The Huxton product line, based in Mesa, is featured at several Valley medical marijuana dispensaries. Theyâve rebranded their packaging to create a sleeker design, and attempting to add a level of sophistication to medical marijuana. The company is seeking to remove the âstreet-culture stigmaâ that surrounds medical marijuana.
âWe are trying to create a branded product line, and to design the packaging in a way that is discreet. Something people are comfortable with on their coffee table or armoire that does not scream out, âThis is a bag of marijuana,ââ Dustin Johnson, co-founder of Huxton, told AZ Central.
Johnsonâs interest in medical marijuana comes from his motherâs own use for chronic pain. It has helped alleviate her pain.
He chose to start the company after his mother wanted something that didnât have a street name attached to it. She wanted to talk to her friends about her medical marijuana use, but didnât want to include the names associated with the different strains, such as âGreen Crack,â for example.
Johnson said, âWe saw the need for safe, consistent, smokeable flower products. After all, my mother is a customer.â
Johnson and his business partners opened Monarch dispensary in Scottsdale in 2013. Huxton was launched a few years later. Most medical marijuana product manufacturers in Arizona have branded non-flower items like edibles or concentrates, but Huxton went down a different road. Johnson said, âHuxton was the first to brand its flower.â
Huxtonâs goal is to use neutral names when naming its products as a means of reducing, or hopefully eliminating, the stigma surrounding marijuana use. Instead of using a name like Wonder Woman OG, Huxton prefers blending it with another strain and calling it Zen Blend. They did the same with Green Crack and named it Hi-Fi. And Maui Wowie became Rise.
When discussing Rise, the company said it is âspecifically crafted to put an extra spring in your step and keep you moving and effective. Rise is a live, bright and energetic experience. We like to think of it is as a perfect companion for that cup of coffee. Or tea.â
Huxton employs about 70 people with roughly half working at their farm and in the edibles kitchen. The company says itâs harvesting about 250 pounds of marijuana monthly. Their growing practices include using food-grade sprays and beneficial insects to control insects.
Photo: fb .com/huxtonusa