Author: CAIT BROOKE
Some of my friends still get their weed in a grocery bag that’s been sealed closed with a lighter. Mine usually comes in glass jar, with strain, testing and growing information plastered onto a chic and stylish label. Ohh, legalized cannabis.
When I first began budtending in the cannabis industry here in Las Vegas, a lot of people would come in and be overwhelmed with all of the choices at their disposal. Some of the long-time-user customers wouldn’t even attempt to shop around or even peruse the menu.
“Give me something good.” an elderly gentlemen would grunt from beneath his greyed and prickly mustache.
“Do you like more indica effects, sativa, or-”
“-I don’t know what the hell you’re saying, I used to meet a guy behind the Chevron and take whatever he had so just give me something good dammit.”
“Roger that!” I’d reply with a smile.
Now, two years into recreational cannabis in Las Vegas and I’m willing to bet that same customer now has a favorite cultivator brand that he specifically shops for. Before these dispensary luxuries, weed was weed and although effects would be hit or miss from what we wanted, we always knew we could rely on whatever our “guy” had. So as we look at those menus, option listings even longer now, how do we decide which bud will be our best bud especially when some options are so similar?
I’m convinced that just as we make rapid decisions about people within the first 15 seconds of meeting them, we also do this with any type of product on the shelves, often gravitating towards whatever first catches our eye before knowing anything about the product itself. For cannabis, maybe a certain strain name draws us in or the design of the packaging that just stands out to us. The more cannabis brands that hit the shelves, the harder it is to differentiate between actual product, so instead they harness the power of marketing to stand out among the rest. And so brand name weed is born and just like with any other branded item, some fall to the top as superior while others rest on a bottom shelf. Is it because of lab testing results or how the buds look? (Relative standards we made up) Or is it because through the power of branding, we have created the Nike and Adidas of cannabis and also the knockoff Walmart versions.
An example of excellent branding comes from the company Binske. I don’t work for Binske, nor have I even tried their product- but I certainly can observe the genius of their marketing. If you haven’t seen Binske products yet, the packaging design consists of several different beautiful and exotic looking art pieces. Not only is the art satisfying and eye catching, but it captures the attention of a HUGE audience of creative cannabis users. Beyond that, the designs are so beautiful that it makes posting it on social media to show it off a MUST thus getting their name in front of more eyes. Put all this together with the fact that each strain has a different design and so comes the desire to collect them all- BOOM- a simply genius marketing plan! No longer is it even about the product inside but just this desire in us to see that and want to be a part of that beautiful and (let’s face it) trendy community that they have created around their brand. Binske seems to provide satisfaction with the follow through as well, as I have heard many resounding reviews of the actual product inside the pretty packaging.
Whether we are progressing towards actually differentiating good cannabis from bad cannabis (again by relative standards we made up) or whether we are just resorting to the tried and true shopping method of whatever feels and looks good, one thing is for certain, and that is the creation of cannabis brand standards now is upon us.
When I was working as a cannabis brand vendor here in Las Vegas, I came into contact with a lot of people who would rather rock a trendy branded t-shirt or collect a pin instead of inquire about actual product information. Maybe this is because at the end of the day, cannabis is cannabis but brands create a community and this community- this culture we are creating around cannabis- is what we truly want to take part in.
It sounds harmless but when dealing with products that a mass amount of people are consuming (and usually doing so to better their health) it gets dangerous playing the “Who’s Cool” game instead of the quality product game. Although Binske may do well (again haven’t tried it for myself) in achieving superior marketing to match a superior product, the same cannot be said for a lot of brands who approach the cannabis industry selling a lifestyle first with a product that is less than satisfactory, especially in terms of actual wellness.
All this to say it is now more important than ever to be an informed shopper. Do self research surrounding different cannabis cultivators and brands and see how they are made and decide for yourself if the result is a quality product or just a gimmick aimed at your wallet. We are lucky here in Nevada to have such strict lab testing standards that every dispensary product must go through. However, with experimental companies innovating new cannabis “technologies” as we go, the true effectiveness of said products cannot really be determined at this time. As a lover of the cannabis plant as a species of mother nature, I try to navigate the “trendy” bullshit arising in the cannabis industry and seek out the products that capture what mother nature truly intended. I encourage you to do the self reflection and self research necessary to actually find what product works for you.
Be Well Wanderers!
What’s in the name of a brand? Check back next Saturday for a follow-up article featuring various popular cannabis brands here in Las Vegas and the story behind their brand names.
