Weed-y Travelers & Striker Discounts
Weed-y Travelers & Striker Discounts
Plus: THC sunglasses.
The Broccoli Report
Monday, July 24, 2023
Time to read: About 5 minutes. Contains 994 words.
Good Morning!
This Friday, paid subscribers will receive the next candid chat with someone in the know: cannabis culinary creative and writer Christina Wong. We talk about her latest endeavor, Mogu Magu, a project started with chef Wendy Zeng that explores the historical and cultural roots of cannabis in Asian cultures through the lens of the ancient hemp deity, Magu, as well as the ongoing stigma around cannabis in the Asian American community. It’s an insightful listen for all folks invested in welcoming first-timers into the cannabis space and anyone hoping to better understand the barriers many face.
Join as a paid subscriber to enjoy monthly podcast drops and deep dives further exploring trends in the space, as well as access to past chats and a vast, informative archive of past Friday dives.
Let’s get caught up on the latest news, happenings, and drops.
One-Hitters: Cannabis News at a Glance
I’ve been eager to find a place to write about just how big a deal it is that Mister Green opened a new Life Store in Tokyo, Japan. This location—opened in partnership with Akila eyewear, the cool brand Mister Green collaborated with on those sunglasses made to camouflage red eyes—offers a welcome space where locals can feel safe in their cannabis-curious conversations and shop lifestyle goods made for people who enjoy the outdoors, getting high, and high design. Fortunately, Conde Nast Traveller is running a column about unique business travelers that made for a perfect fit to talk to Ariel Stark-Benz about his April trip to open the store and his go-to’s for good food, coffee, and great shopping during annual trips to Japan.
In a unanimous vote, the City Council in Berkeley, California just passed legislation to give the city's medical and recreational cannabis businesses a temporary exclusion from paying cannabis industry-designated taxes. While it’s great to see unanimous support for businesses struggling right now, and this will definitely allow some to catch their breath, I don’t think this will get to the heart of the matter: that two-thirds of cannabis transactions in California are still happening outside of the licensed space.
In more legislative news that I am skeptical will have an effect: New York regulators approved serious limits to hemp products containing THC. Under rules that could become law within 60 days, edible products would be required to have a 15-to-1 ratio of CBD to THC. However, judging by the state’s inability to really crack down on unlicensed brick-and-mortars, I don’t see how this would be effectively enforced. After all, aren’t delta-8 and delta-10 THC products already supposedly banned in the state? I imagine we could find hundreds of products on unlicensed shelves right now.
I’m much more intrigued about progress in New York regarding farms being able to sell directly to consumers in farmers' market-style setups. If people can buy home-cultured milk and cheese, they should be allowed to buy cannabis direct from farmers that would still be held to strict testing regulations.
Just because Gigi Hadid got away with a slap on the wrist when caught bringing weed into the Cayman Islands, don’t assume you will, too. Although she was able to pay a mere $1,200 and continue on her vacation, the LA Times pointed out that the same charge is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
A recent study by MMGY Travel Intelligence indicated a steady rise in interest in cannabis hospitality. According to their Portrait of American Travelers study—of which I could not find the number of participants—more than a third of U.S. travelers stated “interest in participating in a cannabis-related activity while on vacation,” as well as interest in cannabis-enhanced culinary experiences.
The Artist Tree dispensaries throughout Los Angeles are offering 25% off to any members of the Writers Guild of America or the Screen Actors Guild in solidarity with the strike, as long as the strike lasts.
Portland, Oregon’s weed scene’s been quiet since the start of the pandemic. I still swear by the quality, affordability, and accessibility of our products—it’s a great city to buy weed in—but cannabis lovers can’t do much more than shop and find some nice place in nature to enjoy it. That’s why I’m thrilled to see indie cannabis organizer and media outlet Cheechable getting the community together this weekend for a good ol’ BYOC Summer Sesh, including live music, good food, and a preview of a new social club. See you there on Saturday!
High Finds: Lifestyle Goods I Like
Elevate Jane’s extremely cool Lexco cases are back in stock (for now). The accordion-style wooden joint cases allow for separate storage of multiple joints at once without any smushing or harshing of strain-specific aromas per joint.
Forti Goods—the lockable furniture brand whose steady sales hinted at growing consumer safety concerns in 2022—is soon to launch its expanded line of well-designed storage solutions and accouterment. If you’re considering a new end table or credenza with smart drawers that lock via phone, you can still get the preorder discount right now.
Innovative accessory brand Vessel dropped an ombre-themed Solstice collection featuring two types of 510-compatible vape pens in three different sunset-inspired colorways. They honestly look like more premium, better-constructed cannabis versions of ElfBar vapes.
Athletic-minded CBD brand Joggy—the one founded by Outdoor Voices’ Ty Haney—just dropped a limited edition lineup of next-level performance sunglasses. The JOY RIDE Sport Sunglasses, made in collaboration with luxury eyewear and jewelry brand VADA and handcrafted in Japan, come in rainbow psychedelic and simple black varieties, each offering 100% UVA/UVB protection with interchangeable low light and mirrored lens options.
Jane West released a new Twenties Collection at last week’s CHAMPS Trade Show in Vegas. The beautiful, vintage-inspired assortment of smoking accessories is all made with elaborate cut glass patterns and is available for wholesale orders now.
Lover of all period pieces,
Lauren Yoshiko