Our Dream’s Inclusive Holiday 2021 Gift Guide
By Lauren Yoshiko
Can you hear all of the packages and padded envelopes flying through the air? The holiday season is upon us, and the supply chain shortages and delays across the globe have forced everyone to get a little more creative as hot items sell out.
We know there are a zillion gift guides out there hoping to help you cross off to-do’s and to-buy-for’s. Our gift guide is a little different and avoids any supply chain fuss.
This is Our Dream for gift guides: a curated list of covetable, quality products from equitable and inclusive companies. Many consumers want to make a difference and see the diverse, thriving and equitable cannabis industry of our dreams, and this guide helps them do so in a concrete way. Buying from equity brands like the ones featured in this list can make a bigger difference in the long-run than buying your weed from a large corporation.
For instance, many equity brands are family businesses that employ other members of their community. When you talk about second or third-generation legacy cannabis growers, for example, you’re supporting a business that is more likely to employ someone who has been previously incarcerated. This ripple effect carries through to other equity companies utilized by many BIPOC brands in their supply chains—distributors, manufacturers, growers, etc. That means every dollar you spend on an equity or BIPOC product actually supports a whole system of benefits.
Whether you’re seeking the perfect introduction for your canna-curious cousin, a CBD favorite for your own beauty shelf, or some 🔥 for your high-THC tolerance roommate, our guide will help you find the perfect something for every cannabis-intrigued person on your list—and do some good for the industry at the same time.
Note: The licensed, THC-containing products on this list are primarily based in California. If your local CA dispensary does not carry them, you can support these small businesses by asking for them or requesting they be carried at your local spot.
For The Rookie Recreationalist
Not everyone is ready to dive into the weed scene with a whole-ass joint. Founded by Our Academy mentee and native Texan, Tess Melody Taylor, these delicious sauces made from family recipes are an easy gateway to edible cannabis, allowing you to dose yourself with a measured drizzle of this delicious sauce over your meal (or in your sandwich, etc.).
Pick your pair of joints from this beloved women-owned brand—either their perfectly social, plain hemp pre-rolls or their selection of herbal spliffs—and enjoy the complementary hair pin-joint packer-joint holder that comes with it.
One of the biggest reasons first-timers turn to cannabis is to sleep better. Studies have demonstrated that CBN can significantly improve both the length and quality of sleep, and these Lavender Blueberry flavored gummies from equity brand Queen Mary contain 5 tasty mg of it in every bite. Founded by Our Academy mentee, Tiana Woodruff.
Maybe your mom isn’t quite ready for edibles, she’d love a new coffee table book. Perhaps your partner has rough associations around cannabis they haven’t been able to see past. This art book by Broccoli Magazine presents cannabis in a beautiful, botanical light through hundreds of interpretations of cannabis and flowers.
For the Wellness Queen
When founder Kimberly Dillon found out friends were using CBD oil to soothe fresh braids and itchy scalps, she created this magical CBD Hair Potion with baobab, castor oils, and herbal extracts designed to work as a multipurpose scalp treatment, deep conditioner, and natural growth enhancer.
Next Level Edibles Coconut Oil
For the people who love edibles but avoid sugary, sweet treats, this vegan, 100% virgin coconut oil made with premium NorCal cannabis from the Black-owned Next Level team is a healthy, versatile option for satisfying cannabinoid cravings.
Sheabrand CBD Transdermal Patches
For targeted relief of old injuries or sore muscles, the transdermal CBD patches from this Latina co-founded brand make the perfect fit. You can wear one while working out or on the go and the time-release technology can give up to 8 hours of therapeutic effects.
Pleasure Peaks Lube & Massage Oil
If you haven’t yet experienced the smooth, comforting wonders of CBD lube…it’s time to change that. CBD’s anti-inflammatory effects make any kind of friction more pleasing, and this massage oil from Antuanette Gomez’s sex-positive brand works for both sexy time and a much needed shoulder rub.
For The Flower Connoisseur
This equity brand founded by legacy cultivator and Our Dream mentor Morris Kelly is known for an absolutely fire take on Ice Cream Cake and Cherry Juice, but the crowning glory is their signature Al Ajo OJ—a flavorful, THC-packed heavy hitter that you won’t soon forget. Available as an infused pre-roll with Al Ajo THC-A as well.
This is another instance of a talented legacy cultivator going legal—and they grow a solid Ice Cream Cake as well—but when you find this brand in a CA dispensary, look for the uniquely potent high of the Durban Poison THCV. 4Geez is founded by Our Academy mentee, Timo Espinoza, and Eliza Espinoza.
A Detroit-born brand by Tre Hobbs, Our Academy mentee, who is bringing his legacy skills (and street merch) to the CA market. Look out for Neighborhood Essentials’ Black Jefe (Do-Si-Dos X Gelato 41) coming in at 28% THC.
With a state-of-the-art cultivation facility complete with rooftop turbines and recycled water sources throughout, Pure Beauty has raised standards for sustainable indoor grows, in style. Their premium pre-rolls and whole flower are always a hit, as are their custom-sized rolling paper packs.
For flower-focused friends located anywhere, this smoke-concealing room candle is the ultimate gift they didn’t know they needed. Founder Gena Surphlis worked with formulators to craft three sophisticated scents designed to deodorize and pleasantly perfume air in the home, reducing any lingering odors that might inspire a less 420-friendly neighbor to complain.
For more minority-owned businesses to amplify, check out Inclusivebase.com
Dispensaries or delivery services to order from with these products:
NorCal Dispensaries
Blunts + Moore, Posh Green Collective, Berner’s on Haight, Sava (Delivery), or Eaze’s Social Equity Menu (Delivery)
SoCal Dispensaries
Gorilla RX, Josephine & Billie’s, Sweet Flower, Rose Collective, Royal Highness, Cookies on Melrose, or Eaze’s Social Equity Menu (Delivery)
Lauren Yoshiko is a Portland-based writer and co-host of 
