Meet Sweedies, a Beauty-inspired Cannabis Brand
Sweedies is combining cannabis, fruit snacks and a bit of beauty inspo for its first product, Mood Rings, $36.
“It came from something we saw was missing,” said cofounder Olivia Sheehan. “We’re both foodies. We’re both from the beauty industry. There’s obviously nothing but beautiful branding and brands in the beauty industry and that wasn’t there in cannabis.”
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Taking inspiration from the beauty industry, the duo focused on aesthetic packaging, a new format and wellness-centric ingredients.
The brand, founded by beauty industry veterans Sheehan, senior marketing manager at Violet Grey, and Rachel Richman, senior merchandise manager at Violet Grey, is aiming to turn the edible cannabis experience on its head by making it easier for users to dose via snackable gummies.
“There was nothing snackable so we wanted to create something that was on par with the products that we got at Erewhon or Whole Foods,” Sheehan told WWD. “We landed on this fruit snack format.”
Every unit features eight bags filled with 10 gummies each totaling 5 milligrams of THC and CBD.
“Everyone has had a terrible edible experience, but this is the antithesis of that. Everything we did was to design it to be [a] microdosable controlled experience,” Sheehan said.
While the team is aiming to market to any cannabis-curious consumer, they believe the product speaks most to women.
“There aren’t a lot of brands that speak to women in the industry,” Sheehan said, also noting the 5 milligram dosage tends to be a “sweet spot” for many women users.
Sheehan and Richman also wanted to create a wellness-driven product, so Mood Rings are also infused with L-theanine to promote relaxation and Schisandra meant to boost healthy energy and to destress. The duo also worked with a wellness formulator to develop the product. Furthermore, the gummies employ allulose, a naturally occurring, better-for-you sugar.
“We wanted it to be a mood-boosting experience,” said Richman. “All of these things help with stress response and mood-boosting creative effects.”
As the brand rolls out in MedMen and other dispensaries across California, the team is also planning a New York launch in early-to-mid 2024 after establishing a production and manufacturing infrastructure in the state, as is required when selling cannabis. Industry sources estimate the brand will amass $800,000 in first-year retail sales.