Smoking Weed's Gone Corporate

I’m convinced that enough corporate interest can make even the most fun things bland and dry.

Corporations can sometimes be like the scorpion who gets a ride across the river on the frog’s back and stabs the frog in midstream.

'What have you done?' asks the dying frog. 'Now we’re both going to die.'

'I can’t help it,' says the scorpion. 'It’s simply my nature.'

That’s what profit without regard looks like.

And now, they’ve officially made smoking pot unfun.

I don’t partake. However, there was a time when sparking up a joint was one of the most subversive moves one could make. Exciting, thrilling, a little bit naughty.

That hasn’t been the case for a long time.

Not since dispensaries got a full capitalist makeover and celebrities started releasing their own strains of cannabis like they do beauty brands.

Now, cannabis brands are aplenty.

You’d think this would be a good thing – the normalisation of a practice that has long been demonised in society. And, in a way, it is.

But just look at the sheer number of bougie, clean, minimalist cannabis brands that now flood the market float in a sea of sameness. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think they were selling artisanal almond snacks or something wanky of the sort.

Look, I get it.

As recreational marijuana becomes more and more accepted, brands try to reach the maximum number of customers.

It’s not rocket science.

Within these cohorts of customers, there are professionals who have probably outgrown mixing with dealers and the like. Fair play. And no, not everyone is a fan of shopping for their evening wind down vice amongst Rick and Morty bongs and weed-leaf clipper lighters.

But it almost feels like cultural erasure. Maybe I’m being dramatic. But that was kind of the charm.

The baggy jeaned, skateboard wielding, long-haired advocate has turned into a suit talking about tax revenue and KPI’s.

When an industry is increasingly driven by profit, big corporations move in and mass produce.

This shift has led to a more 'corporate' feel to the industry. And this has distanced the culture from its beginnings in grassroots movements and small businesses.

The large-scale producers focus on mass production. This often leads to less variety in strains and a focus on high-THC content over other qualities like flavour, aroma, or balanced effects (e.g., CBD and other cannabinoids).

This has led to a less nuanced experience for those who enjoy experimenting with different strains for their unique effects. Which, is like, a stoner's favourite thing to talk about.

Which made me think of our responsibility as marketers to preserve the culture of a product within an industry, whatever that may be.

Yes, profits are important. But do we want to erase all that came before us?

It’s a delicate balance between expanding market presence and staying true to the roots that make the product authentic and meaningful.

To avoid stripping away the culture of a product, brands can emphasise community, involving long-time users, grassroots movements, and local voices in product development, marketing, and decision-making.

This ensures our brands respect and reflect the values of the culture we’re profiting from.

In other words, don’t be the branding equivalent of gentrification.

-Sophie, Writer