Posted on 11/10/2017 6:36:48 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
As marijuana legalization continues across the country, weed is becoming increasingly mainstream. However, as much as the stoner stereotype has evolved into a broader label that also encompasses CEOs, educated millennials, and the Spicolis of the world, it still has a negative connotation. Industry leaders have quickly learned that destigmatizing marijuana use begins with educating the public, but Adrian Sedlin of Canndescent has figured out that, as with anything, it's really all about branding.
Sedlin's luxury cannabis company offers premium flower alongside sophisticated packaging that no other company in the current market rivals. One look and I can almost guarantee that you'll be more inclined to spark one than ever before. What Sedlin and his team did first was identify the pain points of the consumer experience and make everything from the strain names to the aesthetic more approachable.
"I would describe most of the historical imagery associated with cannabis as being very countercultural," Sedlin told POPSUGAR. "It's a lot of bad imagery, bad design. Yeah, that appeals to a certain segment, but there are tons of users who are uncomfortable with the purchase experience. It's confusing and an intimidating space, so another problem to think about is do you really want to go in and buy a strain called Alaskan Thunder F**k?"
Instead of traditional strain names like OG Kush and Green Crack, Canndescent simplified the classification system to five categories: Calm, Cruise, Create, Connect, and Charge. Each one is designed with proprietary genetics to perform exactly how it's labeled and is organically grown, cured, trimmed, and packaged in-house into childproof glass jars that include humidity packs to preserve quality. Sedlin said that half of its strains are genetically developed from scratch, making them completely unique to Canndescent, while others are comparable to more popular varieties.
While the rebrand is indeed friendlier, my biggest concern was whether the five categories were too broad for accuracy. For example, what's calm for me, may not be so calm for somebody else, especially the novice consumer who Canndescent is targeting. Sedlin and his team did take this into careful consideration when developing the product. Each bottle is labeled with the effects to expect, along with suggested activities, to give you an idea of the type of experience it may be more suited to. But in no way is Canndescent claiming that its strains are one size fits all.
"It's imperfect because you have a unique biochemistry, but it's a hell of an improvement," Sedlin told us. "Anything I can do to simplify it and make that user experience clearer and clearer for more users is something we'll adopt. When you're dealing with someone who has no category experience, all that type of thinking is fair. And at the end of the day, each person at some level has to figure out how cannabis hits them."
To evaluate whether or not the actual effects of each strain were in the ballpark, I tested them all. I smoked each of the five categories on five separate days and paired them with the experience it was intended for. Spoiler: I'm f***ing sold.
Calm
Intended use: "For a restful sleep or relief from aches and pains, soothe yourself with Canndescent Calm." When to consume: Before bed. Verdict: One hit of Calm and the results were instant. I experienced immediate sleepiness and full-body relaxation. It felt heavy yet comforting and not at all anxiety-inducing.
Cruise
Intended use: "Keep up the pace, relax your mind, and sail through the day with Canndescent Cruise." When to consume: Before running errands or starting your day. Verdict: Cruise is a fantastic daytime weed. I did feel a little tired, but not enough to knock me out. I smoked this one before tackling a day full of errands, and I was able to breeze through on cruise control without burning out.
Create
Intended use: "When it's time to paint, jam, code, blog, or game, find your muse in Canndescent Create." When to consume: Before tackling a project. Verdict: If you need to crack down on some work, feel inspired, or simply focus, this one's for you. I smoked a couple hits of Create before catching up on some work at home, and I was pleasantly surprised how functional I was. Not only did I do laundry with laser focus, but I also didn't find myself struggling to think while writing a post. Weed typically makes my mind hazy and slow-thinking, but Create offered clarity and focus.
Connect
Intended use: "When it's time to laugh, go out with friends, or get intimate, invite Canndescent Connect." When to consume: For social situations. Verdict: I figured that a dinner party would be the perfect scenario to test out a couple joints of Connect. I had five experienced smokers, including myself, to note any differences in sociability and energy, and some of us reported being more present and alert than we typically are when smoking other brands. I personally found Connect to be the least distinct of all five strains, but it was a nice choice for this type of setting nonetheless.
Charge
Intended use: "To get off the couch, take a run, or go out for the night, power up with Canndescent Charge." When to consume: Before going out. Verdict: Charge was hands down my favorite strain of all. Ten minutes in, I was noticeably more alert and energized, which is rarely the case for me, even with sativas. I definitely didn't feel glued to the couch, and I'm glad I smoked Charge before heading out to a weeknight concert because I was surprised to find myself so awake the entire night.
Overall, I was very satisfied with Canndescent's products. At $60 for an eighth, this is one top-shelf brand I can justify splurging on. Its descriptions were true to the label, based on my experience, and it reminded me how drastically different quality weed is to the more affordable varieties I've been using. The stunning, limited-edition gift box I received from Canndescent (pictured above) is available for purchase at California dispensaries for $250 and comes with an eighth of all five strains, matches, rolling papers, and hemp wicks for each. They're also sold individually for $50 to $60 an eighth (depending on the dispensary). If you purchase the prepackaged version, you'll receive a glass jar along with a box of matches, a packet of premium rolling papers, and a roll of hemp wicks, as shown below.
At the end of unpackaging my gift box on Instagram Stories, I polled my followers and asked whether or not they'd be more likely to smoke weed if it was presented in this way. Ninety-three percent responded yes. The sample size was too small to actually yield significant results, but it does say something about branding. Sedlin describes Canndescent as "sexy, sophisticated, and simple." Based on the overwhelmingly positive reactions from friends and coworkers — including those who aren't regular cannabis users — and my own firsthand experience with Canndescent's product, I can absolutely see this company revolutionizing the industry and changing the way we approach weed.
Where they can do no harm to other tissues - until they leach back out, which takes place at very low concentrations.
Other effects, such as the loss of initiative and motivation, seem to affect older people as well as younger people. This is because some of the components of marijuana cause the death of certain cell types which are crucial for these functions. [emphasis added]
So research has established that this is the causal mechanism?
The brain damage to these structures has been documented through functional imaging and other means.
That doesn't answer the question. Did you really not know that?
Slim support for claims of "long-lasting, if not permanent."
The fact that the effects are still observed after three months means that they are long-lasting.
In commmon parlance, to call a medical effect "long-lasting" connotes a time period considerably longer than months.
The study did not do later follow-ups to determine if those effects are permanent. They could be permanent
As I said, "could be" is slim support.
Crime is already against the law - and crimes by addicts would be lessened when legalization lessened the cost of their drug.
Government spends on the dysfunctions of the obese - but that's insufficient justification for government banning fattening foods. (Or do you disgaree?)
There is no "good" food or "bad" food, and the notion that obesity could be controlled by banning "fattening" foods is ludicrous.
Marijuana in moderation, like high-fat foods, doesn't lead to dysfunction. And the idea that marijuana addiction can be controlled by banning marijuana has proven equally ludicrous.
Government spending on the dysfunctions of the obese is insufficient justification for government coercively intruding on American's food choices in any manner. (Or do you disgaree?)
Finally, they should pay their own health care costs.
As should addicts.
Where is the army of federal agents you assured us were going to shut down legal cannabis because they needed the $$$? You said it would happen regardless of who won the election.
What, did they get stuck in traffic?
They were mistaken and I was wrong. (We are still ready to go though.)
You seem angry.
I actually had a bit of a chuckle while writing that post.
You, on the other hand, seem upset and on the verge of crying. Maybe you should seek counseling.
“The pro pot movement never advocates moderation.”
Wrong as usual. “Use of cannabis, to the extent that it impairs health, personal development or achievement, is abuse, to be resisted by responsible cannabis users.” - http://norml.org/marijuana/personal/item/principles-of-responsible-use
However, you misunderstand my point: The Pro-Pot MOVEMENT sd s whole ignores moderation and rejects applying social stigma for excessive use.
It advocates for using marijuana in the morning, at lunch, in the afternoon, with dinner, and at bed. That is not moderation. (I am sure that you read this article.)
However, I see that - as of this morning - you have begun to discuss “moderation of use” in one of your own posts.
It is possible that adding the point of moderation of use to your argument is because you see that I have a legitimate point. Which I do.
If the pro-pot movement wants acceptance, it has to act like a mature player. It has to argue that it’s introduction into society will have less of a negative impact than its opponents declare. A key to doing this is openly rejecting the “wake-and-bake, stay high all day” mentality that is common among users.
I respect your passion in your advocacy of recreational marijuana use, but without appropriate messaging the Movement will remain a “radical addicts cause.”
“You, on the other hand, seem upset and on the verge of crying. Maybe you should seek counseling.”
It’s ok to cry. You’ll feel better afterwards.
Wrong as usual. “Use of cannabis, to the extent that it impairs health, personal development or achievement, is abuse, to be resisted by responsible cannabis users.” - http://norml.org/marijuana/personal/item/principles-of-responsible-use
Thank you for this advocacy page that buries moderation inside of a talking point
Laughable BS. They precedes several paragraphs on responsible use with a brief statement of their pro-legaliztion position - no "burying" there.
- off of the main page
Nor does the main page of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America have a statement on responsible use of that drug. What of it?
The Pro-Pot MOVEMENT sd s whole ignores moderation
Nice dodge: never mind that a leading voice of the pro-legaliztion movement advocates moderation - not EVERY facet of that movement explcitly does so, so you claim it doesn't do so "as a whole."
It advocates for using marijuana in the morning, at lunch, in the afternoon, with dinner, and at bed. That is not moderation. (I am sure that you read this article.)
You mean the article at the top of this thread? Nowhere does the seller advise using all strains on the same day, and the writer explicitly says he used one strain per day.
If the pro-pot movement wants acceptance, it has to [...] argue that it’s introduction into society will have less of a negative impact than its opponents declare.
Since its opponents are prone to hysterical overstatement, that's an easy argument to make.
Here's what I found (emphases added):
"With reference to chronic substantial cannabis use and its impact on brain function, the definitive studies are yet to be done. If clinical impressions are meaningful, some people, especially young people, can sustain temporary and perhaps permanent impairment of nonintoxicated mental performance." - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6973305
In other words, more research is needed.
Fedzilla needs to let real research occur and end the unconstitutional prohibition against cannabis.
As one Georgia farmer in a potumentary I saw a long time ago said, he can grow 5 acres of corn or five plants of marijuana and make the same money. It’s a no brainer. Another doc was interviewing a farmer in wine country. He said they have a winery. It barely breaks even. They grow pot, it subsidizes the winery.
I believe the cannabis prohibition laws have made it difficult for much pure research to be conducted on the subject, relative to the intense and widespread interest in it.
If corn were illegal, it would cost the same as pot.
These people rushing into the pot business think that they are still going to get high prices when it becomes legal - very poor business plans. 90% will go bankrupt.
That is an article from 1981. A *lot* of research has been done since then, which has confirmed and added details about how marijuana causes damage at the cellular and molecular level. And more research is still needed.
There was pretty much a research desert until this big experiment with quasi-legal marijuana began a few years ago. Now, a lot of researchers are interested in the subject, since the potential threat to public health is so high.
The article referenced by NobleFree was from 1981. There are now thousands of studies published on the effects of marijuana. And the evidence of deleterious effects keeps mounting.
Thank you. I appreciate it.
Thank you very much. I’ll try again. I need a good therapist. Last one didn’t help one bit that I could notice. But anyways, be well.
Dirtbag pot growers are taking over the Sierras. Fortunately the price of pot is tanking and California wants their 45%.
Most of the pot growers will most likely be bankrupt soon.
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