Selling cannabis in the United States is no easy task. Beyond coming up with the next big cannabis innovation, brands have to face a regulatory quagmire and fight their way onto dispensary shelves before consumers even know who they are. But cannabis isn’t the only product you can sell to expanding cannabis consumers.
Cannabis accessories is a more appealing product type that we expect to boom in 2021. Lower barriers to entry and normalization of cannabis have led this trend - as well as the overwhelming power of a capitalist society. Cannabis accessories for women have been particularly popular - as their usage has increased, so has a need for smoking accessories.
What is a Cannabis Accessory and Why Do I Want Them?
A quick search of “weed accessories” will show you everything from bongs, pipes, vaporizers, “stash boxes”, tamp sticks, odor control candles, roach clips, rolling machines, rolling papers, joint carriers, grinders, rolling trays, ash trays, and lighters. Plus there are cannabis lifestyle accessories like faux cannabis plants, wall art, sweatshirts, hats, etc.
Barriers to enter the cannabis accessory market are very low, as none of these products are directly plant touching. Without needing a license, these products can be sold in the United States and abroad through online sales. You’ll find cannabis accessories at dispensaries, smoke shops, art markets, and even Urban Outfitters. Online headshops tailored to specific aesthetics are common, and websites like Etsy allow anyone to get involved - even if they’re just selling Homer Simpson weed stickers.
The destigmatization of cannabis plus the importance of Instagram-worthy aesthetics has led to “high” design in this space (no, I won’t apologize for that pun). This also means that some of these products would be considered “luxury” goods by many cannabis consumers. Many of them are also women-owned and target their products towards women. We are usually more easily suckered into shopping for things we don’t really need (or at least, I am).
Accessory Brands on the Market
With these low barriers to entry, there are thousands of cannabis accessories available from brands and local sellers alike. Some of the most successful accessory brands have crossed over into the cannabis market with THC products. When it comes to marijuana accessories for women, there’s many to choose from.
My Bud Vase calls itself the high-class glass solution for smoking. It sells bongs that are beautifully designed to look like vases. Founded and led by Doreen Sullivan, My Bud Vase aims to remove the stigma around women smoking bongs.
The idea came to Sullivan when she found herself putting away her bongs when guests visited. Wanting a bong a woman could proudly display on her coffee table, My Bud Vase came to fruition. With different lines of bong vases, as well as one-of-a-kind pieces, My Bud Vase empowers women to smoke in style and not have to hide.
Edie Parker sells hand-blown glass pipes in the shape of fruits and flowers, high-end table top lighters, acrylic rolling tray inserts, and weed-themed tote bags. The brand started in 2011 as a women’s accessories brand before branching out into cannabis accessories with their Flower brand. Earlier this year, they partnered with MedMen for an exclusive line of cannabis products in California. The line included flower and disposable vape pens and pre-filled vape cartridges.
Miss Grass started as a CBD focused retailer. They sell CBD skincare and beauty products, as well as vaporizers and capsules from a curated list of brands (including Edie Parker), mostly focused on women. They also sell CBD and cannabis lifestyle accessories, such as rose gold lighters, and cannabis themed sweatshirts.
In 2020 they branched out into their own brand of cannabis pre-rolls, available exclusively in California, with 3 different strains. Miss Grass has a blog, covering topics such as, “High Horoscopes” and “How Pre-Rolls Lost Their Stigma & Became Everybody’s Fave”.
Yew Yew was founded by Jenny Wichman in Brooklyn. She wanted to have more beautiful options for cannabis smokeware, so she started designing her own smoking accessories. She just started selling translucent glass pipes and one hitters, and also sells colorful ceramic pipes and ashtrays. Wichman also has a CBD gummy brand, NBD CBD, that consists of full spectrum gummies, tinctures, and salves.
These are just a few examples of the budding (sorry, not sorry) cannabis accessories market. These companies were all founded by women and all of their products skew more toward women. As the cannabis industry continues to unfold, we’ll see high-end products targeted to men, as well as more mainstream cannabis accessories for the average cannabis consumer.
