Since the legalisation of cannabis in the U.S. there's been a notable rise in companies taking an artisanal approach to the drug. We took a look at three initiatives championing the approach.
Since the legalisation of cannabis in the U.S. there's been a notable rise in companies adopting an artisanal approach to the drug. We took a look at three initiatives championing the connoisseur style.
In “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35”, Bob Dylan’s line, “Everybody must get stoned,” was met with contempt outside of the world’s bohemian contingent. The idea of being “stoned” turned people off, and instilled negative connotations that have proven difficult to overcome. Marijuana was and still is deemed an unsavoury practice by many, but it would seem the times they are a-changin’. Legalisation for medical and recreational Marijuana usage in the states has been a long and hard fought battle but inroads are being made to shake off the stigma that surrounds the plant.
In certain parts of the U.S., Marijuana is booming. It’s been dubbed ‘the new internet’ and entrepreneurs, investors - not to mention celebrity investors - are having a field day. Legal cannabis is already an $11 billion business and Marijuana Business Daily projections show the industry growing to $30 billion by 2019.
But as the market grows, emphasis quickly becomes about speed and efficiency, and in turn mass production. A number of new brands are vying to become the Apple or Budweiser of pot as Silicon Valley startups dominate the market. But for every Starbucks there’s an independent coffee shop, and the Marijuana industry is no different. Cannabis has it own artisans; slowing down production, improving transparency, promoting provenance, reimagining design and speaking to the connoisseurs.
Artisan cannabis is nothing new. People have been growing on boutique farms for generations, limiting their yield in favour of speciality varieties. However, with advances in and the availability of scientific methods, the care, attention and expertise practised in cultivating crops now draws some parallels with the wine industry. Hashishins, (master hash-makers), like Frenchy Cannoli unite legendary heirloom genetics, terroir, altitude, appellations, soil and microclimates to produce limited offerings, reserved only for the most serious connoisseurs.
