Why Barneys’ high-end head shop may be the future of cannabis-related retail
LA TimesThe new high-end head-shop concept that opened inside Barneys New York’s Beverly Hills flagship last month is about more than $950 blown-glass bongs, $1,575 herb grinders and a concierge to help you order THC-containing vaporizer pens and pastilles for home delivery. I really wanted to address this cultural shift that’s happening.” RELATED: Cannabis, fashion brand cross-pollination turns over a new leaf » Scott Campbell, celebrity tattoo artist and co-founder of Beboe, described the dedicated space at Barneys as a “coming-out party for cannabis.” “I grew up in Texas and Louisiana, where possession of the smallest amount of marijuana is a felony offense, and I remember getting pulled over by a cop in Texas one time and basically having to eat all the roaches out of the ashtray before the cop got to my window,” he said. It opens up so many possibilities of where it could go from here.” Although Mazzucca was bullish on expanding the High End to additional Barneys locations — that was even before the Beverly Hills space was up and running — the bigger question is whether or when other major department stores might enter the arena, especially given that current legalization efforts in New York and Rhode Island may add to the number of U.S. states where adult-use recreational cannabis is legal. So naturally we’ve had a number of folks from those companies — their innovation teams — handing me their business cards and saying they may be interested in doing something.” Although other major department stores’ embrace of upscale cannabis culture may be as cloudy and unformed as a plume of freshly exhaled smoke, the upside for Barneys’ cannabis-brand partner Beboe has been immediately apparent — and absolutely crystal clear.
History of this topic
It’s Hard to Be a Licensed Cannabis Store in NYC
Slate
Commentary: Barneys bankruptcy proves luxury retailers aren’t immune to industry turmoil
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Tucked in a Barneys in Beverly Hills, a shop caters to the ‘luxury cannabis lifestyle’
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