Marijuana Business Magazine - January 2017

T he promotional partnership struck between Netflix and Alternative Herbal Health Services in West Hollywood, California, is not the first cannabis-themed joint marketing cam- paign in Los Angeles. But it’s the most mainstream, with the greatest potential to change how marijuana brands are perceived by consumers. For Kevin Smith’s 2014 indie film “Tusk,” two strains were sold for a time at Buds & Roses dispensary in Studio City, Calif. The campaign for “Disjointed,” how- ever, was morewide-ranging. It involved the creation of a dozen strains and an interior makeover of Alternative Herbal Health Services to make the dispensary resemble the one featured in the show. And unlike “Tusk,” “Disjointed” has old-school roots. It’s a multicamera workplace sitcom, created by Execu- tive Producer Chuck Lorre of “The Big Bang Theory” and “Two and a Half Men,” and David Javerbaum, a writer and pro- ducer on “The Daily Show”with 13 Emmy awards to his credit. The show’s critical reception has been lukewarm – Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 21% rating – and some in the canna- bis industry object to stereotypes and inaccuracies. On the show, for example, budtenders at Ruth’s Alternative Caring smoke at the store, a major infraction in real life, and trippy animated sequences show what one character, a young veteran, suppos- edly experiences when he uses pot to treat his post-traumatic stress disorder. Yet the show is culturally important, Philadelphia Inquirer critic Nick Vadala wrote, “because of the mundaneness with which it treats pot. We are slowly but surely entering a world where mari- juana is ordinary enough to be boring. … Whether the show is a laugh riot or not is sort of beside the point.” — Lisa Greim of Travel,” that showcased the craftsmanship and upscale masculinity of both brands. It included a $20,000 luggage set designed to fit in the rear parcel shelf of a $135,700 BMW i8. While not the first in the marijuana industry, the Netflix-Alternative Herbal Health Services partnership appears to be the most wide-ranging and could serve as a template for other MJ businesses seeking to exploit a pop culture tie-in. The Netflix collaboration proved to be a media coup and garnered international press attention. Such partnerships, scaled for a specific market, can help a cannabis business gain media exposure in main- stream channels and attract new customers. “This is the first truly mainstream collaboration,” said Dina Browner, co-owner of Alternative Herbal Health Services and a consultant for “Dis- jointed.” As someone who advises marijuana brands on marketing and product development, Browner sees “endless opportunities” for partner- ships as legal markets expand. Here’s how the Netflix-Alternative Herbal Health Services partner- ship worked. A Partnership is Born Alternative Herbal Health Services is not your typical dispensary. First opened in 2004, the store is literally down the street from Hollywood, with a client list that includes rapper Snoop Dogg, who gave Browner her nickname, “Dr. Dina.” The Netflix promotional partnership came about because Browner began working with “Disjointed” co-creators Chuck Lorre and David Javerbaum from the show’s inception. She has lent her cannabis exper- tise to other films and shows and is credited as a cannabis consultant on all 20 episodes of “Disjointed.” Initially, Browner was skeptical when showrunners first approached her. “I assumed they’d make fun of us, but then I read the script,” she said. “They make fun of everybody equally. It’s a sitcom.” As cannabis consultant, she worked with writers and on set to depict day-to-day life in a dispensary. The producers wanted somebody who knew the details, Browner said. “They gave me the script. I said, ‘Jack Herer was not a strain in 1973.’ They said, ‘You’re hired.’” Browner said her life was the inspiration for both Ruth Whitefeather Feldman, the protagonist of “Disjointed,” and Nancy Botwin, the main char- acter in “Weeds,” a Showtime series about a suburban mom turned dealer. Dispensary Gets a Makeover The promotion required an interior makeover for Alternative Herbal Health Services, given that a separate faux storefront wasn’t possible. So the Netflix creative team turned the dispensary into a replica of Ruth’s Alternative Caring. Designers wrapped the walls of the West Hollywood store to resemble the “Disjointed” set, with blackboard menus, signage and a sunset mural. It took about four days, Browner said, and people liked the new décor so much she kept it in place after the premiere weekend. Another pop- up promotion for “Disjointed” will take place when the next 10 episodes are released in January. HISTORY LESSON 78 • Marijuana Business Magazine • January 2018