Kalamazoo, Mich. is one of many U.S. cities seeing diversification of the marijuana market since its legalization. Former pharmacist David Robinson aims to open a recreational marijuana consumption lounge in the area. For now, though, he’s trying to build up to that with a unique product and service. He wants to provide private party or wedding reception products: cutting-edge smoking devices like the Studenglass Gravity Hookah, plus charcuterie boards and mocktails. His service doesn’t compete with cannabis vendors but, rather, supplements your cannabis experience.
Adding to Recreational Marijuana Paraphernalia
Robinson’s new business is called Absurd Cannabis Experience. He technically launched the company in November 2021 but didn’t start
notably marketing his product until early 2022. He’s targeting the Kalamazoo area.
Rather than provide marijuana itself, he’s marketing, among other things, devices like the Studenglass Gravity Hookah. Retailing at $599, this almost space-age looking device is just one part of the consumption experience pieces he rents out. It could come with the charcuterie board and mocktails.
“My goal is to not compete with dispensaries but complement them,” Robinson said. “I want this to be the next step in the cannabis pipeline. There’s the growers, the processors, the packagers, the dispensaries, and then I want us to be one more consumer option.”
Absurd Cannabis Experience rents other cannabis equipment like high-end, chill steel pipes. The entire setup can be rented for parties or events. The charcuterie board is just a smart way to capitalize on the munchies, one of the known side effects that come with the high from cannabis.
Cannabis Strains in Dispensaries
Obviously, these products and their price point assume that the cannabis in question is for recreational use. As Robinson said, he wants his business to fill a supplementary role in the marijuana industry alongside dispensaries.
Dispensaries market a wide variety of cannabis strains, though. Think of strains as brands really. They differ based on genetic engineering, growing method and a variety of other factors. Mind you: law enforcement authorities say the street market is overrun with synthetic cannabinoids. These are overpowered, chemically engineered variants of cannabis extracts.
Strains being sold today are actually a lot stronger than anything that Eric Foreman and his friends would’ve smoked on That ‘70s Show. This new potency is actually more problematic, yet recreational users seek greater potency because of their increasing tolerance for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
“Looking for a weed strain that will challenge your tolerance or stand up to stubborn medical symptoms?” asks Leafly in its opening salvo for a blog article not only explaining but marketing the strongest sativa strains. “The cannabis strains below are just a selection of popular powerhouses with a reputation for heavy-handed euphoria, but keep in mind that there are many more out there.”
The Detriment of Engineered Potency for Recreational Marijuana
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) defines synthetic cannabinoids as man-made, psychoactive additives to marijuana. They’re called cannabinoids because their effects are so similar to those of the marijuana plant.
“Because of this similarity, synthetic cannabinoids are sometimes misleadingly called synthetic marijuana (or fake weed), and they are often marketed as safe, legal alternatives to that drug,” according to NIDA. “In fact, they are not safe and may affect the brain much more powerfully than marijuana; their actual effects can be unpredictable and, in some cases, more dangerous or even life-threatening.”
These stronger pot strains act on the same brain cell receptors that THC naturally targets. To date, very little peer-reviewed research has been published on how these drugs affect the brain. What most people hear about how neurologically innocuous weed is really reflects data from old research about unadulterated cannabis extracts.
“Because the chemical composition of many synthetic cannabinoid products is unknown and may change from batch to batch, these products are likely to contain substances that cause dramatically different effects than the user might expect,” NIDA adds.
Market Progress Represented by Absurd Cannabis Experience
The cannabis industry has reached the point at which recreational use is largely destigmatized. Absurd Cannabis Experience is, perhaps, one of the best examples of that fact. While entrepreneurially innovative, Robinson’s business model capitalizes on what users really want. Demand drives the market.
What users want is to be able to use pot and continually graduate to stronger and stronger strains. Even if they initially start for medical purposes to treat chronic pain, tolerance gradually builds for all users. Eventually, they have to either increase intake quantity or increase the potency of the strain they use.
In so doing, users are venturing further and further into uncharted territory. The market is progressing faster than medical science or evidence-based research can track. Law enforcement officials have even said that the market is outpacing legislation, too. Many new psychoactive substances, including but not limited to synthetic cannabinoids, remain legal just because lawmakers can’t keep up.
Known dangers, however, are increasingly real, and the unknown effects won’t be discovered until new research is conducted. If you or someone you know regularly use pot – whether obtained legally or illegally – seek help at Landmark Recovery of Western Michigan or call 269.443.0905.
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