Featured image for The Dieline's 2018 Trend Report: Cannabis Gets Chic

The Dieline's 2018 Trend Report: Cannabis Gets Chic

by Natalie Mouradian on 02/27/2018 | 3 Minute Read

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According to Forbes, “North American marijuana sales grew by an unprecedented 30 percent in 2016 to $6.7 billion as the legal market expands in the U.S. and Canada [and] sales are projected to top $20.2 billion by 2021.” With the expansion of legalized Marijuana in many states, cannabis products are becoming mainstream. And as things go mainstream, the opportunity for more curated and high-end cannabis products have emerged as a way for new brands to set themselves apart from the cliche “stoner” aesthetic and remove the stigma associated with cannabis use. Design agencies like Urban Influence are raising the bar on what a cannabis brand should look like, with high-end packaging finishes and thoughtful typographic treatments.


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Daddy Grey Beard

Urban Influence designed Daddy Grey Beard’s branding, channeling the old world aesthetic one might find in the dark interior of a sophisticated cigar lounge. They elevate the expectations of vape pen packaging with subtly embossed patterns, high-end foils and spot glosses.

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Venna

Another winner by Urban Influence is Venna, a cannabis brand that embraces a feminine design sensibility in an effort to appeal more to women. According to the company’s website, “Venna brings to you pure Cannabis products woven with soft undertones of naturally extracted essence. Venna stands next to every kind of woman, bringing forth opulent flavor profiles designed to delight, inspire and uplift.”

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Goodship Company

Goodship Company’s gourmet baked goods and chocolates infused with THC are wrapped in modern yet whimsical packaging, complete with gold stamped illustrations of steampunk flying machines. Best of all, it’s devoid of any of the usual cannabis design tropes.

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Seven Point

The Chicago based state-approved medical cannabis dispensary Seven Points takes a minimalist approach to their product line with unadorned white bottles and boxes, punctuated by a bright band of color and an understated sans-serif typeface.

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Canndescent

Canndescent is the first cultivator of their kind to completely do away with strain names and focus on the effects. Stressed out? Try Calm No. 104. Need a creative boost? There’s Create No. 304 for that.

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Lucid

Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design challenged its packaging students to create a concept design for the cannabis industry. One of the standouts was Angela Pak’s unisex cannabis-infused skincare line Lucid which evoked the experience of feeling high through surreal typography and innovative packaging systems.