Another hip-hop icon has launched into the waters of the legal cannabis industry.
Renowned entertainer and entrepreneur Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter on Thursday announced the official debut of his new cannabis line, MONOGRAM.
Carter originally announced the line in October 2020, after spending 18 months focusing on strain selection, meticulous cultivation practices, and the dignity, care, and consistency of the brand.
The MONOGRAM is the result of a partnership between Carter and Caliva, with all of the brand’s cannabis being grown at The Parent Company‘s flagship facility in San Jose, California.
MONOGRAM is the first brand to come from the Carter-Caliva partnership, which began in July 2019 as a way to bring Carter’s brand to life.
Carter currently sits in the role of Chief Visionary Officer at The Parent Company, which “is anticipated to be the largest publicly traded cannabis company in California.”
MONOGRAM utilizes a batch-by-batch approach, where expert growers give each plant personalized attention by grading and selecting each flower by hand.
According to the company, the MONOGRAM team has developed a production program that involves extended humidity control, post-harvest care, trimming, and flushing.
MONOGRAM says that its production process results in the finished product reaching its “full potential as superior smoke.”
MONOGRAM Culture & Cultivation Ambassador DeAndre Watson leads the production team with more than 25 years of cannabis experience.
“Cannabis has been around for thousands of years, yet it is still an industry whose legacy of skilled craftsmanship is often overlooked,” says Carter. “I created MONOGRAM to give cannabis the respect it deserves by showcasing the tremendous hard work, time and care that go into crafting a superior smoke. MONOGRAM products are next level when it comes to quality and consistency, and we’re just getting started.”
According to MONOGRAM, the company’s individualistic approach to describing product experience draws inspiration from experienced cultivators and adapts their techniques to redefine the cannabis category.
At launch, MONOGRAM products fall into four numbered strain designations in three product classes.
No. 88, No 96., No. 70, and No. 01 are the strains that are currently available, and come in light, medium, and heavy categories.
The different MONOGRAM cannabis strains come in three main product forms; the OG Handroll, the Loosies Preroll Pack, and jars of loose flower.
The OG Handroll, which retails for $50, draws inspiration from premium cigars while incorporating a proprietary rolling method that allows the flower to burn slowly and evenly for multiple sessions.
According to the company, each OG Handroll is prepared by highly trained artisan rollers who break down the flower by hand and roll using a time-honored process created by Watson.
The Loosies Preroll Pack sells for $40 and contains four individually-wrapped 0.4-gram prerolls filled with premium MONOGRAM flower.
MONOGRAM’s jars of loose flower are available in 2-gram and 4-gram jars and retail for $40 and $70, respectively.
According to MONOGRAM, bold packaging on the jars of flowers makes for a showcase piece while keeping the cannabis inside fresh and protected from UV light, which can degrade the product.
MONOGRAM products are available for purchase via the company website, Caliva’s website, and select Caliva in-store locations.
Delivery for the full product line is currently available in the Greater Los Angeles, Bay Area, and South Bay markets in California.
Gross! Please for the love of all things sacred to the plant. But from small buyers who have lovingly been in the business for more than 18 months.
Who cares? He’s not the first big name to enter the game. Competition drives business & it’s a free market, so buy whatever you want. I doubt that Jay-Z will be overtaking the cannabis market anytime soon.