\”Ladylike\” cannabis products targeting women hit the Valley

Now that recreational marijuana is legal in 22 states and Washington, DC, the once highly controversial plant is becoming socially acceptable. But a group of female cannabis users still face the stigma of imbibing the plant.

As women, society tells us that we need to be mothers and put everyone\’s needs above our own,\” said Greta Brandt, president of The Flower Shop. \”So when it comes to female cannabis use, I think many women feel ashamed not to use it because how could they work while using cannabis.\”

With the chain of dispensaries, which has locations in Arizona and Utah, Brandt has made it her mission to help free women from what she calls mom guilt when it comes to using cannabis. She hopes her new line of hers, Ladylike, which debuted in March, will do just that.

Ladylike offers six edibles and three cartridges, all housed in vibrant packaging, some with poppy floral motifs. The brand is modeled after the highly successful beauty lines Benefit and Kylie Cosmetics.

[Ladylike] looks like a cosmetic brand looks like something I\’d find on the Target or Sephora shelves. Half the battle is creating high-quality packaging that women would actually gravitate towards, Brandt said.

When it came to choosing the types of products that best suited his demographic, Brandt looked inward.

I, like many women, have anxiety and even though I smoke [cannabis] to help you, it\’s not something you can do in the office. For example, nobody wants to hit a big bong and walk into the office smelling like weed, Brandt said.

So, Brandt has focused his efforts on creating edibles and concentrates that are perfect for discreet consumption on the go.

Ladylikes Flower Drops hard candies come in a metal tin that\’s roughly the same size as an Altoids container, while a pack of cannabis mints fits easily in the palm of your hand. Sturdy glass candy containers are more flashy, but can still be carried in a large bag. And the delicate cartridges can be slipped into the pocket of your favorite jeans.

Click to enlarge

Ladylike offers six edibles and three cartridges, all housed in vibrant packaging, some with poppy floral motifs.

The flower shop

Edibles with sophisticated flavours

Ladylike products offer flavor combinations that include strawberry-lemon, strawberry-grapefruit and cranberry-blood orange. I wanted the flavors to be more sophisticated but still bright and sunny, Brandt explained. I also found that the citrus-based flavors did a better job of hiding that grassy taste you get with some edibles.

Each of Ladylikes edibles contains between 2 and 5 milligrams of THC, giving consumers the flexibility to find their ideal dose.

According to Brandt, providing lower dosages will allow new users to experiment without having to guess how much THC is in half of a gumdrop or come up with creative ways to halve a candy.

It\’s like using any dosed drug. You work with a doctor to find the right dosage for you. I think cannabis should be the same way. A 10 mg gummy won\’t work for everyone, and it\’s probably too high a dose for most new users, Brandt said.

While experienced cannabis users may scoff at such a low dosage, the effects of even a 5mg gumdrop are evident. That\’s because Ladylike uses nanoemulsion technology to help increase the bioavailability of cannabis in the body, meaning you\’ll feel high within 20 minutes instead of the typical 60 minutes.

Each gummy variety also contains a different blend of cannabinol CBD (CBN) and cannabigerol (CBG) to promote relaxation, sleep and even boost energy.

We paid close attention to cannabinoids and terpenes when developing this line. Most female-focused cannabis products focus only on menopause, but that leaves out a huge chunk of the population, Brandt said. Ladylike has something for every woman, whether she wants to sleep better or discover a hidden reserve of energy.

Ladylike products are sold at The Flower Shop dispensaries in Phoenix, Mesa and Ahwatukee.

Click to enlarge

Greta Brandt, president of the multistate cannabis dispensary The Flower Shop, has made it her mission to help free women from what she calls mom guilt when it comes to using cannabis.

O\’Hara Shipe