Josh Kesselman is the founder and CEO of RAW®, a rolling paper model that initially launched in 1995 and has since develop into a favourite of hashish people who smoke all over the world, from movie star musicians to on a regular basis tokers. On this interview, Josh discusses how hashish legalization has impacted the rolling paper and smoke store industries, how RAW was capable of construct an viewers utilizing guerilla advertising and phrase of mouth within the days earlier than social media, and the way he got here to appreciate that what he initially thought was a niche-focused product really had widespread attraction.
Learn the total interview under!
Ganjapreneur: Having offered rolling papers for many years, how would you say that the unfold of hashish legalization lately has affected the rolling paper business?
Josh Kesselman: One of many largest modifications that helped RAW was the shift of the market. It lastly broke up the stranglehold that mega tobacco had on comfort shops. Some comfort shops – particularly giant chains – would solely carry rolling papers from one producer. And that might block all the opposite manufacturers out of {the marketplace} and reduce competitors. With legalization, it shifted the market as a result of folks started going to new locations to get their rolling papers and get their smoking provides. By doing that alone, it shifted into extra of an open market. My perception is that at any time when we have now an open market, RAW wins. As a result of I consider RAW has the higher product. And I feel that’s the way in which competitors ought to all the time be – whoever has the most effective product, wins. Not simply the one who’s capable of get somebody to signal an unique settlement.
I appreciated how legalization modified client habits, in that they began on the lookout for higher high quality. They began changing into far more centered on having the last word, finest expertise. I feel that’s what has induced RAW to actually blow up with success – the shift in notion from getting what’s most cost-effective, to getting what’s finest.
How has legalization impacted the smoke store business in states which have created regulated hashish markets? Are these companies discovering it tough to compete with dispensaries?
It relies upon. Some have thrived as a result of they’re close to a dispensary. Many dispensaries don’t usually carry the entire smokeshop array of products, particularly the large chain dispensaries who’re actually very restricted in what they carry. So for some smokeshops, it’s a chance to thrive actually simply by proximity. There’s a dispensary right here in Arizona with a smokeshop subsequent door. And I feel they’re owned by the identical firm, and the smokeshop simply kills it. Individuals get their materials from the dispensary, after which they go subsequent door and get all their smokeshop gadgets. So it positively hurts some shops, nevertheless it additionally creates alternative for others.
Clearly, style varies broadly amongst people in addition to throughout demographics and areas, however basically, are there some qualities that individuals who smoke hashish are likely to search for in a rolling paper vs. individuals who roll their very own cigarettes?
Typically sure, typically no – it relies upon! There’s an older phase of tobacco people who smoke who actually like these antiquated vivid white, bleached papers with chalk in them. It offers you a whiter ash on the tip of your cigarette. There may be that phase that also exists. I consider a hashish smoker is much more attuned to high quality and goes to get pleasure from a slower-burning unbleached rolling paper much more. So for the general market, legalization has actually shifted everybody’s focus in the direction of high quality. Not simply high quality when it comes to the way it burns, however the taste it imparts to you. Most individuals are on the lookout for far more of a minimal pure taste. I feel customers are more and more much less possible to decide on rolling papers with chalk in them, than they had been up to now as a result of I consider they will style it. In my expertise, chalk sort of modifications the flavour. It offers you that whiter ash on the finish of your smoke. Nevertheless you don’t want that once you’re smoking good weed. You need to expertise the weed itself with out one thing coming between you and it. You need a extra uncooked expertise.
As of late, “influencer” advertising is an enormous deal for B2C manufacturers trying to get the phrase out about their merchandise. However once you based RAW, social media was in its infancy. How did you go about constructing affect and repute within the early days?
The important thing for us was smoke circles. We gave away a whole lot of free product to be able to get it into folks’s smoke circles. Again then, nearly each rolling paper in the marketplace was bleached-white. Getting folks to change to a very totally different sort of paper that didn’t have chalk in it and wasn’t bleached out – it was one thing they had been very hesitant to strive. Their grandfather and great-grandfather and so forth had most likely all smoked that typical bleached-white chalked paper, and now we had been attempting to get them to shift it up. So once I got here out with RAW, we wanted to determine the market. So what I did was I gave a whole lot of it away, as a result of I knew as soon as it acquired into the smoke circles, as soon as they tried it, they might adore it and perceive what I used to be creating for them – and that’s what labored. One individual within the circle would get a packet of RAW, usually free of charge to start with, after which everybody in that smoke circle on a Saturday evening would expertise that RAW paper, and they might have a unique sort of enjoyment, a extra linked expertise with their materials. And after that, they’d ask, ‘What was that? Wow, that’s actually cool, I like that!’ after which they might go right into a smokeshop and perhaps purchase a pack of RAW and convey it into their very own smoke circle. And it unfold like that – from smoke circle to smoke circle. That’s how we unfold. It wasn’t social media in any respect, it was actually simply the smoke circles and getting by way of to them with an expertise they’d by no means had earlier than.
Who was the primary movie star you met who liked RAW papers, and the way did you get launched?
The rapper, Curren$y. He liked RAW papers and sang about it in a music. He’s the one who launched Wiz Khalifa to RAW, who finally sang about RAW, too. However Curren$y was the primary greater artist who actually stood up and sang about us. I acquired to satisfy him when his supervisor acquired in contact with me, as a result of Curren$y needed some RAW cones. And I used to be like, hell yeah, I couldn’t wait to satisfy him. When the Jet Life Tour got here by way of Phoenix, Arizona, I acquired invited to hang around with him on the bus, and we ended up staying on the bus with him for a pair days, having a fucking blast. Smoking and telling tales. We had a good time. The tour was an unimaginable expertise for me. I realized rather a lot in regards to the market. Up till that time, I had been pondering my entire market was extra of a natural-minded hippy, like my vegan mates. As soon as I met Curren$y and his entire circle, I spotted I used to be fully not understanding the market. That it wasn’t simply my hippy mates who needed to smoke the most effective, it was that everybody needed to smoke the most effective. And as soon as I understood that, it shifted my mentality in regards to the product. After which I watched RAW actually explode. I had fully underestimated my very own product. I believed this may simply be somewhat, area of interest merchandise. Once I was in faculty, I realized all about area of interest advertising. It’s what I loved. I’m not good at mass advertising. I’ve all the time centered on making merchandise for a selected individual – my buddy with dreads, tremendous vegan, extremely naturalist, I get him. I could make him a product and for folks like him. So I believed I used to be making a distinct segment product for a distinct segment market. I didn’t perceive mass advertising, which is why I didn’t perceive that everybody needed to smoke the best possible.
What do you assume is the most effective social media platform for cannabis-adjacent manufacturers proper now, and why?
Relating to reaching customers, there’s no place higher than Instagram. Individuals spend essentially the most period of time on Instagram, so it’s the last word objective. However it’s a conundrum as a result of it doesn’t really feel like Instagram needs us on there, however they need the quantity of traction they get from us. Our movies blow up and we get thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of views, and other people need the product.
Total, would you say that buyers in states with authorized hashish have gotten extra educated in regards to the plant and its potential to heal and convey folks collectively, or do you assume that over-commercialization of hashish runs the danger of stifling these concepts?
I feel concepts are already beginning to be stifled. You want an actual open market to ensure that folks to succeed. I feel the bigger the businesses get, the extra that smaller concepts get brushed underneath. I actually want there have been extra smaller companies in hashish, as a result of that’s the place innovation occurs. The larger you get, the tougher it’s to innovate.
Along with papers, RAW has designed quite a few gadgets meant to boost the smoking expertise over time. What recommendation would you give to somebody with an thought for a brand new gadget or sort of paraphernalia, however is uncertain how one can flip their thought right into a enterprise?
Not all my innovations are worthwhile. Many usually are not. My recommendation can be: to watch out with going too area of interest. A number of the stuff I’ve made is just too, too, too area of interest. , there are simply so few folks that would really need that factor, even when it’s humorous. Like, my handsfree joint holder that comes round your neck and is versatile, you possibly can maintain a joint when you play video video games. It’s hilarious. The people who get it completely adore it. However you wouldn’t need to construct a enterprise off that. RAW offered sufficient of them to interrupt even, and it’s nice. It made me snicker, it made all my mates snicker. However I wouldn’t need to attempt to make a dwelling off that one contraption. That may be a extremely unhealthy dwelling. I run into that rather a lot with folks. Typically folks attempt to give me concepts and I say, ‘dude, nearly no person goes to need that.’ Lots of people assume that by combining gadgets, that’s the way in which. For instance: I need to make a package that holds these items. However my expertise is that no, they not often need kits. They like issues to be particular person. So my recommendation is to not go too area of interest, however to ensure there’s a viable factor there that individuals will really need. As a result of if it’s only one little merchandise, you possibly can’t construct a enterprise off that. You want rather a lot! Quite a lot of viable gadgets.
Thanks, Josh, for answering our questions! Readers can study extra about Josh Kesselman and Rolling Papers by visiting www.rawthentic.com.