As co-founder and CMO of cannabinoid and hemp product manufacturers Hempacco and Green Globe International, Jorge Olson is striking out on his most exciting business venture yet. Hempacco has signed a partnership with entrepreneur and entertainment icon Calvin Broadus — aka Snoop Dogg — to develop a consumer-packaged goods line under the new company HPDG, LLC.
Within a matter of weeks, this line will bring innovative smokable hemp products, hemp paper, blunts, vapes, and edibles to consumers.
An alliance born of the universe and hard work
Hempacco’s partnership with Snoop Dogg springs from a mix of serendipity and determination. Olson — who was already working with Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, and Rick Ross — keeps an eye out for celebrity collaborations.
“Snoop Dogg was at the top of my list,” Olson says. “He is affiliated with the cannabis industry, brings passion to everything he does, and has an incredible presence online and off. His eye for business enabled him to cross over into mainstream America as a hip-hop artist and into key minority niches including the Mexican, Mexican-American, and even Latin-American markets through his commercials for Corona Beer.”
Olson decided to keep an eye on Snoop Dogg’s business moves and set software notifications to track the artist’s online activity. As fate would have it, an alert popped up that very day saying Snoop Dogg was trademarking a line of hemp cigarettes for the metaverse. “Sometimes, timing is the key,” Olson recalls. “At those times, you know it’s up to the universe — well, the universe and a lot of hard work.”
Olson reached out to Brent Albin, Hempacco’s business development manager, with the information that Snoop Dogg was registering assets for the metaverse. “I told Brent that Snoop would be needing manufacturers, suppliers, and a ready supply chain. As the largest manufacturer of hemp cigarettes in the US and the only one offering research and development worldwide, I knew that we needed to start the conversation.”
Albinfirst approached Snoop Dogg’s agent but quickly discovered he would need another contact. Hempacco’s business model partners with celebrities as 50% owners of the company. “We’re not just hiring him to do commercials,” explains Olson. “We want a joint venture where both parties have skin in the game.”
Albin finally reached Snoop Dogg’s business development manager, Tiffany Chin— who lives near Hempacco in Los Angeles, California — who was already researching hemp product manufacturers. Chin took the timing as a good omen and traveled down to Hempacco’s headquarters in San Diego.
“We have three factories — two in San Diego and another in Tijuana,” says Olson. “After Tiffany toured one of our 50,000-square-foot facilities devoted to manufacturing NSF-certified vitamins, nutraceutical beauty products, and cannabinoids, complete with a state-of-the-art laboratory for research and development, she was sold.”
The benefits of Hempacco’s and Snoop Dogg’s joint venture
The benefits of this 50-50 partnership run both ways: Hempacco provides the channel for product development, and Snoop Dogg offers the conduit for sales and marketing.
“Snoop’s edibles and smokable products require unique flavors, colors, and functions,” says Olson. “To create the products he envisions, a company needs the ability to research, acquire intellectual property rights, and apply all of that in manufacturing. Currently, we are the only ones offering research and patents on cigarettes for cannabinoids. Our patent on spraying flavors and aromas to hemp flour for smoking is even disrupting the trillion-dollar tobacco industry.”
In addition to research and development, Hempacco’s three factories provide exceptional production capabilities. At the moment, the supply chain is leaving smokers, distributors, and retailers without product, but Hempacco’s San Diego and Tiajuana plants deliver in one business day. With the capacity to produce 1 million gummies each day, the company is poised to serve large-scale clients worldwide.
With Snoop Dogg’s name recognition, HPDC plans to place its product in 100,000 stores. By harnessing the reach of the artist’s recording label, Death Row Records, HPDC will also be able to market itself alongside its brand in the music industry.
What consumers can expect from Hempacco and Snoop Dogg
HPDC has already obtained enthusiastic agreements from distributors for its flagship line of gummies and vapes. “I’ve been in this space for 20 years but have never seen so many interested distributors bidding against each other for business,” Olson says. “The distributors already know us and our capabilities. With Snoop as our partner, they get a celebrity who sells and a supply chain that delivers.”
Hempacco and Snoop Dog are currently finalizing artwork and flavors for HPDC’s first product. They expect the company’s innovative smoking paper to hit the market in April.
Hempacco manufactures this paper in its factory in Olson’s hometown of Tijuana, Mexico. “We make this unique paper from hemp, herbs, and even rose petals,” he explains. “Our hemp paper naturally blends well with the taste and smell of cannabis, but we can also flavor it with strawberry, mint, or even rocky road ice cream for a different smoking experience.”
Olson says consumers will find that the product is designed to engage all their senses. “As you open the wraps, you catch the scent immediately,” he remarks. “The natural hemp paper feels pleasantly coarse to the touch. Finally, as you place the lit vape to your lips, you experience the taste.”
After the flagship products hit store shelves, consumers can expect to see new HPDC products every two to four weeks. The next line of products the company has planned will be pre-rolled smoking tubes composed of the same signature paper and glass, ceramic, or candy tips.
Finally, HPDC plans to release a line of cannabinoid edibles for adults over 21. “We’re working with Snoop to develop hard candies, soft chews, and Chocolates,” says Olson. “He’s especially interested in research and development for fun flashback candies from his youth.”
For consumers, the HPDC, LLC joint venture offers unparalleled products and exciting experiences. “We hope to involve consumers in every aspect of this new venture,” Olson remarks. “Winners of upcoming contests will hang out with us at trade shows and join Snoop at his concerts, so this new partnership will be as exciting for them as it is for us!”
The post Hempacco Embarks on Joint Venture with Snoop Dogg Under the Watchful Eye of Jorge Olson, Product Development and Marketing Expert appeared first on The Joint Blog.