Cannabis and music go hand in hand. Dating back thousands of years to the era of Bob Marley and Louis Armstrong, with both being strong advocates for the flower, we are now able to celebrate the merge of the two in peace.
American Weed Co.: First Cannabis Brand To Sponsor A Major U.S. Music Festival In Cali Vibes 2024
Introducing American Weed Company, who recently sponsored Cali Vibes 2024 in Long Beach, California. The three day festivities took over Marina Green Park with an all-star lineup of headliners including Gwen Stefani, Ice Cube, Sublime With Rome, Wiz Khalifa, Damian Marley, Stephen Marley, and more.
*Editor's Note: Check out our exclusive interviews with Wiz Khalifa and Damian Marley!
What Is American Weed Co.? Cannabis Benefitting Veterans
Serving as first-ever cannabis brand to sponsor a major U.S. music festival, American Weed Company is proud to be one of the fastest-growing cannabis brands, making it their mission to legalize weed for veterans globally. Their goal is to get rid of the stigma, while giving back to those who serve.
Proceeds from every purchase go directly to benefit the community via organizations such as Stop Soldier Suicide, which addresses the suicide crisis impacting veterans, and Responder Strong, which seeks to improve mental health resources for First Responders and their families.
American Weed Co.'s Co-Founder Jessica Latham Talks Cali Vibes 2024 And Supporting Veterans
Honeysuckle had the opportunity to chat with American Weed Company’s co-founder and President Jessica Latham about what it meant to sponsor such a huge festival in California.
SHIRLEY JU: What's special about American Weed Co.? What differentiates American Weed Co. from other brands?
JESSICA LATHAM: American Weed Co. is on a mission to legalize cannabis for military veterans nationwide, destroy the stigma and give back to those who serve: Veterans and also first responders—the unsung heroes who enrich our daily lives. Proceeds from every purchase flow back into the very heart of our community through organizations like Stop Soldier Suicide and Responder Strong.
Our terpene-infused products from our primary line are designed and formulated based on existing research to be a supportive tool for PADIC–a comprehensive spectrum of needs, including PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia and Chronic Pain–which are health challenges faced by veterans in particular. We want to ensure any adult consumer can have access and be empowered to incorporate cannabis into their everyday life.
We also have one of the few voting seats on the National Cannabis Roundtable, an alliance of cannabis companies who seek federal policy reform. We’ve taken over a hundred meetings on Capitol Hill on behalf of the industry and will continue to donate both resources and time to this important aspect of our mission.
And lastly, from a brand perspective, we're not just selling cannabis; we're igniting a revolution by advocating for a lifestyle that celebrates cannabis, at a mainstream level, in a way that no one has seen before.
What did it mean for American Weed Co. to sponsor Cali Vibes 2024?
Sponsoring Cali Vibes 2024 was a groundbreaking achievement for American Weed Co., marking a significant moment in cannabis history. It symbolized our commitment to leading the charge in integrating cannabis into mainstream culture. This partnership with [festival promoters and producers] Goldenvoice and AEG not only allows us to connect with our community in meaningful ways, but also set a new precedent for how cannabis brands can collaborate with major cultural events, demonstrating the potential for responsible and engaging cannabis representation in mainstream entertainment.
What’s the best memory you made at Cali Vibes?
The best memory from Cali Vibes was seeing the genuine connections and moments of understanding being formed between us and festival-goers. Witnessing curious first-time visitors become more educated about cannabis and fans of our brand through our activation was truly rewarding. For us, as a brand, it was so fun to see the positive response from customers to our merch, with festival-goers and musicians wearing it all over the festival grounds and even on stage!
I heard there was no flower allowed onsite. How did you navigate that?
We focused on interactive experiences that highlighted the mission of our brand to educate, destigmatize and celebrate cannabis. We gave out goodies like sunglasses and sold merch such as T-shirts and hoodies. We are most proud of the collaboration T-shirt we did with the festival—100 percent of the proceeds will go back to Stop Soldier Suicide. We actually almost sold out the first day of the festival and did a quick turnaround order for more.
Attendees were also treated to moments of surprise and delight. For instance, the back of our activation was a “secret” speakeasy tattoo parlor, only accessed by crawling through a military locker, much like The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
What can we expect next from American Weed Co.?
The future for American Weed Co. is incredibly exciting. Building on our momentum from Cali Vibes, we plan to expand our presence beyond California and into Nevada and Arizona this spring. Expect to see us at more major events and stay tuned for new product launches that continue to break boundaries.
For more about American Weed Co., visit americanweedco.com.
(C) Derek Fukuhara @derekfukuhara
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Written By:
Shirley Ju is a journalist, media host, and seasoned music industry professional. She is the founder of Shirley's Temple, a podcast series with a focus on mental health, where her guests include Trippie Redd, Chanel West Coast, Ricky Williams, Blac Chyna, and more. Shirley's work has been featured in publications such as Variety, Complex, Nylon, Flaunt, and REVOLT; she can also be seen doing exclusive interviews for leading urban news source VLADTV, featuring a platform with 5 million subscribers. Find out more about Shirley at @shirju on Instagram and Twitter, and on LinkedIn.
@shirju (IG)
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Featured image: American Weed Co. presents Cali Vibes 2024, featuring Wiz Khalifa (C) Derek Fukuhara @derekfukuhara
