10 Shining Latinx Brands in the Cannabis Industry
The cannabis community of the United States owes much to Latin America and the Latinx community grappling with their own unique and impactful aftermath of the War on Drugs.
Despite the hardships Latinxs have endured for decades, things are beginning to change as the world opens up to cannabis, allowing resilient creatives and entrepreneurs to use a troubled past to fuel the movement’s future.
We scoured the internet and called our Amigxs to create this list of consciously made products and places with attractive branding and impeccable design. From functional bongs to sexy smoke shops and high fashion pieces, this list highlights some of the companies that are on our radar this year.
Xula herbs
Xula Herbs’ name is a variation of ‘chula’, a word which roughly translates to ‘cool’, or as the founders put it, ‘chill, intelligent, sweet, even-tempered – comfortable in your own skin’. Xula has roots in Mexico and is the brainchild of Mennlay Golokeh Aggrey and Karina Primelles, two creatives with years of experience in the cannabis and wellness industries.
Their herbal tinctures are made from organically grown hemp, which is specially formulated to combat PMS, menopause, menstrual cramps, as well as combat stress and insomnia.
Although their branding is minimalist and modern, their preparations are all based on ancestral herbal knowledge, time-honoured formulas and knowledge that has stood the test of time.
Follow Xula Herbs on IG
Mota glass
Walk into any smoking store and you will find hundreds of glass bongs on the shelves. After examining them carefully, you’ll find that most of them look the same – that’s most likely because the market is flooded with mass-produced products made from the same factories abroad.
But not Mota Glass; This company prides itself on being 100% American made and working with independent glassblowers in Los Angeles.
“Supporting local industry was very important to us,” said Susie Plascencia, the Mexican-American entrepreneur behind Mota.
Watch this USC journalist rip up her sturdy bongs online and highlight Latinx culture on her colorful Instagram account @susieplascencia.
Cana
It’s refreshing to see talent and creativity coming out of Venezuela, a country that gets a constant bad rap in the media.
Thanks to Maracay-based glassblower Juan C. Jiménez, the nation has a proud exponent of their craftsmanship. Coming from its core business (which focuses on manufacturing and repairing glassware for laboratories), Kana offers precision quality that maximizes herb burn and offers a smooth smoking experience.
Each of the pieces is handcrafted from German borosilicate glass (SCHOTT) that helps withstand high temperatures without ruining your session.
“Our accessories allow recreational consumers to enjoy a new experience while patients can find new ways to adapt to their needs,” said Jiménez. “We support responsible consumption; It’s time to break pathetic taboos. We must work together to educate, inform and normalize.”
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Lelen Ruete
Stroll around the coolest places in Montevideo—especially the ones that are 420-friendly—and eventually bump into Lelen Ruete. The Argentine photographer may be an émigré, but she operates in the industry as if she were born and raised local.
From the heart of the Uruguayan capital, Lelen runs The Rabbit Studio, a photography, branding and creative agency that is also behind the Copa Canguro, the country’s most important competition (and one of the oldest in Latin America).
Her images of plants and surreal landscapes have appeared in various publications around the world (and exhibited in places like the Kaya Center in Punta del Este) but are best admired when printed on one of her exclusive handkerchief lines.
point and line concept
Mexico City has become a reference point for drug policy reform in recent years; The country’s Supreme Court has debated – with many ups and downs – the legalization of cannabis, setting the stage for a new industry to flourish. While politicians debate, local entrepreneurs have taken over the drawing boards; Such is the case of Diego Mario Trinidad Perez, the designer behind Concepto Punto y Línea.
Using only locally sourced materials, his wobbly accessories are simple (inspired by Dieter Rams’ 10 Principles of Good Design) but bold and highly functional. The matte appearance of each piece of stoneware is due to high temperature baking, while the lustrous versions have a 20% glass mix that makes them shine.
Each purchase includes a vegan leather case to protect the whistles.
Follow the dot and line concept on IG
Studio Tuscany
And speaking of Uruguay, why not mention the organic spice containers developed by Estudio Tosca?
Crafted from the wood of the curupay — a tree that grows in the subtropical regions of Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay — and topped with locally sourced gemstones, these containers will keep your herb fresh for days.
Founded by Cecilia Casafúa and Alfonso Martínez, the duo underlines the quality of the raw materials found in Uruguay. “Our national gemstones – including agate, jasper, amethyst and quartz – are among the finest available anywhere in the world and are considered A-quality,” they say. Why store their premium ganja in a plastic container when you can also have organic ganja like this?
Follow Estudio Tosca on IG
Chick V Stigma
Since its inception in 2018, Chicks V Stigma has become an icon of the city’s cannabis movement. More than a smoke shop, this is a place for the community to network and find the latest events and locally made products, a testament to the evolution of Mexico’s new drug policy.
Founder Brenda Hernández launched this project after realizing that the lack of information and education was creating a misrepresentation of cannabis and that normalizing its use by emphasizing top accessories was the key to brushing up the tainted image of stoners.
This included standing up to patriarchal standards in a macho-driven society, emphasizing the plant’s feminine spirit, and approaching the conversation with inclusivity and love, as their official slogan says: Bienvenida a nuestra comunidad amiga, hija, madre, esposa , aquí todas somos una y vamos de la mano.
Stay tuned to Chicks V Stigma on IG and make sure to follow their support to help them fight censorship and shadowbans.
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eye of the sun
Founder Dania Cabello created Ojo De La Sol to honor the human connection to the outdoors as well as our conscious movement across the land, be it on our yoga mat or trekking through the forest. Their cannabis-based ointments and bath salts bring relief to people struggling with chronic pain – from elite athletes to bedridden seniors.
The final formula was arrived at after a decade of studying cannabis and much trial and error to ease her own pain (Dania is a former professional athlete who tried western medical practices for healing, with no solid results).
“This drug is one of the strongest and cleanest in the cannabis industry and was made with the intention of bridging the gap between mind and body,” she says. “It is not the last stop on a healing journey, but a medium to relieve physical ailments, to keep our bodies moving.”
house of the puff
Sleek and chic, House of Puff takes on the art of the one-hitter with portable whistles designed by artists and directed by the Latino owner, Kristina Lopez Adduci. Besides their own accessories, HoP works with other companies to enhance the experience; Her recent partnership with Omura is a welcome transition to a more tech-centric lifestyle.
The simplicity of her pieces represents a slower way of life; One that is linked to a wellness that gets a lot out of the minimal and finds beauty in the essence of things.
HoP’s rolling papers are a testament to this conscious appreciation of life – they burn slowly and evenly – and fit perfectly in the brand’s Crosby bag, a subtle upgrade on the traditional storage box.
bad man
The idea of driving Mexicans crazy with “loco weed” was the basis of racist propaganda that unfortunately continues to this day. Latinxs are being incarcerated for nonviolent cannabis-related offenses at a rate comparable to that of the black community, four times higher than whites, although rates of use are somewhat similar. But this West Coast-based company makes sure it does things so right that its name stands out as comedic and sarcastic.
Bad Hombre sources non-GMO cocoa beans that are sustainably grown (shade grown which helps protect the country’s ecosystems, grown in small family-run farms around the world), carefully processed into chocolate fortified with 100mg of THC per pack. the maximum content allowed in a food item in California.
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