Good
morning, Wednesday. Yea yea yea it's cold blah blah blah. I know it's fairly frigid, but isn't that the way it's supposed to be in the winter?
We've all become a bunch of wusses, and I mean more in New York than other parts of the country where it's been brutal and pipes are bursting and it's no bueno. One day of subzeros (and 22 today) and everyone goes
crackers. Calm down, people. By now you have a huge puffer coat that restricts
movement, some warm boots, and one of those ridiculous trapper hats (guilty on
all counts). Keep it together.
But today's post is not about being cold; it's about getting toasty.
Last week Colorado and Washington legalized marijuana for recreational use. To me, this is a major milestone and a good call. Whether you smoke pot or not, it's high time (sorry for that) this happened according to many. Good for them, and I suspect they're about to get a major boost in tourism (eco tourism of sorts) from people who want to enjoy something other than a martini. Which brings me to a question that someone who has worked in advertising as long as I have can't help but ask- what opportunities does this present for a new class of entrepreneurs who want to make some green from all of this pot permissiveness?
I picture way more restaurants that focus on snacks, and since it's Colorado and Washington, I'm picturing healthy, artisanal snacking options- newfangled snack bars to suit the tastes of stoners- think sweet and salty all at once. And maybe there will even be new versions of laser light shows at planetariums- forget Laser Floyd, dude. It'll be all about Laser Tame Impala or Laser Radiohead. And what about brands like Visine or sofa brands or companies like Beats who enhance any stoner experience? Surely they can do something pop up or fun to help clear out all of those bloodshot eyes or provide a new sound experience for stoner types? Or what about a line of designer bongs for that modern mantelpiece, or Paul Smith striped rolling papers?
Welcome to the era of stoner marketing- it won't be forever until the rest of the country follows suit- and regardless of whether you're more Sinatra or Snoop Dogg when it comes to your party habits, you can't deny that there's a real opportunity there. If you think about all of the marketing surrounding alcohol, maybe one day the same will be true of pot. Imagine a day when different strains are "brands" and have their own marketing profile, and I'm sure there's a few people in advertising who know a thing or two about this subject matter, and that's all I'll say about that. Is this the dawning of a new Age of Aquarius?
I don't think it's too far off, and in this very entrepreneurial age, going green can now mean oh so many different things- from growing your own to feeding hungry stoners to designing plush smoking rooms (the new bar/billiards room) in upscale and progressive homes. Sure this all sounds bizarre and a bit silly right now, but so is maple syrup vodka. Remember when vodka was just vodka? For now, pot is just pot (unless you are a real aficionado), but I suspect that's about to change. Cause that's what's up this chronic Wednesday in the 212. Yours, in thinking about the future. Apparently, it's all going up in smoke. Peace and love. XO