The cannabis community would be lost without fashion. T-shirts, hoodies and tote bags have discreet nods to users’ identities.
One clothing company is hoping to ease the negative connotations that surround cannabis.
Bianca Moye and her boyfriend, Cordell Perry, recently launched The Hippy Hub.
The idea for the brand came after the young Black entrepreneurs moved across the country to Arizona last year. Moye was struck by how cultural pushback on cannabis hinders the public from understanding its medicinal benefits. It was the legal dissonance that surrounds cannabis and its medical benefits that inspired Moye most.
And while the cultural acceptance of cannabis has shifted, Moye said she hopes The Hippy Hub will shed light on what the mainstream cannabis industry forgets.
“We must help fix past mistakes that the stigma of cannabis created,” she said. “There are human beings still rotting in a cell for the rest of their life, for something that we’re all doing freely because we refuse to change the laws set in place from the past. We’re not just trying to break the stigma, but change the foundation it was set on.”
At a federal level, the impacts of cannabis prohibition are palpable; especially for people of color. Data from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws found that while white and Black Americans consume cannabis at the same rates, Black people are arrested roughly four times the rate of caucasians.
To establish an avenue to directly give back to the community, The Hippy Hub collaborates with Eden Restoration Projects, a global organization that works with local communities to restore ecosystems destroyed by climate change.
Each purchase from The Hippy Hub will help plant two Mangrove trees in ecological areas impacted by deforestation.
“We have to love our planet Earth if we want to keep growing our cannabis on it,” she said.
“Our whole vision isn’t about cannabis, though. We’re hippies, so we spread peace and love — for each other and for the planet Earth. Our goal was to find an organization that let us easily integrate their donation system, making it easy for our customers to give back without even thinking about it.
“The Eden Reforestation Project plants trees to not only support diverse wildlife and mitigate climate change, but works hand in hand with local communities to restore landscapes and create jobs.”
And while The Hippy Hub operates online, Moye and Perry aim to expand.
“Eventually, we see The Hippy Hub turning into a physical location where like-minded people can gather together in a safe space to smoke, enjoy each other’s company, work and host networking events. Just a place for young people to talk about and work on their dreams and ambitions in life,” Moye said.
See what it’s all about this weekend! On Saturday, May 4th, The Hippy Hub will have a pop-up booth at Holy Cow, Tack and Feed, 7878 E. Tanque Verde Road.
The first 30 customers who purchase a T-shirt will receive a free goody bag.
To shop online, visit thehippyhub.com
This article appears in Apr 25 – May 2, 2024.