Could Cannabis Appellations Work for Michigan?
Cannabis in the Sun by David Baker Esq.
A while back, Marijuana Business Daily explored a concept that could work for the marketing of Michigan’s cannabis industry, building brand identification using cannabis appellations:
California’s marijuana industry has no further to look than the Napa Valley when establishing regional identities for its cannabis products.
“Wine is really the ultimate product of place,” said Rex Stults, vice president of the Napa Valley Vintners Association. “The microclimate, soils, geology – all of that factors in to the types of grapes that grow well in certain areas.”
Wine producers have long used appellations to establish reputations for quality and distinct characteristics of products from specific regions as well as to educate consumers about unique flavors and profiles generated by a certain place.
California’s new appellations law, Senate Bill 67, affords marijuana growers similar opportunities. Legacy cannabis farmers can claim, market and protect the unique character of the marijuana produced in their regions, highlighting flavor, potency and quality differences for each place.
“If you develop a reputation for having a delicious, high-quality product, then the name of the region becomes synonymous with the product,” Stults said. “The product has to be good consistently year after year.”
Another parallel from wine that the cannabis industry might consider – farm tours to taste the product and see where it’s grown. The Napa Valley has benefited from such a plan to the tune of more than 3 million visitors a year coming to tour vineyards and taste wine.
Read on for more. Michigan sees the same values of regional identification with our own multi-billion dollar wine industry. Definitely food for thought!
