Getting high is no longer a thing of the “stoner” stereotype, but something for all kinds of people to do recreationally in their free time. As weed rapidly becomes legal in a growing number of states throughout the nation, it is becoming a more accepted and less stigmatized aspect of society and everyday life.
In fact, brands like Higher Standards are reshaping the way that smoking and cannabis consumption is viewed with luxury products and an elevated lifestyle concept. At its flagship location in the Chelsea Market in New York City and its brand-new location in the Ponce City Market shopping mall in Atlanta, Georgia, the innovative company sells cannabis accessories including glassware, cleaning kits, essential cannabis tools, and its very own just-dropped HS Streetwear capsule collection.
“As consumers continue to be educated about cannabis and begin to see cannabis more easily integrated into their lives, we’ll start seeing cannabis brands targeted specifically and successfully at the luxury consumer,” says Higher Standards General Manager Eric Hammond.
“Higher Standards is not a cannabis brand, but a lifestyle brand rooted in cannabis culture. Cannabis use really is a lifestyle for many people, so naturally cannabis brands are lifestyle brands.”
Higher Standards’ high-end aesthetic and branding resembles that of a luxury cosmetics brand, which is clear in their signature product known as the Supreme Clean Kit ($35). It features a variety of tools that real marijuana connoisseurs are already using, such as a resin bag, stem bag, and dot wipe.
Not only are Higher Standards products reflective of the luxury lifestyle it promotes, but the in-store experience takes the brands business model to the next level. The brick-and-mortar staff members are highly educated about the many products and cannabis as a whole. At Higher Standards, you can get a retail tutorial in how to vape, grind, decarboxylate (roasting cannabis buds), press, dab, roll, and hoard cannabis.
In addition to their own branded products, Higher Standards also offers curated pieces from popular cannabis consumption brands like Storz & Bickel, LEVO, Grav Labs, Puffco, Tree Trunk, and PAX. While there is no cannabis for sale at its brick-and-mortar locations, Higher Standards offers a small selection of high-quality CBD items meant for self-care.
Higher Standards is certainly trailblazing its way through the blooming cannabis industry. The inventive brand hopes to keep expanding its business while also transforming the general view of what a cannabis lifestyle actually looks like for most people. As this industry continues to become a norm in mainstream society, we’re sure to see more brands popping up that will emulate what Higher Standards is already doing so successfully.
“People are going out and spending hard-earned money on very high-quality dry herb and concentrate and then taking it home and smoking it out of a dirty pipe or a vaporizer,” said Higher Standards’ General Manager Eric Hammond. “And you wouldn’t go and buy Wagyu and eat it off of a dirty plate.”
