Loved by its fans for its balanced products and low-THC flower options, Weekenders has become a staple on a West Coast scene that’s otherwise dominated by astronomical THC percentages. Along with 3:1 THC:CBD pre-rolls and low-potency 1:1 blends, the company has started offering classic, full-THC strains without folding to the usually false notion of the “bigger the better” mentality when it comes to THC.
Recently, I spoke with Jesse Hicks, one of the four founders of Weekenders, and chatted about the significance of outdoor-grown, low-potency products in a mostly indoor-grown, high-potency world.
Weekenders’ origin story
Relatively new to the cannabis scene, Weekenders was founded by a group of spirited people in 2019 in Santa Rosa. At the time, they saw a serious lack of balanced products on the market, “I love cannabis, but I was noticing, as well as the other founders, that there was this race to potency,” said Hicks, “So instead, we wanted to create something for ourselves, something that was really nice and enjoyable and, you know, got you high, but was intentional — you could ease into it, was a little bit more approachable, a little bit more shareable.”
Thus, Weekenders was born.
And along with that desire to bring low-potency products to a high-potency, saturated market, they all felt passionate about growing the company’s cannabis in organic soil fueled by the sun. To achieve this, they partnered with Humboldt-based Redwood Valley Farms, a small-batch artisanal cannabis grow with respect for sustainable farming practices, like the Korean natural farming method, which uses bokashi and fermented plant juices to promote nutrient recycling. The farm is headed by grower Jay Kidd.
“We really believe in high quality, sun-grown flower that has a lower environmental impact and is sustainable … I don’t want to talk shit about indoor flower at all, but the idea of growing something inside in a place like California, which has so much sun, is a little bit nuts,” Hicks shared.
All this talk around high-quality cannabis and unique low-THC products is impressive enough for the brand to continue to grow, but what truly makes it stand out is its compassionate give-back programs. Along with the Weed for Warriors Project, Weekenders has been connected to the Brownie Mary Democratic Club (BMDC), an organization that advocates for cannabis legalization, pushes to end the War on Drugs, and endorses cannabis-positive politicians. BMDC and Weed for Warriors also run “compassion drops” where cannabis brands, or the community, can donate weed products to be given to veterans for free.
“We’ve done a number of Weed For Warriors and Brownie Mary drops, and we’re always looking for other non-profits who want to receive some of our flower. There’s always some left to give and some we designate for that purpose,” Hicks said, “and every time we do one of those programs, Jay Kidd [Redwood Valley Farms] gets so excited. He loves seeing his plants go to someone in need.”
Here are the products that made Weekenders.
Chill and Play pre-rolls
The first balanced pre-rolls ever rolled out by the company, Chill (3:1 THC:CBD) and Play
(1:1 THC:CBD) made a name for the brand with the delivery of its smooth, balanced highs. “These were our original two products. Chill being an indica-forward CBD blend and Play being a sativa-forward CBD blend.”
Well balanced, these flagship pre-rolls offered a more sincere high that can take consumers back to those mellow, classic strains from the ’70s and ’80s. “You want to have a high that still allows you to go to that yoga class or finish a little bit of work at home or whatever it is, and you don’t want to be paranoid. When people find us, they realize, ‘Oh, this is how cannabis can be,’ and that isn’t always only beginners. There are people who have high tolerances and they try our products and go, ‘Wait, this low-THC/CBD blend still gets me high,’ it’s just different and it’s nice to actually switch it up.”
Peanut Butter Breath and Blueberry Muffin 7-packs
Though the brand is most known for its low-potency blends, they have started dipping their toes into strains delivering more traditional THC percentages ranging from 21–27%.
“We recently launched two really nice single-strain, 7-pack products. We have a Peanut Butter Breath and a Blueberry Muffin. We love those strains, they’re both deliciously tasty, super fragrant, and grown by Redwood Valley Farms … They’re a little higher of a THC offering for us, so it’s kind of about us showing up for that part of the market. That said, we’re not chasing numbers. We’re showcasing the flower for what it is and for the flavors and effects.”
Find Weekenders’ Peanut Butter Breath
Find Weekenders’ Blueberry Muffin
Featured images courtesy of Weekenders
