I don’t like to mix business with politics, so I find this an awkward post to write. I don’t want this to be a big deal, but I’m afraid it’s going to be a hot button topic for some people. I design and hand-craft leather accessories for the things I want and use in my life, and as a designer, I am interested in using marijuana as a creative muse. Now that cannabis is legal in several US states – including my own beloved Oregon – I’m going to be a part of the revolution, and I believe this is the right side of history on this issue.
As the New York Times prominently pointed out over a year ago, the evidence is piling up that it’s time to end the prohibition on marijuana. Legalization will ruin less lives and create more equity by abandoning the failed “War on Drugs”, create jobs while bringing in much-needed tax revenue, improve quality of life through medical applications, and be a viable, and perhaps safer, alternative to alcohol in recreational use.
Moreover, more and more Americans agree with me, as shown in this poll by the Pew Research Center and referenced in the New York Times article.
I believe that design will play an important role in what is rapidly becoming a paradigm shift, and accessories are the things that fill our lives. I’m not the only one thinking this way: other business pioneers are introducing clean, modern, high end designs for cannabis accessories, from Jetsons-style home cultivation machines to Etsy-like necklace roach clips.
As my contribution to the discussion, I have developed a collection of hand-crafted weed accessories. I see these designs, which use high-quality, natural materials like leather and brass, as a step forward to removing the stigma. We launched them quietly at Weed the People, the Oregon marijuana legalization celebration event put on by the Portland Mercury, on July 3, 2015, and got a tremendously positive response.
As cannabis becomes increasingly mainstream, we aim to be a leader in “cannabis craft” by making non-tie-dyed, non-cliched accessories to take the experience from “far-out, man” to “nicely done, sir.”
So here, we’re announcing publicly to our friends, fans, followers, and family our new Marijuana Accessories Collection. Let the conversation begin!
