Hitters: Cannabis News at a Glance
In light of the Supreme Court's decision to strike down affirmative action, it’s likely only a matter of time before social equity programs giving precedence to certain racial backgrounds get held up with more lawsuits. One attorney penned an interesting op-ed for Marijuana Moment about this situation, presenting one solution he believes could save social equity efforts: remove the race element and “concentrate relief to individuals who were actually arrested, convicted and/or incarcerated (and the immediate families they were separated from).”
Maryland’s adult-use market kicked off since the last Report, and it’s off with a bang. Approximately $3.6 million worth of adult-use product was sold on day one, July 1. Numbers were supported with ease of access—94 of the 100 or so existing medical cannabis dispensaries were able to easily make the switch to adult-use retail operations for opening day.
McDonald’s launched a $230 wedding catering package, only in Indonesia for now, but imagine if/when it arrives stateside. 4/20 weddings will never be the same.
More good news out of Colorado, a state I consider the canary for the general coal mine of legal cannabis in the US: illegal sales are down 74%, according to a report from the city government. Perhaps suspiciously good? This figure is drawn from a drop in illegal cannabis seizures processed by police, and it’s unclear whether it merely signifies the police have eased up on illegal cannabis crackdowns. Even if it’s not as high as 74%, I believe it’s fair to assume the numbers are trending down, which is still a positive takeaway for the health of other licensed programs struggling to overcome illegal markets.
A biopharma company out of Maryland has received final approval for a phase II clinical trial using a “proprietary cannabinoid therapeutic” to treat autism in children. The principal investigator of the study is Dr. Adi Aran, the director of pediatric neurology at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Hospital and a researcher who’s passionate about understanding the ways high CBD cannabis treatments can improve behavioral issues, communication and decrease anxiety.
Sundae School’s pop-up continues this week at The Line Los Angeles. Not sure if any pieces from the sample sale remain or if their new mini Mochi Grinders will be in stock, but it’s worth checking out if you’re in town. 👀
In an exciting personal update: I finally understand what “nano” means! (At least as much as one can without a degree in chemistry). It only took multiple conversations with a Michelin-starred chef, a cannabis beverage magnate, and lab techs—plus a few white papers—for an article in the second issue of beverage mag Full Pour. Now that I’ve wrapped my head around this game-changing process, I see how huge an impact this formulation innovation will likely have on the entire edible realm.
High Finds: Lifestyle Goods I Like
Not so much a find, but an untapped opportunity: Between this water-reactive fashion week invite from outerwear brand Rains and this color-changing thermal nail polish that popped up during recent scrolling, I’m wondering whether heat-sensitive tech could be applied to glass pieces or even rolling papers for photogenic ombre puffs.
Kudos to the team at Stündenglass for hopping on the Barbie-core trend with a hot pink version of their signature gravity bong.
I journeyed around the internet to see if any other smoking brands had joined the Barbie bandwagon, and I actually found some non-Mattel-approved papers on Etsy, as well as some delightful Barbie-sized smoking kits.
For the sporty stonies out there: athletic-minded brand OFFFIELD released a canned high-performance sports drink that contains hemp-derived THC, CBG, and CBD, along with magnesium, zinc, L-theanine, and vitamins B6, B12 & C. Available in lime and dragon fruit lemonade flavors, it’s like a cannabinoid-charged Gatorade dupe that tastes (and looks, and feels) a lot better.
Related: Why Gatorade when you can Gatorbeug?
Along with a change to glass packaging for flower eighths, Rose Los Angeles (which has flower available in New York these days as well) dropped a resealable, home-compostable bio-based polymer bag for flower ounces situated inside of a lowkey chic paper pouch. A bag that brings you from the dispensary to dinner downtown.
Ever sartorially stoned,
Lauren Yoshiko