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Runtz Brings Its Iconic Strain to the Masses

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Since 2017, the global phenomenon that is the Runtz strain has not abated. The brand has remained strong, but this year, newly independent, Runtz is relaunching as a top-tier luxury weed lifestyle brand, with all new Runtz genetics plus the classic strains available in multiple states. More people can finally say that they have smoked real Runtz.

The Runtz phenomenon started at Emerald Cup 2017 in Northern California. Ray Bama and Yung LB got hold of Runtz and started to market it online using social media. Grower Nick Corwin eventually met Ray Bama in the Bay Area through Friends. LB, Ray’s roommate, was an up-and-coming rapper and an informal weed ambassador for Cookies—aka one of the Cookie Boys. Nick discovered Runtz when he combined Zkittlez with Gelato 33, creating a dark purple flower with a distinct candy terp profile. They knew they had something, and they went with the Runtz name to capture that candy terp. 

“When Runtz first came out it was the darkest thing and then when you opened the bag everyone would say candy,” Ray remembers. “At that point there wasn’t really a terp like that besides Zkittlez. But with Zkittlez, the exhale wasn’t quite as candy, as creamy,” Ray says. Nick says that the Gelato 33 upped the Zkittlez potency and added even more of a candy profile. 

The three showed up at Emerald Cup with a little over 300 jars, along with 2,500 Runtz t-shirts to hand out and a group of models rocking the Runtz logo. They camped out in front of the Cookies booth (it was the year Cookies debuted London Pound Cake) where a line formed around them. They sold out in minutes, getting so much attention that Cookies asked them to leave. But Berner took notice, and Cookies would eventually become Runtz’s exclusive distributor. 

“We made a whole appearance in letting people know who we are and we’re here. And that impacted the fuck out the culture,” LB remembers. 

The same excitement and hype of that day kept its momentum over the next year. However, how the strain and brand (what LB calls a “strand”) became the phenomenon that it did, spreading all across the U.S. to hotspots like New York, Atlanta, and Miami, was not merely organic. Ray and LB worked out a sophisticated multi-pronged approach to branding the strain as a lifestyle. They went on tour, doing pop-ups city by city, everywhere drawing a crowd around this new thing from California called Exotics. 

In particular, LB became the face of the brand, and he wove his identity as a weed mogul into his hip-hop singles and his social media. Meanwhile, Nick and Ray reached out to artists, creatives, people in fashion, and musicians, and built a network of culture-makers and content producers. Within a year, they saw Runtz take off. Everyone was talking about it. Everyone wanted it. Everyone claimed to have it. 

“We weren’t trying to follow the trend. We weren’t too much caring about the politics behind weed,” LB said. He was trapping weed at the time and saw that the industry was expanding. 

“It’s enough for everybody to eat off this plate. You’d be a fool not to capitalize,” LB said. 

LB went hard at marketing and promoting Runtz as he toured with his music. As he went around the country, he put on events to raise the brand’s profile, despite the risks. 

“These other weed brands, they weren’t doing the sessions and pop-ups that we were doing,” LB said. “We were taking a big risk doing that,” he said, considering most states still considered weed to be illegal. 

“We brought that gorilla marketing to the corporate cannabis world,” LB said. “It had never been done before besides Berner. But Berner had a strategic classic high-end way to do it. We just kept this shit so urban, so close to the culture, it’s like one of them was doing it,” LB said. 

Runtz became the phenomena that it is because, LB and Ray say, of the work they put into promoting and marketing the strain. 

“We just love working. We ain’t better than nobody but we gonna hustle. I guarantee I’ll hustle a lot of these other people,” LB said. “We started getting that recognition.”

Are You Smoking Real Runtz?

Even as the hype built, Runtz was kept exclusive and relatively small-batch. The demand for Runtz in the country far outweighed its supply, and plenty of bootleggers stepped in to fill the lack with fake bags of fake Runtz. Meanwhile, growers that did get hold of Runtz genetics (which wasn’t hard—the guys made a point to spread the genetics far and wide) all too often renamed it and built their own following off of it. 

Ray says getting bootlegged, copied, and ripped off was just part of the game. 

“To this day if you go buy ten eighths from any dispensary or ten eighths from the street, nine of them are going to be Runtz. Runtz is the most renamed strain, the most bootlegged,” he said.

But to an extent, it was on purpose. 

“We’ve constantly hunted and serviced the top one percent of the market and we’ve pigeonholed ourselves there because we never really expanded as far as we could,” Ray said. “We kept our releases very small.”

Ray, LB, and Nick were powerless to stop the brand from getting bootlegged. They saw ugly imitations of their iconic mylar bags for sale in smoke shops all over the U.S. and Europe. To handle their growth, they contracted with a much larger corporation in California to take on marketing and distribution, but found that they were even more hamstrung by not having full ownership of the brand. 

“Just being on the road built Runtz so huge, that I didn’t know how big it was until I got to Atlanta in 2018-2019. Everywhere I went everybody said they had Runtz. But they didn’t get it from us,” LB said. 

“I used to get mad and upset, but for what? It helped the brand out,” LB said. 

The fact is, the guys couldn’t supply the demand for the strain. They developed other phenos to help make more product available, and partnered with regional growers to help suppy the rest of the country outside of California. 

“The demand was so high it wasn’t enough,” he said. 

For a time, everybody supposedly had Runtz and almost nobody smoked real Runtz. The guys had created a movement that they no longer were in control of. Still, they never stopped promoting Runtz, which had sprung a corresponding clothing and lifestyle brand. They continued to release Runtz phenos and crosses, each one cleverly marketed with stylish mylar bags plus whatever media LB cooked up. 

Ray says that they tolerated people copying them. They understood that they were trendsetters. 

“We never hated on anybody. People stole our sauce, they steal our sauce to this day, blatantly. And we’ll be like, as long as you’re feeding your family we don’t start shit with people,” Ray said.

“We actually do it for the culture,” he said.

Being copied just inspired them to be more innovative. 

“The way we combated that bootlegging is by constantly releasing new products, new product identity, new IP, just always releasing new stuff and they can’t keep up with us,” Ray said. 

In 2020, rumors of a strain called Obama Runtz circulated, and a video by a Atlanta trapper talking about it went viral. The team jumped on the viral moment and launched an Obama Runtz strain with a corresponding song and music video referencing the viral video. They later had another viral hit when they released Coochie Runtz in a die-cut mylar bag in the shape of a cropped photo of the midsection a big-bootied woman in a thong, one image of her front and one image of her back on either side of the bag. The photo was unrefined and unabashed and definitely attention-grabbing. Runtz marketing is often this mix of media savvy and a focus on the culture around weed instead of just the weed itself. 

Courtesy of Ray Bama

The Relaunch

They’ve spent years planning, growing, breeding, and making deals for the next phase of Runtz. 

“We’ve been the disruptors of the industry,” Nick says. “We’ve done it multiple times and we’re going to continue to do it.”

They disrupt and they start trends. Even before Runtz, Ray invented the GlowTray, a rolling tray with a built-in light that was a phenomenon for years. He and Nick manufactured, marketed, and distributed the GlowTray themselves. Runtz kicked off the trend of using mylar bags instead of jars, which at the time everyone had preferred. Potato Runtz, a collab with designer Imran Potato, together they were the first to create a special shape die-cut mylar pouch (bags that are cut into a shape rather than square), which are now very trendy. They claim they were the first to do things like pop-ups and tours to promote their strain, which by now has become a common tactic in the industry for indie brands. 

Their next disruption will take place in smoke shops across America with the launch of Runtz brand tobacco leaf blunt wraps. They noticed that everyone around them were rolling their high-end Runtz weed into crappy Backwoods leaves, half of which from each package had to be tossed for being unusable. 

“We want to push the culture forward. We don’t want our people to go buy Backwoods and throw away half,” Ray said. “The weed is so good and expensive and you put it in the Backwoods and it rips or has two stems.”

They talked to some friends in the tobacco industry and ended up traveling to the Dominican Republic to survey tobacco farms. They sampled twenty varieties before going with the Broadleaf. They hand-selected the bales, which each undergo a 5-step sorting process for quality control. Each leaf is washed, trimmed, and pressed so that it’s perfect for rolling a blunt. They’ll launch next month in 4,500 shops across the country. 

At the recent Hall of Flowers convention Runtz debuted its first new strains since last year’s Coochie Runts: Bootleg Runtz, Day Day Runtz, iRuntz, Super Runtz, a collab with indie brand Don Merfos Exotics, and FTP Runtz, a collab with the clothing brand. Early next year, they’ll introduce a Classics line, with their most popular strains made widely available at an affordable price, including strains that haven’t been available in a while like Divine Runtz, Pink Runtz, White Runtz, Real Runtz, Obama Runtz, and Runtz OG. 

They’ve also been working hard to build a network of growers and dispensaries in states outside of California to grow and distribute actual Runtz flower. The plan is to be able to launch new drops simultaneously in California as well as states like Florida and Michigan. In California, they’re continuing to pheno hunt their own genetics by collaborating with top brands like Wizard Trees, Doja Pak, and Seed Junky Genetics. They’ll also be selling Runtz seeds in smoke shops.

For Nick, Ray, and LB, the Runtz relaunch is about solidifying their place as a high-fashion, high-art, luxury brand. They’re relaunching their streetwear clothing line with Pharrell’s Billionaire Boys Club, they’re looking into doing a Runtz restaurant, and they’re planning a Runtz festival for 2024. 

“LB always told us, Nick, Ray, we’re the Louis Vuitton of cannabis,” Ray said. “They’re wearing Louis Vuitton and Gucci and they’re smoking Runtz.”

For LB, the fact that the brand has made such waves while still being relatively new to the scene is something he doesn’t take for granted. 

“For us to have a seat at the table with a lot of these top-tier names is an honor,” LB said. 

He’s learned that the art of selling weed in today’s market comes down to marketing a lifestyle. It’s what the Runtz brand does better than anyone. 

“It’s not even about selling the flower. Just even knowing how to brand a product to a level where people want it so much to where it’s like we’ll buy the brand overall,” LB said. 

“That’s crazy to me to be honest. And it’s amazing. Just to be one of the brands that’s top-tier as far as even being around the top, top people is just an honor. Runtz is new, we’ve been on the scene probably 4-5 years, so we’re literally new,” LB said.

The post Runtz Brings Its Iconic Strain to the Masses appeared first on High Times.

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Herb: Explore the Superb Collection of Cannabis Products

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 Herb is one of the top-notch cannabis brands in the USA and is transforming the way cannabis products are seen. The debate surrounding cannabis is endless, yet herb has become one of the major benefactors of CBD products in the USA. With its natural, efficient, and environment friendly collection of cannabis products, it can be named “the paradises of cannabis”. 

From original cannabis flowers to CBD capsules, the firm provides all sorts of cannabis products. Even the recipes available on their site are scrumptious enough to make your meals special and rejuvenating. 

So, how did this paradise of CBD came to existence? Let’s dive into its past:

Founded in 2014 by Matt Gray, Herb is all about eradicating the speculation surrounding cannabis. Back then it was impossible to find any cannabis recipe other than weed brownie. Being a cannabis fan, Matt began his search for new recipes. 

The work started in his garage. In the beginning, it was just a place for finding great recipes, but people wanted more. Consumers often complained about not getting the right ingredients to complete the recipes. To meet the demand Matt established “Herb” and within a few years, it was the favorite destination of cannabis lovers. 

Matt believed that cannabis was sinking under the cultural and historical disbelief, and it was time people start benefiting from it. He believes that cannabis can change a million lives with its therapeutic nature.  

Herb has helped put the scare behind cannabis to the ground and simplified the process of finding the right product. With more than 14 million consumers, the company is putting the myths associated with Cannabis to bed. The very proof of the fact is – the 265 million viewers available for their videos. Right now, the company is aiming to provide cannabis anywhere in the world within 15 minutes. 

Looking for Cannabis induced supplements and pills to put an end to your daily woes? One of the best places to get 100% natural and tested cannabis product is herb.co. The website opens with a beautiful quote “Herb is Cannabis for You, near you.” Roll down to see a variety of cannabis products including CBD oil, THC Oil Sativa drops CBD capsules, pre-rolls, vape pens, and even fresh cannabis flowers. 

Rest assured the company provides only naturally grown and environment-friendly cannabis products. Obtain it in any form and you won’t have to worry about its efficiency and originality. 

Such vast array of CBD products have helped meet consumers’ demand. One can also get regular updates about cannabis and the laws related to it right at the websites. The information mentioned there has been helping people understand the existing laws and their particular rights. 

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The Best Hemp-Based Skincare Products

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There are many things that every woman needs to take into consideration when it comes to skincare. First of all, you have to take note of the safe products that you can use for your face and body. Keep in mind that the beauty industry is significant, which means that there are tons of cosmetics and skincare items available in the market. Hence, it can be confusing to choose the right things for you.

It is also noteworthy to note that there have been recent developments or advancements in the beauty industry. Nowadays, consumers can already purchase the best hemp-based skincare products. At this point, you are probably wondering what these items are and what makes them different from other products. Do not worry as we are going to provide you with a complete set of guidelines about this new line of items. Our goal is to increase awareness about the well-known benefits and advantages of the said products.

Overview

From the name itself, it can already be derived that these products have an essential component called “hemp.” This ingredient is famously known as industrial hemp. Hemp is a plant that falls under the category of Cannabis sativa plant species. Over the years, researchers started to discover the benefits that the plant produces. Because of this, several manufacturers have decided to use its extract for their products. This is the reason why you can see thousands of hemp-based items in the skincare industry. In its simple terms, hemp-based products are those that were created and processed using hemp.

Benefits and Advantages

It is not a surprise that many people are interested in hemp-based products. With the number of benefits and advantages available in these items, you can expect consumers to buy them right away. If you are not yet sure if these products are ideal for your skin, then be sure to read the enumeration below. You will find a list of the reasons why you have to patronize the best hemp-based skincare products.

1. Moisturizes The Skin

One of the known effects of using skincare items made from hemp is getting rid of dry skin. With the continued use of these products, you will have soft and moisturized skin. They are high in Omega 3, 6, and 9, which are responsible for giving you a glowing and well-hydrated skin. This means that the items are perfect for those who are always exposed to the harmful UV rays coming from the sun. They are also great for women who do not get sufficient sleep every night.

2. Keeps You Look Younger

One of the challenges of being a woman is that you tend to age fast, especially if you are too busy with your personal or professional life. There is a tendency that you can no longer take care of yourself. Do not fret because there is a solution to that, which is to use hemp-based skincare products. They are proven to prevent aging or give you younger-looking skin. 

3. Reduces Pimples or Acne Breakout

The omega acids found in the best hemp-based skincare products are also known to lower the possibility of suffering from an acne breakout. These acids are responsible for decreasing the swelling on one’s face. Keep in mind that the more moisturized or hydrated your skin is, the better chance you have of avoiding pimples. 

4. Helps Deal With Skin Rashes

No matter how careful you are in caring for your skin, there is always that risk that you will suffer from skin rashes. Having this kind of skin problem can be challenging and painful on your part. Fortunately, hemp-based products can help you in dealing with the said skin rashes. This is made possible due to the anti-inflammatory components or properties found in the items.

Conclusion

As already emphasized above, one of the things that every woman needs to prioritize is to find the right skincare products. Take note that your choice of cosmetics, beauty products, and other related items can affect you in so many ways. If you choose the wrong product, there is a high chance that you will suffer its negative consequences. You will only end up spending money on something that is not worth it. As such, it is best to check the best hemp-based skincare products before making a purchase.

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Students Programs and Hemp

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The Internet is flooded with information about cannabis. This plant earns enough fame in different parts of the world. Other than cannabis enthusiastic and recreational users, there are lots of people interested in learning about hemp.

Numerous programs are available in the market to deeply understand the profits, politics, and policies of the cannabis plant. From culinary to chemistry, various programs, resources, and schools offer research, experience, and education to eager scholars.

Michigan Northern University

Michigan Northern University (Marquette, MI) offers an educational degree in Plant Chemistry. People are interested in the chemistry of the medicinal plant, such as the emerging hemp market and herbal extract marketplace.

This degree is suitable to balance coursework in biology and chemistry with lab experience. Several other courses focus on the possibility of laboratory and entrepreneurship accreditation for the preparation of Wildcat NMU graduates.

Cornell Hemp Science Specialization

The MPS (Master of Professional Studies) in Life Sciences and Agriculture with a hemp science specialization is a master’s degree. This program can develop expertise; expand versatility and critical competencies across a vast spectrum of regulatory, economic, and scientific topics.

Expert faculty advisors help students in their coursework to refine their skills about hemp. Keep it in mind that industrial hemp is famous for its use in the fiber, medicinal products, and foods. The evolving industry of hemp may offer plenty of employment opportunities.

There will be plenty of employment opportunities from genetics and plant breeding to farming, horticulture, and pharmacology. Some other prospects are product development, supply chain management, processing, and entrepreneurship.

Educated professionals focus on scientific principles, evolving hemp supervisory environment, and market trends that may enter the workplace. In the industrial hemp sector, commercial growth, quality and production control specialist, agricultural consultant, and inventory controller are some top professions.

Moreover, specialists in product development, supply chain, and operations manager are some significant job opportunities. Students can learn about biochemistry, transformation, tissue culture, and agroecology. 

Furthermore, the microbiome, diseases, and pests, and cultivation of hemp are some exciting areas to study.

TMCI (The Medical Marijuana (Cannabis) Institute)

The TMCI develops Science Inside proprietary courses focusing on learning and quality content based on the clinical data and science behind medical hemp. The mission of the organization is to focus on medical marijuana.

For the assistance of students, they have designed an eLearning website to offer fair learning opportunism to students. They want to educate the global community of caregivers, patients, and healthcare professionals.

If you want to learn about the medical hemp and clinical application of this plant, you will learn everything about it.

Stockton University

Stockton University understands the potential of the booming cannabis industry. They off a hemp minor to students. Remember, medical hemp is authorized in New Jersey. This school is interested in offering more courses for students.

Maryland University

The pharmacy school of Maryland University offers different cannabis-focused programs. Students can specialize in clinical use, science, and policy about medical cannabis. No doubt, there is a rapid growth in the industry of therapeutic hemp.

They offer an MS program in Medical Hemp Science to foster the growth of educated workers. They are preparing people to help patients and other healthcare providers. Moreover, these people will be able to research on therapeutic uses of medicinal hemp.

Clark University

Clark University also launched a graduate program for hemp control. This program is useful for students to understand issues related to public policy about distribution, regulation, sales, and cultivation. They can study about medicinal use and adult-use of the plant.

California-Davis University

After the legalization of marijuana, California-Davis University started to teach students about the benefits, risks, and health effects of hemp. In upper-level courses, students should fulfill some neurobiology or physiology prerequisite.

Hemp and Business Administration

With the growth in the business of hemp, there are equal opportunities, threats, logistics, and challenges. Nowadays, it is profitable to run a hemp distribution business. At the same time, the business owner has to deal with federal, state, and local regulations, competitors, zoning requirements, insurance issues, and taxes.

A person can deal with all these problems after completing a degree in business administration. This degree can balance all dimensions by offering instruction in entrepreneurship, organizational management, business law, financial accounting, and several other areas.

Moreover, agriculture is an obvious path in this field. Several study programs are available to help in the successful cultivation of hemp.

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