Emerging cannabis consumer demographics don't fit the old stereotypes. Tie-dye patterns, cannabis leaf imprints, 420 references...they are unnecessary and unwanted by a substantial portion of consumers. We're seeing the evolution of an industry just like we saw the evolution of tech. In the '90s tech products were plastic, cheap, and long on function but short on form. We saw a revolution with companies like Apple braving a new path with form and usability based products. Google gave us an elegant and efficient search page, replacing Yahoo!'s overly complicated directory listing. Over time we saw this sea change replace the old guard as consumers realized they could have beautiful, efficient, and effective products for a reasonable price.
Companies in the cannabis sector, like
Elevate Accessories, are doing something similar. Whether it's appealing to the hipster with sleeve tattoos or the mountain biker in plaid, the modern cannabis consumer wants products that fit a personal image. They want products that speak to a self-image and resonate with personal beliefs. That may mean sustainably manufactured products built with hemp. It may be products produced in the USA. It may be products that are eminently functional and robust like a waterproof mobile phone.
Regardless of the specific desires, we are now seeing people with the latitude to make these choices. It is no longer enough to "smoke some weed", now people want to consumer cannabis with purpose. It is the difference between grabbing something to drink because you're thirsty and making an exquisite cup of coffee because it satisfies not only your thirst but your deeper desire for meaning and purpose.
We could all skip over the iPhone and buy the cheapest piece of plastic that still works like a smart phone but we don't. We buy a $600 item designed to mean something. Designed to make us feel something. Designed to make other people think something of us. That's the evolution of a market and it's what we're seeing in the cannabis industry today.
Some of the most fundamental changes are in word choices. "Consumer" instead of "user". "Cannabis" instead of "pot" or "marijuana". Small changes like this are helping to move the needle and eventually they add up to a narrative that resonates across demographics and beyond the "stoner" culture.