Rescheduling & Nail Painting
Rescheduling & Nail Painting
Plus: A Lonely Hearts-born pipe.
Tuesday, September 5, 2023
Time to read: About 4 minutes. Contains 749 words.
Good Morning!
I hope everyone had a solid Labor Day weekend. This is a short newsletter for a short week ahead—I feel like the main thing we’re all thinking about is that recommendation for rescheduling cannabis, which I will break down in a moment, as well as a handful of other interesting updates and high finds from around the industry.
I won’t skimp on the dispatch for paid subscribers this Friday, though—a dive into the rebrand of The Broccoli Report to Sticky Bits. This was the first time I got to work one-on-one with a designer to bring an idea to life and create a new logo and visual aesthetic, and I learned a ton throughout this process. From new design vocabulary to new sources for mood board content, I feel equipped with a lot of new knowledge that would seriously benefit anyone not of the design world who’s also considering developing a brand identity on a tighter budget.
Friday’s newsletter will share what I learned, how we got to the final product, and some cold, hard, honest advice from a couple of other experienced designers about what makes a great client and what makes them brace for a tough project ahead. Subscribe to catch this one and access every past dispatch, trend report, and podcast chat.
One-Hitters: Cannabis News at a Glance
The big news on the entire industry’s mind right now is the Department of Health and Human Services’ recommendation to reschedule cannabis from Schedule 1 to a Schedule 3 drug. By now, you’ve likely heard or read numerous takes on this being cause to celebrate or cause for concern. Here are the facts: If cannabis was changed to a Schedule 3 drug, it would allow federal tax deductions for cannabis businesses—an undeniably positive change. However, it would still be considered a controlled substance. It’d be as strictly regulated as drugs like ketamine, anabolic steroids, and Tylenol with codeine — none of which can be weighed out at a neighborhood dispensary. This change would not free cannabis from federal prohibition, and, if I’m being totally honest, I think the recommendation is more upcoming election-related bark than bite. So does cannabis reporter Amanda Chicago Lewis.
The CBD business is at least thriving in one locale: the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, GA. The SunMed Your CBD Store opened one retail location in Concourse D earlier this year and, as of last month, upgraded a centrally-located CBD-stocked vending machine to a second retail space in the airport selling hemp-based edibles, tinctures, and the like.
From September 29 to October 1, Cannescape is partnering with the Mine and Farm Inn in West Sonoma County on a cannabis-friendly retreat framed around farm-to-table gourmet in stylish accommodations.
A union win happened at three Chicago-area, Green Thumb Industries-owned shops over Labor Day weekend. Teamsters 777 got the company to agree to a contract with a 12.5% raise in its first year followed by annual 3% raises, bringing wages at the stores in line with other Chicago-area retailers.
High Finds: Lifestyle Goods I Like
The Grass Agency’s new Superbloom Pipe is such a novel shape that it would’ve made its way into this newsletter in any case, but the tubular, flower-shaped piece holds a particularly special place in my heart—it was brought to life with the help of our very own Lonely Hearts Board! TGA connected with designer Joel Yatscoff of Toronto-based design studio Burning Tree through a past post on the board, kicking off a long journey through many iterations, materials, and potential vendors. I feel like a proud weed-y godmother.
If you need a collaborator to make an upcoming project or deadline possible, don’t worry—I’ll do another round of Lonely Hearts ahead of the holiday season. Keep your posts close to mind. 👀
Between Edie Parker’s new vape launch and Sundae School’s tease of an upcoming release, it’s exciting to see some fresh takes on vape shapes and silhouettes.
As we transition from summer to fall, I’m swapping my neon green nail polish hues for moodier emeralds like this shade by one of my new favorite cruelty-free brands, 786. It doesn’t contain weed of any kind, but doing my nails is probably my favorite high pastime. My nail polish kit and smoking kit are inextricably tied.
To high art and fast-drying topcoats,
Lauren Yoshiko