How boutique-ifying cannabis changed California’s weed business
A Highsnobiety documentary takes an in-depth look at the new ways marijuana is being consumed in California.
Ever since recreational marijuana use was legalized in California in 2016, the aesthetics of the state's weed marketplace has drastically changed. No longer is weed being sold in nondescript, label-less bags. Now, you can buy meticulously cultivated buds that promise high-quality, consistent experiences. You can order beautifully packaged pre-rolled joints, and buy luxurious weed accessories. This dramatic shift in consumption is the subject of High End, a new documentary by Highsnobiety.
Through interviews with well-known California cannabis brands like MedMen, Lowell Smokes, and Beboe (which makes a type of candy that the founder calls "the cold-pressed juice of weed"), the documentary explores how this change in the marketplace will also affect the federal and state regulation of the product; as marijuana consumption grows, it's likely that bigger corporations will begin to overtake smaller businesses.
More positively though, is that the legalization and taxation of recreational marijuana has been bringing in billions of dollars in tax revenue for California: around $6.8 billion to be exact, according to the documentary, which would go toward building new schools and improving state infrastructure