MA Recreational Cannabis on the Rise

It has been over seven months since the first recreational dispensaries opened here in Massachusetts.  Cultivate and NETA Northampton were the first to dip into the recreational market on November 20^th, 2018.  Even though they were far from the Boston area, both dispensaries managed to rake in MILLIONS of dollars in less than a week.

That was last year.  At March, the number of recreational dispensaries grew to a total of ten in Massachusetts.  Now, that number has doubled for a total of TWENTY recreational dispensaries.

We have over fifty medical dispensaries open in Massachusetts, with twenty of them open for adult use as well.  That figure translates to roughly 2/5^th or 40% of dispensaries opening for recreational use alongside with medical.  Here we are at June 27^th and the dispensary list is growing even further.

But it’s the recreational dispensary list where things get really interesting.  As the list of medicinal dispensaries grow, so do the recreational ones.  And those dispensaries have been opening up for recreational use faster than ever.  The demand for recreational cannabis is skyrocketing so high (PUN INTENDED) that businesses are making their push for adult use to satisfy their audiences.

At the same time, that high demand for recreational dispensaries creates a questionable future for the medicinal industry.  Will there still be new medicinal dispensaries opening up around Massachusetts?  Could they cave into the insurmountable pressures of the consumer market and allow for recreational use?  Is there any foreseeable hope for medicinal dispensaries in the near future?

With the list of recreational dispensaries doubling in numbers already, there is no telling what lies ahead for the medicinal cannabis market.  Businesses will have to devise some clever tactics in order to keep afloat in the ever-changing cannabis industry.  Whether it be through marketing or public relations, companies will have to pull out any and all of their tricks to survive.

Recreational dispensaries have already doubled in numbers.  It won’t be long until that number grows even further.  That, along with the measures to start opening cannabis cafes, will lead to a brighter future for the cannabis industry.  This is the beginning of a booming industry that will rapidly change within the next few years.

First it was the medicinal market that was popular.  But now all signs point towards the recreational market.

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CBD-Infused Toothpicks

Pride month has been the latest theme around MakeSandcastlesNotWar these past few weeks.  Many cities across the nation are kicking off their pride celebrations during the month of June.  All of this colorful excitement is getting me more pumped for the beginning of summer.

Speaking of pride, its time to discuss another topic we are most prideful about using in America – CBD.  CBD (Cannabidiol) continues to be utilized in the most unique ways possible.  Vape oils, tinctures, edibles, and topicals are just some of many instances CBD is being consumed.  Audiences are drumming up more creative examples of how they use it in their daily life.

During a random search within the World Wide Web, I dug into something that totally blew my mind.  It’s a completely different way of infusing CBD imaginable.  Ladies and gentlemen… allow me to introduce… CBD-infused Toothpicks.

You heard me right folks – CBD-infused Toothpicks.  Small, wooden toothpicks packed with CBD.  Ignite CBD sells six different types of these toothpick, each with their own flavor.

They each contain one of three effects: lucid, calm, and recharge.  Menthol and cinnamint will provide a lucid effect.  Both mango mint and lemongrass help you to keep calm.  The coffee or passion fruit orange flavors are great for recharging throughout the day.  Each toothpick contains 25mg of CBD, containing up to 45 minutes of active release.

These special toothpicks don’t come cheap.  Each pack contains ten toothpicks and the packs cost over $30 each.

CBD-infused toothpicks are truly a genius product.  It combines the modern, trending cannabinoid CBD with a convenient item such as a toothpick.  We see toothpicks all around us (grocery stores, restaurants, restrooms), yet we never stop to think of how convenient they are in our lives.  Maybe the answer to creative products is thinking about products we use every day.

A toothpick doesn’t just become some random item found in the front desk of the restaurant.  It now becomes part yet another product of the booming cannabis industry.  CBD-infused toothpicks are just one of many ingenious designs that is further modernizing the use of CBD.

With that, CBD’s popularity is only growing further through CBD-infused toothpicks.  Toothpicks are the latest convenient item that is getting a modernized makeover with the use of CBD.  The toothpick is just one of many convenient items that has been infused cannabis.

We are now in a world you can use a CBD-infused toothpick after a delicious meal.

Provincetown Sashays into Pot Cafes

Welcome back readers!  It’s been merely half a week and I am back here at MakeSandcastlesNotWar.  I am just slowly stretching out my fingers for my writing work after a great few days of rest and relaxation.  Memorial Day Weekend is already over and we are slowly creeping into Summer.

It’s time to kick off the new week with today’s story – lately there has been much discussions about cannabis being consumed at public cafes and concerts around Massachusetts.  Two types of licenses would be granted for businesses.  One would allow facilities specifically for recreational cannabis consumption (as in, a cannabis café) while the other would be for holding public events.  Five locations were selected for a pilot program that would allow for the social consumption licenses.  One of them just happen to be where I was vacationing this past weekend – Provincetown.

Provincetown was selected as one of the areas for the special pilot program.  The town would be automatically accepted for the pilot program if they wanted to participate.  If the town agrees, Provincetown could have a cannabis café in the near future.

This town is most famously known as the premier vacation destination in the Cape Cod area that has been a longtime haven for artists, lesbians, and gay men alike.  Other than Fire Island in New York, Provincetown is one of the most popular vacation destinations within the LGBTQ community here in New England.

Providing a cannabis café in Provincetown would do wonders for the resort town.  After staying there this past weekend, I can definitely see a café or two selling cannabis products to its customers.  While there are no medical or recreational dispensaries within the area, Provincetown does provide cannabis accessories in some of its shops.  The cannabis culture is slowly blooming within the radiant, colorful town of Provincetown.

Opening up a cannabis café would really put Provincetown on the map.  Both Fire Island and Provincetown are two of the most popular LGBTQ vacation destinations here in New England.  They both have a rich history of provocative culture throughout the 20^th century.  What Fire Island is to New York is what Provincetown is to Massachusetts.  Two of the trendiest vacation destinations, with Provincetown being the first to receive licenses for cannabis café.

Massachusetts and New York have always been competitive in the New England region in terms of food, sports teams, hospitality, tourism, and even gay-friendly resorts.  These two states push to raise their own brand awareness higher than any states within New England.  They are two of the most popular (and EXPENSIVE!) cities in the area.

In the end, Provincetown only raised their rainbow flag higher by being involved with discussions about cannabis cafes before Fire Island.  This PR miracle will flourish brands in both the cannabis and the LGBTQ community of Provincetown.  Tourists may soon be able to wave their rainbow flag all while puffing on a good pre-rolled joint at a nearby café.

 

Quid pro quo Philosophic Passage

This week’s biggest life lesson was about quid pro quo, the infamous Latin phrase meaning ‘something for something’.  We have seen this business tactic popping up in two intriguing instances.  The first was through Sonic the Hedgehog’s PR nightmare over that laughable new live-animation for his new movie.  A day later, the strategy was found through Mondelēz’s announcement of CBD-infused cookies and snacks.

Both parties heard what their audiences want in these ever-changing times.  They want a better design of Sonic the Hedgehog.  CBD-infused cookies and snacks made from one of the most popular food brands in the nation.  The audience asks the for the favor to make these ideas happen.

That right there is the quid.  The businesses create the pro quo – something in exchange for something particular to happen.  Animators will work even harder to fine tune Sonic the Hedgehog before his movie releases in November.  In return, those audiences should watch Sonic the Hedgehog when it comes out.

Circling back to the CBD cookies and snacks, Mondelēz will perform their own quid pro quo deals with their audiences as well.  They create their line of CBD-infused products for them; in exchange, they buy such cookies and snacks as well as communicate with their close ones about how amazing they are.

While the two sources of entertainment may be different in various ways, the quid pro quo scenario are very similar.  Both required help from their audience to keep operations running smoothly.  They do this through meeting important demands from their audiences, no matter how preposterous or superficial the criticism becomes.

Quid pro quo.  Something for something.  Nothing cannot be merely done without the exchange happening in return.

It’s connections like these that strings this blog along other distinctive, philosophical topics.  The scenarios played out this week serve as great examples for the simplistic, yet deep marketing tactic that is easy to follow.  All of this is just part of the amazing journey here at MakeSandcastlesNotWar.

Corporate CBD Cookie PR Miracle

CBD is being infused within many snack items these days.  Gummies, chocolates, and even honey sticks are some of many tasty treats that can be found here in Massachusetts.  With cannabis laws becoming more relaxed around the nation, CBD products have been popping up in many places.  Businesses have been real creative with their line of products by adding CBD to the mix.

One such company that is looking to get into the CBD market is responsible for products such as the Nutter Butter, Oreo, Cadbury Chocolate, and even Chips Ahoy.  That company is none other than Mondelēz.

Mondelēz is looking to add cannabidiol (CBD) into some of their cookies and snacks.  They will release a new line of cookies with CBD as one of their key ingredients.  While you won’t find any CBD-infused Oreos or Chips Ahoy anytime soon, other CBD cookies and snacks are in the talks.

Here we are in 2019 and a big food company like Mondelēz is looking to add CBD into their line of cookies and snacks.  CBD has really become more and more mainstream, with various companies looking to get their share of the pie.  Whether it be big or small, every business has been looking into the cannabis industry for further innovation.  In this case, CBD is the hottest ingredient being infused into many food products.

This is the start of yet another amazing chapter for the cannabis industry here in America.  Through companies like Mondelēz, CBD continues to be become more mainstream in our society.  Different audiences are discovering the rise of cannabis in their own ways.  CBD-infused cookies or snacks are just some of many ways cannabis is becoming more normalized in our ever-changing societal landscape.

It is then that we can only hope that we will be consuming CBD-infused Oreos made by Mondelēz in the near future.