Most of you probably know Shavo Odadjian as the bass player for System of a Down. These days though, you can find Shavo getting his hands dirty, developing strains for his newly launched cannabis brand. I had the chance to chat with him about the brand, their Nevada launch and his new band North Kingsley. […]
Most of you probably know Shavo Odadjian as the bass player for System of a Down. These days though, you can find Shavo getting his hands dirty, developing strains for his newly launched cannabis brand. I had the chance to chat with him about the brand, their Nevada launch and his new band North Kingsley.
Stephanie Shehan: Why cannabis?
Shavo Odadjian: Cannabis has been a part of my life for many years. I appreciate the plant and am excited to bring my favorite strains to consumers within a brand that encompasses the things I am most passionate about.
Stephanie: Let’s talk about the name of your company as it has personal meaning behind it…
Shavo: The name 22Red is unique and personal to me. My life has been abound with the number 22. I was born on the 22nd of April. I was married on the 22nd day of May. My children are 2 years and 22 days apart. I was 22 years old when I was signed as a musician. And, that was 22 years prior to me coming up with the name 22Red. In my head, all letters and numbers have colors associated with them and I see the color red when I think about the number 2. This is due in part to a neurological condition that I have called Synesthesia which is “the production of a sense impression relating to one sense or part of the body by stimulation of another sense or part of the body.” So, out of all of this, the name 22Red was established.
Stephanie: What states are your products currently offered in?
Shavo: Our hemp-based products are available online at 22redhemp.com. We have THC-based cannabis products in Nevada, California and Arizona.
Stephanie: You partnered with Flower One here in Nevada. How did you decide on that partnership? Are you hands-on in the cultivation?
Shavo: Flower One has a large facility and the team over there is doing it right. I work closely with the staff and I am hands-on when it comes to the 22Red strains. Right now it is difficult with the pandemic and travelling but I do have those that I work closely with that can test our flower as it grows when I am unable to do so. My goal is to ensure that the flower and other products marketed under my brand are up to par. I want to see the good, Cali cannabis that I am used to. All of the flower that we produce needs to be the flower that I prefer to smoke.
Stephanie: When did you launch here in Nevada? Where can we find your products?
Shavo: Our Nevada products launched on July 10th. Right now, our products are available exclusively at Essence Dispensaries in Southern Nevada and Rise Dispensaries in Northern Nevada. We also just dropped some very cool 22Red glass pieces that you can pickup at those dispensaries as well.
Stephanie: What strains are available now? Will we see more strains in the future?
Shavo: We launched with three flower strains in Nevada: 22OG, Animal Mints, and White Sabbath. We also launched two of our disposable vape pens: Kinetic and Peace. Soon, you will be able to get our new vape, Eleven, which is a 1:1 (THC:CBD) hybrid as well as new flower strains, Mimosa 22, and So-Delicious. Our hemp-based vapes are available in Strawberry Sorbet, Watermelon, Orange Mint, and Cereal Killer flavors and we have even more amazing new flavors launching in the next couple of weeks.
Stephanie: What sets 22Red apart from other celebrity brands?
Shavo: Cannabis is something I believe in, I consume the strains that are grown under our brand and in fact, I along with my team regularly visit the dispensaries that carry the 22Red brand and if we come across old flower, we actually purchase it to get it off the shelves. I want all the purchases by consumers to be fresh cannabis. I would rather have strains that are out of stock than to sell old product. I have found that, in fact, being a well-known musician is actually a hindrance in this industry. People have become accustomed to celebrities adding their names to cannabis lines and walking away. I take pride in what we offer at 22Red and want to make sure that our products are what the consumers are looking for.
Stephanie: Your brand includes both a clothing and music aspect, tell us about that.
Shavo: 22Red’s mission is to create an amplified cannabis lifestyle that celebrates the creatives of the world. Born in Los Angeles, California, we take pride in providing badass products across cannabis, music, art, and fashion. We are the trendsetters with uncompromising standards, introducing premium goods to the everyday experience.
The music aspect of our brand begins with my new band North Kingsley which includes myself, Ray Hawthorne and Saro Paparian. Our first single launches August 7th. Of course, the name of the band has special meaning to me. North Kingsley is the street in Hollywood that I grew up on and includes a wealth of memories for me. Checkout the band on Instagram @northkingsley or on the web at northkingsley.com.
Check out 22Red:
IG: @22redla
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