Cannabis culture and art collide at Doobie Nights in Santa Rosa, California. Photo by: Mike Rosati.
While we at Emerald have never shied away from supporting small and local dispensaries, this week we’d like to highlight a couple that supply their community with so much more than just cannabis.
While there are a ton of cannabis companies that contribute to their community, the brands we’ll be focusing on today put a special focus on local artists.
These organizations participate in philanthropic events, raise awareness on social issues, and provide an outlet for local creatives to put their work on display. With no ulterior motive, these brands simply want to make their communities a better place.
Dolo Rolling Co.
Daniel Won was reintroduced to cannabis after suffering an injury. Without any medical insurance at the time, he obtained weed from one of his friends.
“[….] It was life-changing,” Won tells Emerald, “[It] helps me enjoy and appreciate the smaller but beautiful moments in life.”
This chain of events inspired Won to co-found Dolo Rolling Co., a small Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) equity cannabis company. Based in the Bay Area, Dolo emphasizes diversity and specializes in high-quality pre-rolls with their own unique flair.
Dolo Rolling Co. spotlights local artists, not only offering exposure but helping these artists monetize their work.
“To engage and work with the people that enrich our environment and challenge our perspectives is a dream come true,” Won says.
This month they’re supporting Oakland artist Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith, as her artwork appears on the packaging of Dolo’s prerolls. Not only does Rachel get to share her artwork with a larger audience, but a portion of profits go directly to her.
Post from @dolo.co on Instagram.
Won can’t overstate the love he has for Wolfe’s art. “[She’s] had such a positive impact on our customers [….],” Won says. “[….] When [customers] reach out on social media with how much the artwork means to them, it does bring out that warm fuzzy feeling inside.”
Cannabis and the arts have gone together for centuries. Legendary musicians have composed some of their best works thanks in part to cannabis. On TV and film, we have entire genres dedicated to stoners. Paintings and digital art fit right into that category as well.
“There is still so much injustice and misinformation surrounding this amazing plant,” Won adds. “But it has brought us so much art and music in so many different forms.”
Mercy Wellness
Mercy Wellness is a medicinal and adult-use retail cannabis dispensary based out of Cotati, California. Mercy’s collection of brands include everything from cartridges to edibles to extracts to pre-rolls. Founded by Brandon Levine, Mercy strives to be much more than just a cannabis retailer.
Since founding Mercy Wellness 11 years ago, Levine focuses on events like food drives, park cleanups, and homeless center donations.
“Brandon opened these doors to provide a plant to the community that can benefit their lives” says Chris Myers, the marketing director at Mercy Wellness. Additionally, he said talking about organizations with causes he truly believes in is his favorite part of the job.
“I grew up in Sonoma County,” Myers tells Emerald. “[This community] means home. It means community.”
As if this community service wasn’t enough, Mercy Wellness also showcases local artists, mainly through their Doobie Nights brand. Doobie Nights is a dispensary located in Santa Rosa, California that sells items like flower, concentrates, and edibles.
Doobie Nights sets itself apart from competitors in the area. For example, they use vibrant paintings and LED lights. As a result, this 5,820 square foot building creates a purchasing experience like no other. These colorful displays not only set an amazing aesthetic. But they also give local artists like Brian Pinkham and Carey Thompson a platform to show off their work.
“No matter what industry you’re in, there’s always ways you can make your contribution,” Myers said.
Doobie Nights also holds events to showcase even more artists. For example, on 4/20 they had a Taco Tuesday celebration that featured food, music, and live painting from Random Art Studio artist George Utrilla Angulo.
Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Many other California cannabis companies, including The Bay Area Latino Cannabis Alliance (BALCA), contribute to the arts.
BALCA, a volunteer-run organization, empowers Latinos in cannabis through: education, professional development, civil rights, business ownership, and culture. BALCA recognizes the significant contributions Latinos make to the cannabis industry, even becoming the first bilingual cannabis magazine in the U.S.
Saturday, July 25th, they held an Honor the Goddess Art Show Fundraiser, which gave locals the opportunity to put their artistic creations towards a good cause.
The Artist Tree is yet another California-based group of dispensaries that effortlessly integrates art with cannabis. Founded by Lauren Fontein, Avi Kahan, Mitchell Kahan, and Aviv Halimi, The Artist Tree strives to provide safe access to legal cannabis; raise awareness of the plant’s many health benefits; showcase artists from the community; and break stereotypes associated with cannabis.
With locations in West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Koreatown in L.A., The Artist Tree has ample wall space to spotlight local artists. Furthermore they even have a page on their website dedicated to each piece of art; who the artist is; and at which location the painting can be found. Every work of art on display is for sale, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the artist who created it.
Post from @theartisttree on Instagram.
If today’s taught us anything, it’s that any organization has the capability to improve the community that keeps them in business. Art and cannabis go hand in hand, and the rapidly growing industry will ensure that the pair will be intertwined for centuries to come. Hats off to those leading the charge.
Well written!! How great to focus on all the positives where cannabis is “doing good “for communities out West. Hopefully we will see this transcend across the country.
I wonder if cannabis hasn’t been influencing art and music for many years long before it’s legalization, we just haven’t heard about it.