Green Market Report caught up with Shavo Odadjian, bassist for multi-platinum selling band System of a Down and now controller and chief marketing officer of his own lifestyle brand, 22Red.
22Red began as a lifestyle brand focused on fashion and music, with apparel and other merchandise aimed at skateboarders and creatives who share Odadjian’s passion for the arts, he said.
Now, Odadjian selects his favorite strains alongside master grower and co-founding partner Sean Oganesyan, the mastermind behind Surreal Yields, who has played a major role in powerhouses such as Cookies and Stiiizy.
22Red currently has premium flower, concentrate and pre-roll lines available at Stiiizy stores in three states: Arizona, California and Nevada.
“I’m the face of the brand, although I don’t try to use ‘Shavo’ as a selling point. I’m not really interested in my fans buying our weed or our merchandise because it’s me. I want them to buy it because they like it, because they trust the product, you know what I mean? said Odadjian.
Grassroots Growth
Odadjian said he tries to connect with consumers and collaborators locally, whether that means partnering with local artists and entrepreneurs or featuring them on his social media accounts.
“We organize the artists. I really think that cannabis, art and creativity have a common link,” he said.
He added that the 22Red team in Arizona consists of “a group of skateboarders – which is so cool”.
Odadjian noted, “I think skateboarding culture is also very connected to cannabis. And we will do the same in Nevada and California. I’m connected to some of the big skate shops here in Cali, and we’re moving (the brand) to those. So that’s where I’m heading, bro.
Failed systems
But the Los Angeles native believes California is “a mess right now when it comes to taxes and how the government is doing it…that’s why the market is so terrible.”
He pointed to issues such as the dramatic fall in the price of a pound of the flower, as the state market continues to suffer from financial headwinds caused by a thriving illicit market, bureaucracy and high taxes for operators. at all levels of government.
“It’s ridiculous,” he added. “Those who thought it was a get-rich-quick scheme are the ones who crumble. And the brands that take time and invest in quality — and knew it was the next thing — are durable.
Odadjian views Biden’s landmark announcement last week to pardon those convicted of federal possession charges as performative, highlighting the fact that none of the 6,500 affected remain in jail.
“But he made people who don’t know believe that there are and he’s going to free them now,” he said. “So why not get some votes out of it?” It’s like giving yourself a gift that looks nicely wrapped, but there’s nothing inside the box, you know I say? That’s pretty much what they do.
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