As the cannabis industry throws itself into the public spotlight with legalization, it’s easy for branders and marketers alike to feel inspired to join the weed revolution. I know first hand that joining this fast-paced, ever-changing industry was like nothing I had ever experience before. From the beginning, I knew, like many others who pioneered before me, that de-stigmatization was one of my biggest goals. I also knew that if I wanted to be part of the reversal of the war on drugs, the revolution would need to start from the inside.
This realization led me down a path of cultural exploration to figure out what levers could be pulled to change perceptions. Thus, I become an advocate for language, and a key term kept coming up: heritage.
Heritage is defined in two ways: physical possessions such as property inheritance, or valued qualities like cultural traditions. When you dig deeper into that second definition of valued qualities, you find that the synonyms are tradition, history, background, and past.
Now let’s connect that back to weed. What does heritage mean in the legalized market?
Cannabis industry pioneers alongside cannabis aficionados are actively trying to change the way people fundamentally think about weed, for the better. We strive to change ideas that are ingrained in people from early childhood: from their parents, from their teachers, from the government. The word “stoner” has historically been, unfortunately, a dirty word. People have an idea of what a stoner is. On the lighter side of bad, stoners are perceived as lazy, apathetic — they are couch potatoes. On the dark side, stoners thought to be hoodlums, drug addicts, and at worst, criminals.
But here’s the thing… I’m a stoner! Sure, I could explain the many reasons that weed helps my ailments including an autoimmune disease, but the reality is, I enjoy weed. I enjoy weed so much that I consume daily. My privilege of talking, writing, and photographing my consumption openly is that I am a white cis-female and I don’t face the stigmas that others may face who openly smoke.
I love seeing people reclaiming the word stoner. It is not something to shy away from nor is it something that we can afford to be quiet about anymore. It’s important to start conversations, not to mention it can be fun to have someone be surprised that you are still a “fully functioning adult” after the stoner-reveal. However, over the years, I’ve found that the word “stoner” doesn’t always fit when talking more technically about market trends and buying behavior.
I coined the term “heritage market” it’s a way to talk about respecting stoners: stoners’ wants and needs, stoners’ pioneering and courageous history, stoners’ aesthetic. “Heritage market” devotes weed’s rich history, and gives the praise and celebration it deserves. In business settings, heritage market is taken very seriously. To get deeper into the definition, the “heritage market” can also be defined as:
- the consumer base who purchased in the pre-recreationally legal market,
- the industry (and all business) before recreational legalization.
Let me use “heritage market” in a few examples that frequently come up in cannabis business settings:
The heritage market consumer cares about the price to THC ratio.
The heritage market consumer knows their favorite strain and will seek out a specific dispensary for the said strain.
The heritage market is the largest spending group in the market.
That heritage brand has been on the shelves since 2010.*
*It’s a great way to describe brands and companies that have been around for years, giving homage to their perseverance and foresight into getting into the industry before legalization.
To say it’s great to be a stoner is an understatement. Weed brings people together and overall makes people happier, calmer, and more creative. It’s okay to wake and bake, if that’s your jam, eat an edible at lunch, vape outside your office, grow your own plant, you name it, it’s all awesome. Hats off to you, my friend, for contributing to our heritage and keeping the flame alive.
If you have a stoner friend that’s totally heritage, share this article with them. They might get a kick out of it.