Sensual Suppositories & Hemp in Cars
Plus: A Cat Lady Quest.
The Broccoli Report
Monday, November 7, 2022
Time to read: 4 minutes, 45 seconds. Contains 950 words.
Good morning!
Hello, Monday readers; hello, November. I hope everyone’s staying hydrated and getting enough z’s as we head into this last stretch of 2022 and winter colds start circulating. We’re back to “puff, puff, don’t pass” season, y’all.
ICYMI—Friday’s dive into the Delta-8 debate was a great read (if I do say so myself), illuminating the financial and philosophical factors CBD operators are considering as they contemplate developing hemp-derived THC products. Those of us living in legalized cannabis states may not fully understand the impact of the Delta-8 trend in prohibition states—I know I didn’t—and this piece fills in the blanks about the why and how of hemp THC’s growing presence.
We’re dipping back towards business functions this week with a return to the email marketing realm. Once you understand the basics of email marketing for your business, the next question is: How to get more subscribers? This Friday’s dive will feature advice from an expert on getting more emails, offering guidance in assessing your brand’s most valuable communications, and how to do so when you don’t have the ability to easily offer a 15% off coupon with sign-up (🙋🏻♀️). Hope to see you then!
One-Hitters: Cannabis News at a Glance
A very un-sexy product is becoming a huge part of the cannabis and sex realm: suppositories. Moving beyond weed lube, brands like Mello and Pleasure Peaks have offered CBD suppositories claiming to enhance sexual pleasure for a few years. Hello Again entered the California market in 2020 with THC and CBD suppositories for a variety of uses, and they’re still doing their thing, but over the past year, suppositories have become a kind of standard format within sexual wellness hemp brands. Foria released its version of CBD suppositories, and new brand In Your Pleasure launched with a chic, subtly packaged take containing CBD and magnesium intended for “period pain relief and sexual pleasure.” Last week, ENUF launched a day and night version of a streamlined, two-ingredient suppository: CBD and CBG for daytime relief of period pain and CBD and CBN to support good sleep during your cycle.
The sixth-largest automaker in the world has signed an exciting agreement with hemp plastic manufacturer One World Products. Stellantis—owner of Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, and Peugeot, among others—will swap plastic materials for OWP’s hemp-based bioplastic components for cars’ interiors and exteriors moving forward.
Multistate behemoth Curaleaf will pay $100,000 to settle a class-action lawsuit over their THC mislabeling scandal. Last year, a mixup resulted in high amounts of THC ending up in their Select hemp CBD brand. Numerous people reported disturbing reactions, triggering a mass recall, but not before multiple individuals were hospitalized—including one who underwent an operation in an attempt to understand what was wrong.
Now that the Food and Drug Administration has hired an official cannabis policy advisor—Norman Birenbaum, who previously led cannabis regulation in Rhode Island—perhaps we’ll finally see those long-awaited hemp regulations.
Smell-proof pouches made it to Los Angeles Fashion Week. During the Gypsy Sports runway show, models carried stylish variations of GRAV’s smell-proof pouches made with upcycled fabric and vegan leather.
This Inverse dive into the fallacy of the current usage of the terms “sativa” and “indica” goes beyond the basics, drawing on the expertise of Harvard Medical School professor Peter Grinspoon. In addition to outlining the science, it describes the ways that Drug Enforcement Agency tactics during the War on Drugs hugely impacted the plant genetics—or rather, the lack thereof—we see on shelves today.
As my property manager regularly reminds me: Not everyone loves the smell of weed. However, a 1,000-person survey by Real Estate Witch showed that most don’t mind living near (not next to, but near) a cannabis amenity like a dispensary or consumption lounge. 70% of responders said they would still pay fair market value for a house near a dispensary, and 22% would actually pay above market rate for a house near a cannabis-related amenity. Of course, that may say more about the housing shortage than people’s interest in supporting cannabis businesses—these days, many prospective buyers expect to pay above market rate to buy anything. Still, it is interesting, nonetheless.
In a recent roundup of recommended wellness destinations from LA beauty influencers, makeup artist and podcast host Joyce Platon called out the CBD massage at the Ole Henriksen Spa ($225 for a 50-minute massage). I don’t believe Ole Henriksen sells any CBD products of their own, so I wonder which brand(s) are keeping the spa stocked?
Bay Area readers: If you’ve been curious about the joyous mural of stoned, Mesoamerican monkeys along Cesar Chavez Street, ponder no longer—Poncho Brotherz, a new family-owned dispensary in the Mission District, is now open for business. The founders grow their own on a licensed farm in Humboldt and plan to cultivate heritage cannabis genetics originating from Mexico and Africa to honor their heritage and re-establish Indigenous and Latine cannabis cultures.
Saints Joints brought their five-joint Ballot Box back to Oklahoma’s medical market for this election season (Editorial aside: Don’t forget to vote today!!!). Each one includes a mini copy of the U.S. Bill of Rights and a QR code for easy voter registration.
Speaking of newsworthy seasonal packaging: I have to shout out an absolute feat in stoner nerd-dom. In an intricate marketing campaign, Oregon cultivator Utokia created an experiential role-playing game inspired by cat ladies. To play the Crazy Cat Lady Adventure Quest, customers must seek out all three limited-edition holographic Cat Cards hidden in the brand's pre-roll packs. The design aesthetic recalls Magic the Gathering cards, and $.25 per pack sold will go to the Cat Adoption Team.
Smoke long and prosper,
Lauren Yoshiko