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Alex Class

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Article text courtesy of nytimes.com

High Design: The Revolution Taking Over Cannabis Dispensaries
As cannabis legalization has become more widespread, retailers are getting increasingly serious about the design and branding of their shops.

Grateful Dead tapestries. Lava lamps. The distinctive orange inspired by Flamin’ Hot Cheetos dust painted indiscriminately on walls.

Until now, these were the markings of marijuana dispensaries, dripping with 1960s hippie nostalgia and the musings of the stereotypical stoner, and it’s high time for the cannabis aesthetic to get a refresh, cannabis entrepreneurs say.

Dispensaries and design studios are playing a game of catch up, as cannabis legalization has become more widespread across the United States in recent years. Many entrepreneurs want to strip the plant of any past negative associations, opening the door to reach new types of customers. This moment creates an opportunity to tell a brand’s story from scratch, and it’s leading to a revolution in how spaces for cannabis consumption and retail are being presented. Think less weed-dealer-core, and more high-end boutique or fancy cocktail lounge.