Brand Partner ContentMike Hamod, the founder of Budbuds cannabis delivery service, has been passionate about cannabis for years. And as his experience with cannabis grew, he became increasingly frustrated with the way the cannabis marketplace has evolved – or arguably, devolved.
He saw problems with the way that cannabis is distributed through dispensaries – problems that most cannabis users can identify but do nothing about. During the height of the pandemic, a friend of Hamod’s called him to lament about his issues in the cannabis delivery and retail space.
Budbuds founder Mike Hamod
“I thought to myself, there are way too many people dealing with these issues when they shouldn’t have to,” Hamod explains. “At that point, I figured that someone should do something about this. That’s when I put the whole concept together.”
His concept was Budbuds, an exclusive cannabis delivery service that will disrupt the cannabis space as a whole.
The problems with the cannabis industry in California are very evident to those who consume cannabis on a consistent basis. Deliveries are often delayed and unreliable, the quality of cannabis has dropped tremendously, there is a deep oversaturation in branding and strains, and, to top it off, cannabis is grossly overpriced. In these days of prepackaged eighths, it’s hard to judge the quality of your cannabis – and if you do happen to like the cannabis, it is hard to repeatedly buy these products, as packaging and cannabis strains are constantly changing and evolving.
Hamod had identified these problems and developed a viable solution: Budbuds, an exclusive, membership-based cannabis delivery company aiming to fully expedite the process of cannabis delivery.
Budbuds is changing the game when it comes to cannabis delivery. What makes Budbuds so unique is that they offer a true farm-to-front-door experience paired with an innovative delivery process using their proprietary technology.
“We have developed a seamless process of positioning our drivers in all of the areas that we serve in L.A., while using a similar algorithm to Uber Eats and Postmates to optimize delivery,” says Hamod.
This allows Budbuds members’ orders to be delivered in one hour or less, every time. Budbuds’ cannabis is grown and delivered exclusively through Budbuds – there are no outside entities involved, which ensures freshness and quality. With Budbuds, low-quality bud is a thing of the past, as high-quality, triple-A cannabis will be delivered within 10 days or less of being hand trimmed in their cure room. Drivers are vetted and go through a thorough interview process and are paid 50-70% more than average cannabis delivery drivers today.
When you order from Budbuds, your delivery driver arrives at your home in uniform and in a car that is five years old or newer, making the delivery feel more like a presentation and less like a drop-off.
Another exciting aspect of Budbuds is their packaging and branding. Budbuds has four exclusive cannabis brands:
Fleur, a rose-themed cannabis brand, has a sleek black and red packaging design. Fleur packages are often delivered in a black Fleur shopping bag complete with 12 roses adorning the box. Spliffany and Co. comes in a Tiffany Blue package that evokes the minimalist luxury of a jewelry box. Bloom is a floral-themed brand with white and pastel colors, and GRN is a brand that leans on an earthier aesthetic featuring grass on its packaging.
The fantastic packaging is a stark contrast from the current state of cannabis packaging which sees stickers stuck on prepackaged eighths and random strains dumped into Ziploc bags.
The colors, materials, kitting and branding of Budbuds makes their cannabis products feel more like designer goods and less like bags of weed. Most importantly, the flower used across all of these brands contain the best cannabis you can find on the market, with all four brands toting strains that are comparable in potency and freshness.
The question becomes, if one lives in Los Angeles, how can they become a Budbuds member and start getting premium weed delivery?
Hamod explains that the exclusive nature of Budbuds is one of the chief reasons the white-glove service can operate the way it does.
“Only 10-20% of the market buys truly top-shelf products and we only want to cater to the person that wants a top-quality product,” he says.
Budbuds only serves members of their service and their membership is invite-only. The team at Budbuds vets every applicant through web research and oftentimes interviews whoever referred the potential member to further gauge if they are a good fit for the service.
When asked about Budbuds’ ideal members, Hamod explained that they were looking for “members that go for exclusive, high quality brands, and are looking for top quality products in every segment of life.”
Photo credit: Kevin Wong and Maurice Holloway
Budbuds kicked off the start of their service with a bang this past weekend with a members-only event, and the list of attendees was very exclusive, including some of our favorite celebrities and influencers. The event featured a circus at an outdoor venue in Hollywood, complete with a Ferris wheel, magicians, clowns on stilts and carnival games, with cannabis and Budbuds merchandise as prizes, of course.
Photo credit: Kevin Wong and Maurice Holloway
To top it off, there was an indoor VIP area within the event that functioned as a bumping nightclub complete with a performance stage, a stage that was graced by both a Myles O’Neal DJ set, and later in the night, a performance from Grammy-winning rapper Roddy Ricch. This star-studded event is a testament to Hamod and Budbuds’ commitment to the social aspect of cannabis consumption, as well as the high standard to which member admission is held. Hamod sees many cannabis-infused ideas for events in the future, including movie nights, exclusive club events, and even paintballing – all, of course, only for Budbuds members.
Photo credit: Kevin Wong and Maurice Holloway
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