This year, Team Honeysuckle enjoyed our biggest 420 yet with a wild National Cannabis Day week (and weekend)! Major events took place across the country - which you can read about here - and we were proud to partner with many of the most innovative cultural experiences of 2023.
Most exciting of all, we launched our 16th print edition at the spectacular THC NYC in New York City. Also known as The House of Cannabis, THC NYC is New York’s first-ever immersive destination exploring high culture through a multisensory, transportive experience. Four floors of fun and cannabis education encompass this one-of-a-kind institution, making it the perfect site for the official debut of our liminal new issue, featuring Grammy winner and icon Erykah Badu on the cover.
Honeysuckle's 16th Print Edition: 420 Featuring Erykah Badu
Our print issue perfectly encapsulates the spirit of 420, celebrating the legacy pioneers who formed the cornerstones of the modern cannabis industry: New York’s Godfather of Weed, Branson, shares his untold story, while West Coast legends Champelli and Fidel team up for a discussion on the modern hash hole. Women in all aspects of the space take the stage as we highlight the feminine energies that have been the longtime power aiding the plant, and that we wish to see more of. From the culinary alchemist Chef Nikki to Mar Fitzgerald, Manhattan Community Board 2’s Chair of Licensing, and Ariel Palitz, NYC’s first Mayor of Nightlife, women are creating the change they want to see in the world’s approach to cannabis. Our six-page spread on women from the legacy sector and our Honey Spotlight amplify the voices of those working for the community first and always, such as Miriam Aristy-Farer of Herbas, Pilar DeJesus of All That Jive NYC, Vic Styles of Black Girls Smoke, Cat Ouellette of Electraleaf, Elyssa Colon and Jackie Conway of HighGarden, Julia Deviatkina of Work’N’Roll, Pat Wright of Cannaware and PDUBZHighBevz, and more.
420 Pre-Game: The Hash Hole Bash And Zalympix
We kicked off our 420 fun the evening before. On 4/19, the Honeys started the night at a secret location in Queens for The Hash Hole Bash, a fabulous meeting of East Coast and West Coast brands hosted by Staack, CGO Lyfestyle and Kakes. A special solventless, rosin-infused dinner, sweet treats and a magical networking sesh allowed for formings of friendships and a beautifully customizable elevated experience. As the witching hour approached, we headed back to Manhattan for Zalympix at the classic Terminal 5 venue for an epic concert and award show. Presented by Greenwolf and hosted by Buddy’s Bodega and The Astor Club, this event honored the best of East Coast cultivators while featuring a storied lineup of performers including Curren$y, Styles P, Jadakiss, Bun B, and Statik Selektah.
420 At THC NYC: Cannabis Immersion For All
Once 420 dawned, our crew descended upon THC NYC - and quickly, so did the rest of New York. The five-story Soho building buzzed with activity and artistic displays of cannabis culture. Entering the ground floor, one could delight in live glassblowing, enjoy a pick-me-up from the cafe and gift shop, check out new products from a variety of vendors, or learn about New York’s state-licensed retailers by visiting the table run by Union Square Travel Agency: A Cannabis Store.
The daylong festivities at THC NYC were presented in collaboration with Dream Hospitality Group, New York's hottest event management company, and Honeysuckle.
We were pleased to have as our sponsors:
Union Square Travel Agency is one of NYC's first state-licensed retailers. Its booth provided cannabis education and gift "travel bags" to customers to go along with its theming. A percentage of the store's proceeds benefits The Doe Fund, a nonprofit that aims to reduce recidivism and homelessness through job placement.
Feuerstein Kulick, a boutique law firm focused on bringing true partnerships and creative solutions to the cannabis industry
Dank By Definition, a New York State-based brand founded by a group of New York and California state cannabis experts and New York hospitality enthusiasts. Their mission is to provide premium quality cannabis products and experiences for the culture and NYC.
PAX, the globally-renowned cannabis brand known for award-winning technology and a history of design innovation. They took part in the amazing fashion show by Sundae School with their new shoe drop.
Eureka Vapor, provider of award-winning cannabis products for over a decade, with a specialty in vaping devices
Good Times New York, a luxury streetwear collection for the stylish New Yorker on the go
Etain Health, New York's first women- and family-owned medical dispensary, offering access to hundreds of products exclusively from women-owned brands local to New York and New Jersey.
Compound Genetics, one of the most illustrious cannabis genetics providers in the history of the industry, known for innovating potent, flavor-rich strains such as Apples and Bananas created for Berner's Cookies brand and Jet Fuel Gelato, one of the most popular Gelatos on the market.
B Noble, the cannabis brand created by hip hop icon Fab 5 Freddy and Louisiana entrepreneur Bernard Noble. Proceeds from their products sold go to help the efforts to release cannabis prisoners and uplift Black entrepreneurs in their journey to enter the cannabis industry.
Housing Works Cannabis Co, New York's very first licensed adult-use dispensary run by the longtime nonprofit Housing Works. Proceeds from cannabis product sales help benefit people living with HIV and AIDS, as well as providing housing, healthcare, and other resources to those in need.
A fabulous mix of entertainment, education, and community ensued. On the upper exhibit floors, guests found various curiosities such as the “guided levitation” Hypnodrome and the color-and-light “music festival” called The Euphorium. VIPs made their way up to the fifth floor’s private lounge for refreshments, comfy mushroom-themed sofas, and swag bags so they could ring in the cannabis holiday in style.
But everything went high-octane into the golden afternoon. Hip hop star A Boogie wit da Hoodie appeared for a 420-themed performance, while lines to get into the venue wrapped around the block. Meanwhile, cannabis fashion brand Sundae School pulled up with haute couture on their minds, for a runway show that served up fierce plant-inspired looks.
Family Ties Blunt Brunch: 420 Goes Public In Washington Square Park
Meanwhile, an early celebration had hit the ground running not far away in Washington Square Park. Thousands of cannabis community members from across the nation gathered in the open for the Family Ties Blunt Brunch, hosted by the First Smoke of the Day podcast. In an occasion of monumental proportions, it seemed every major figure in New York cannabis showed up to smoke one out on the big day. Brands represented at the event included Bodega Boyz, Gotti, Pack Gods, Blackleaf, GrowGeneration, RAW, and many more. To see such a public display of cannabis-infused societal affection filled us with unimaginable joy.
420 In Times Square: It's A New Year, New York
Where else could Honeysuckle have been on 420, you ask? Well, we also rocked Times Square with a fabulous billboard campaign and street activation. On 420, we partnered with fellow media company Cannabis Now for their client Royal Queen Seeds, the internationally-acclaimed seed bank, to make history! Royal Queen Seeds became the first European-owned brand of its kind to be featured on billboards at One Times Square, in the heart of the world's most famous tourist destination.
Shout-out to Cannabis Now founder Eugenio Garcia who brought this milestone together! Our street team led by content creator NoDubz enthusiastically handed out free prerolls supplied by New York's own Florist Farms. We then smoked down the five-minute countdown to 4:20PM. When Royal Queen's message of "Happy 420" hit with digital fireworks, it felt less like a new year, more like a new era for humanity. As many know, Honeysuckle brought cannabis and hemp brands to Times Square for the first time in history in 2018 - we love to "light things up!"
Big thanks to Eugenio Garcia, David Hess, Sabastion of Florist Farms, NoDubz, and our crews, with special gimbal operation by Tishawn Fahie.
420 carried on as Tenco and The Astor Club teamed up for an all-nighter in - you guessed it - Washington Square Park. Everyone was welcome at this assemblage of heavy hitters. Yet this grand spectacle still wasn’t the final feather in the high holiday’s cap.
Method Man And Redman Bring 420 Home
The following day, 4/21, noted hip hop duo Method Man and Redman pulled up at Terminal 5 to host a star-studded concert in tribute to the plant. Presented by Empire Club, the event was emceed by Adam Ill and Dan Rue, with special guests Funk Flex, Nick Scalici, and Doov. According to Redman’s sister, hip hop artist Mang-Yee Reverie, this marked the first 420 that the weed-loving pair has performed in New York City in over 13 years. We’re awfully lucky, don’t you think?
You Deserve Flowers: 420 And Earth Day
And with Earth Day concluding the 420 weekend, Team Honeysuckle rallied for one last blowout. You Deserve Flowers, a high-end event that brought glamour and sophistication to the plant-based community, redefined what it means to enjoy cannabis in an atmosphere of prestige. Haitian-born visionary Serge Fils-Aime, known for his work on Vogue and Law and Order, conceptualized the party as a dazzling homage to the interplay of nature, fashion, and the diverse beauty of cannabis consumption. Sponsored by Her Highness, Zenco, YELOrx & WELLBeing, it was one for the books - and that includes the lookbooks.
With another 420 closed out, we are exhausted yet exhilarated. Let’s keep the good times going as we all continue to advocate for cannabis, creativity, freedom and equity. Power to the plant, power to the people!
For more 420 fun, check out Honeysuckle’s 16th print issue, featuring Erykah Badu. Order your copy now!
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420 is celebrated NYC-style (C) Sam C. Long / Honeysuckle Media, Inc. @tissuekulture
