Staying lit in the cannabis industry

The Setup: In 2016, California was getting ready to legalize cannabis for recreational use, and suddenly the old-school dispensaries were in a new-school race. One of San Francisco’s most historic dispensaries brought me in to help them stay relevant—and cool—in an increasingly crowded market.

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The Challenge: They had street cred, but needed to prove they were still with it. Legacy alone wasn’t going to cut it. They needed a fresh way to show up and connect with a younger, savvier crowd.

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The Idea: Together with local artist Josh Ellingson, we created a custom coloring sheet for the dispensary’s booth at an industry conference. It featured playful, anthropomorphic weed-speak text emojis and a wink to San Francisco’s unique culture. We leaned into the then-hot adult coloring book trend. Since the conference was right around Valentine’s Day, we also handed out custom candy hearts printed with stoner sayings.

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What Happened: The booth was a hit. People lingered. They laughed. They colored. The art didn’t stop there—we turned it into a local newspaper coloring contest, giving the dispensary more buzz and more proof that they weren’t just part of the past, they were tuned into the now.