Smoke Up & Slogan

Your one-stop 420 shop!

That was the most recent dispensary slogan I came across—and it inspired me to write this. To me, it’s lazy.

Over the last ten years, I’ve split time between two stoner states: my home state of Massachusetts, and my adopted home of California.

More specifically Boston: Be a Boss-stoner.

See the play on words? “Bostonian”—which is what citizens of Boston are called—turned into “Boss” and “stoners.” It shouldn’t be this hard.

Now let’s try LA: Angelenos, bLAze up.

Yes, that’s more of a call to action. But highlighting LA just looks cool. Some might call it a reach. To those people I say: you’re right. But at least I’m trying. It feels like most 420 brands—from weed strains to dispensaries to all the dope accessories—are just stoned-out slackers.

Now, there’s actually a good reason for that: copyright law, like most federal law, still doesn’t like cannabis. They’re stuck in their raging alcoholic years.

Also—speaking of accessories—imagine those slogans on a shirt. The art is literally in the words. Picture an Angeleno tee where the “LA” is a flame lighting a joint. Or a Boston tee with anything remotely Boston… but stoner-fied. So, way cooler.

That last paragraph? Kind of like me selling out through a blog post. Truth is, those slogans were aimed at soon-to-be clients once they read this. Sorry—the economy sucks, so I need to constantly whore myself out. Or in capitalist terms: be alive.

Anyway, those slogans were more a callout to how generic the dispensary game can be. Granted, there are exceptions. But we’re not here to talk about those. This is my blog. Which means I get to run it like a dictatorship, since I can’t afford to run for president.

Since I smoked up right before writing this, I’m actually doing away with the political jokes and turning my attention to strains first.

Strain Slogans

Indica: Be change, stay indi-couch.Sativa: Stay satisfied with that sativa high.

Just getting the generic stuff out of the way. Indica lends itself to puns and chill vibes. Sativa is more poetic—creative, but with a sales pitch.

Some personal faves:

Jack Herer: A premium vibe.Kept it basic here. Playing on its nickname, “premium,” while using vibe to nod at its effect and reputation.

Blue Dream: Have an up-beat flow.Played off “the blues” as a mood, and tied in the genre. This one lifts.

Northern Lights: Knockout after you spark up.For this indica, I went straight to the heavy-hitting effects you feel after smoking.

And then there’s pop culture.

Some strains promote themselves with pop culture references. Which I’ll only take part in this one time. Copyright laws are what they are—but I can make some tags for strains you already know, without naming names:

• Be the force.

• Glued indi-couch.

• Taste Z rainbow.

Point is:

Anyone who knows the benefits of our dear friend Mary Jane gets why we should take this stuff more seriously. Yes, public opinion has shifted positively. But that can’t be taken for granted.

Plus, good branding could win over liquor lovers, bring in more medicinal users, and help keep cannabis legal long-term.

Also? It’s just fun. It leads to nothing but good—and high—times. Even people who don’t smoke are waiting for the classic cannabis ad campaign to finally take off.