Blingy vaporizers and gold rolling papers: luxury cannabis brands court the affluent

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As marijuana becomes more acceptable and its consumer base grows, companies are aiming for prestige.

Despite being expensive and sometimes rare, cannabis isn’t typically considered a luxury good. It’s too closely associated with slovenly, underperforming young men to convey wealth or style. But as cannabis becomes more acceptable and the consumer base grows to include more women and affluent professionals, some companies are aiming to become prestige brands.

With limited opportunities to advertise, packaging is one of the few ways a brand can catch a customer’s eye. It’s also how aspiring top-shelf brands signal their ambitions. California’s Canndescent, which calls itself “ultra-premium”, uses a burnt orange motif in a nod to the French fashion house Hermes. Another California brand, Beboe, was co-founded by a celebrity tattoo artist, Scott Campbell, and its pastille edibles – “candy tarts of bouginess” – come in lovely little tins. Many dispensaries try to attract affluent shoppers by fashioning themselves after art galleries and boutiques.

LifestyleFIREFARM411September 17, 2019FIREFARMFIREFARM, Cannabis, Lifestyle, Marijuana