STIIIZY is the California-based cannabis brand that has been popping up all over social media as of late. The company was established in 2017 with their vape pen, which has since grown in popularity. The brand exists at the intersection of stoners, skaters and streetwear with their modernized post-punk aesthetic and diverse product range.
STIIIZY products are available in California, Nevada, Michigan and Arizona. They also have six STIIIZY stores throughout California, where they frequently host promotions and events. They offer cannabis products as well as smoking accessories, skateboards and clothing items.
In the few years since their inception, STIIIZY has already gained a rather large following in the weed scene. According to Business Insider, STIIIZY was “sold in about 70 percent of all licensed cannabis retailers in California,” as of late 2019.
STIIIZY’s mantra is “influence, inspire, innovate,” which are three things they aim to convey through their business model. They strive to be trailblazers in the cannabis industry by bringing their customers original and fun products that reflect cannabis culture.
How They Influence
To uplift marginalized voices, the STIIIZY team attends protests, partners with minority-owned businesses, and ensures there is diversity amongst their brand. This past October, they partnered with entrepreneur Cindy De La Vega to open a retail shop in San Francisco’s Union Square. The shop is now the first Latina-owned cannabis retailer to open through the city’s cannabis equity program.
STIIIZY recently launched their BLESSED By LIIIT initiative in December 2020. Proceeds from the sales of strains in this line will go to: “U.S. Military Veteran affairs, homelessness, social equity, the community at large or any current needs that arise,” according to their website.
Behind the scenes, STIIIZY does a lot of charity work with low income and inner-city youth and at-risk populations. This past Christmas, they hosted a Toys for Tots drive and a food drive at their downtown L.A. location and held a charity event at a housing project in L.A. They have also teamed up with the Weed for Warriors project to support veterans.
How They Inspire
The STIIIZY downtown L.A. location is made to be an experience in cannabis, fashion and the arts. As a result, it doubly functions as a STIIIZY dispensary and an art gallery that showcases work from local artists. Their goal was to marry culture and lifestyle with the brand.
James Kim, Stiiizy’s founder, aims to reflect L.A’s. art district on the shop’s walls. He told Weedmaps News that they “want to display art that is creative and represents cannabis” in a way that pays homage to the community. “Art and cannabis really go hand in hand,” he said.
They curate new art every six months so they can feature as many local artists as possible and keep the experience fresh for their customers.
The store is also intentionally designed to make customers feel comfortable spending time inside and browsing the shelves. Correspondingly, they even have instagrammable selfie-pods.
How They Innovate
STIIIZY is best known for their sleek, convenient and easy-to-use vape system. It consists of the STIIIZY battery and concentrate pods. Each is sold separately. Buyer beware: there are tons of fake STIIIZY pods out there. Be sure to purchase product only from a state-licensed dispensary or delivery service.
Since their debut in 2017, the vape pen line has expanded to include the classic STIIIZY batteries, the BIIIG batteries and the LIIIL disposables. As the names imply, the BIIIG battery holds a longer and stronger charge. The LIIIL disposable battery is a smaller version and comes with the pod already installed. When emptied, consumers can simply throw the device away. This option is handy as there is no need to worry about charging or battery life. But it is important to note the environmental impact of disposable batteries. There are a lot of heavy metals and bad chemicals in batteries that are not so good for Mother Earth.
The pods come in three categories: original, silver and gold. Original and silver are distillates and gold pods are a live resin concentrate. Full gram pods retail at about $60, which is around the average price in legal states throughout the country. STIIIZY frequently runs deals though, so they can oftentimes be found at a discounted price.
Distillate vs. Live Resin Pods
There are dozens of different types of cannabis concentrates, including oils, tinctures, hash and dabs. In layman’s terms, the process of extraction to make live resin does not damage the plant’s terpene profile, fragrance or flavor, according to Leafly.
Distillate, on the other hand, has no flavor and fragrance. The extraction process strips down a distillate concentrate to only one specific cannabinoid (usually THC).
What’s the difference between original and silver, one might ask? Original pods feature botanically-derived terpenes, while silver pods have cannabis-derived terpenes. That means that the terpenes in the silver pods come directly from the cannabis plant, and the terpenes in the original pods come from other plants.
State licensed, independent labs test the vape pods to verify that they are free from chemicals, pesticides and metals. STIIIZY also explicitly states that they do not use any “fillers,” including vitamin E acetate. Underground vape oils commonly use vitamin E acetate as an additive. Subsequently, along with the rise in vapes and e-cigs, researchers have found it to cause serious lung injury, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
For those who don’t vape, STIIIZY also offers high-quality flower, edibles and pod-less extracts.
It’s likely that the STIIIZY bubble will continue to grow. Their commitment to social equity makes the brand stand out, and their diverse product range means there’s something for smokers, vapers and non-smokers alike.
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