Cannabis Brands Land Short Film in Elite Tribeca X Fest

In the late 1970s, long before The Guy became a stoner star on High Maintenance, an entrepreneur and cannabis activist launched the first weed delivery service in New York with a ragtag bunch of bicyclists and a toll-free hotline. Through his 1-800-WANT-POT, the flamboyant Mickey Cesar built a mini-empire and laid the groundwork for on-demand commerce far beyond cannabis. He also got busted repeatedly because weed was illegal then. Two cannabis brands—Foxy and Eaze—have partnered to tell Cesar’s story in a short film that has been named a finalist at Tribeca X, the famous festival’s branded content showcase. It’s the first and only project backed by cannabis brands to make it into the fest’s elite lineup. https://vimeo.com/492650007 The documentary, called The Pope of Dope, is in prestigious company. Other finalists include Apple for its Chinese New Year project from director Lulu Wang, Hewlett-Packard for its Dear Future Me series and KitchenAid for the culinary journey, A Woman's Place, from Digitas. The Pope of Dope includes vintage imagery and never-before-seen footage of Cesar and his operation, which was once headquartered in a comic book store. It also features narration and insights from his friend Clayton Patterson, a celebrated photographer who started chronicling gritty day-to-day life on the Lower East Side just as Cesar began to build his business. Cesar—who served at least three jail terms, was a frequent guest on Howard Stern’s early radio shows and reportedly gave weed free to AIDS patients—died in 1995. For Foxy, a California-based weed startup built by two New York natives, the dive into original content is part of its mission to spotlight “untold stories of cannabis and culture,” said co-founder Ryan Littman. “We’re also eager to create media projects that connect with our consumers and provide cannabis education.” The Pope of Dope serves as a piece of marketing for Foxy and a way to announce its availability on delivery platform Eaze without violating any ad restrictions. It follows in the footsteps of cannabis and CBD brands like Smarty Plants, Lord Jones and Cann that have gone the subtle route, leaning into storytelling rather than direct-sell messaging. Landing among the finalists in the Tribeca competition amps up Foxy's profile significantly and “indicates that cannabis is becoming accepted into the mainstream,” Littman said. Cesar, a larger-than-life personality, was a solid choice for Foxy’s first film, according to co-founder Nico Dios. “It was important to recognize the man and the delivery service that paved the way for today’s cannabis industry,” he said, noting that the brand will partner in the future with “trendsetters, artists, creatives and cannabis professionals to tell their stories with no filter.” To honor Cesar, Foxy debuted a special high-potency flower product dubbed “The Pope’s Pie,” a hybrid strain that’s designed for “a contemplative high” with notes of euphoria. Tribeca X, which highlights brand and filmmaker collaborations, kicks off its live discussions late this week with Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, Roku CEO Anthony Wood, Google’s CMO Lorraine Twohill, Procter & Gamble’s chief brand officer Marc Pritchard and Lupa Systems founder and CEO James Murdoch, among other corporate and marketing heavy hitters. Curaleaf and Scary Mommy Team Up to Break Down Stigmas Around Cannabis and Parenting

Alcohol Industry News

Cannabis Brands Land Short Film in Elite Tribeca X Fest, a First for Weed

The Pope of Dope documentary centers on New York's first delivery service and its flamboyant cannapreneur

T.L. Stanley

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T.L. Stanley