Drew Martin Designed The Perfect Pre-Rolls For The End of the World
Something about being stuck in our apartments for the last six months just makes us wanna chill out, light up, and put on our favorite instrumental playlist.
Unfortunately, most of us still have shit to do even while the world is on hold—whether that’s a newly WFH job or just feeding your roommate’s cats while she’s home with her fam.
What’s the key to getting that chilled out, high vibe without getting too stoned to function? Enter Drew Martin’s boujie AF sun-grown cannabis and globally-inspired botanicals. They’re deliberately low dose so that you can still feel relaxed without getting too paranoid or vegged out.
We talked to Drew Martin all about his globally-inspired pre-roll offerings, including the inspiration of the flavor profiles and why they’re designed to be low dose.
What is the story behind the Drew Martin brand and who is Drew Martin?
I’m Drew Martin. I landed in Los Angeles a couple years ago, right as cannabis was becoming legal for adult use after a decade of traveling the world. I’ve always been a nerd for plants, and I became enamored with how different cultures all built rituals around botanicals particular to their geographies. Of all the rituals surrounding plants, I discovered these really rich and diverse traditions in preparing and using cannabis. I saw people pressing hash in Morocco and harvesting wild cannabis in India, and I myself trimmed weed on a farm in California. It all seemed, in a way, very connected.
I got more serious about studying plants and trained as an herbalist. At this same time I got really serious about mixology too—which had never been a bad way to make money while traveling. The deeper I dove into mixology and herbalism, the more connections I drew between them. Eventually, I found myself back in the US in New Orleans, running a plant medicine practice by day and developing cocktails at some nationally acclaimed restaurants by night.
When I moved out to LA, I became even more aware of what was happening in the cannabis industry For a lot of complicated reasons. There seemed to be this trend towards high potency products and it felt like there was less and less space for the connective, communal, and experiential elements that I have always loved about this plant. I wanted to try to bring some of that back in my own way.
Your blends are floral and sweet and make us dream of wanderlust. What inspired these blends?
Wandering the globe exposed me to so wild experiences that have informed how I see the world. I frequently associate flavors and aromas with terrains, people, climates and adventures. Those have all informed my blends. I haven’t crafted these blends to match any exact experience, but rather woven aspects of them throughout. The ginger in one of my blends reminds me of balmy nights in Southeast Asia. But I’ve paired it with damiana, which reminds me of after-dinner tea in southern Mexico. I see no reason these lovely memories shouldn’t live together in one place.
During quarantine, we are all frustrated, anxious, and need a good mellow high. Tell us more about the strains and blends you recommend for all different personality types.
I’m with you on this. I think we’re all craving a sense of reprieve. I worked with an old friend of mine who has a small independent farm in Northern California to choose a really beautiful blend of sativa-hybrid cannabis that I use in all of my blends. The strains are uplifting to provide an easy-going, super social and low-anxiety high. No one needs more anxiety right now. What’s also really cool is that these strains are bursting with citrus and floral terpenes to complement our botanical blends.
I’ve combined this cannabis with different blends of botanicals driven by flavor and aroma. The Rose and Peppermint blend certainly comes in with big Gemini energy, probably because it has this duality going on. The Chamomile, Yerba Santa and Calendula blend is floral and sharp, this structure would definitely appeal to a more Virgo. Ultimately, though, the focus here is on the sensory experience and I think people will surprise themselves with what they end up loving.
It says low dosage on your packages, does this mean the high is not as strong? For our friends who get paranoid on cannabis and prefer CBD, is this a cleaner alternative?
I’ve always smoked weed. Fifteen years in and I can still say I can’t make it through more than a few hits of a regular joint. Some of us just don’t want to fly so high! These are low dose because they are made of cannabis flower blended with botanicals. They have about half the potency of most joints so you can expect a much lighter high. Ultimately, it’s a choose your own adventure, but Drew Martins give you much more control over your experience.
What is your favorite travel destination? Do any of your blends reflect your travels?
I always find myself dreaming of running off to new places—and trust me that desire is stronger now than ever, considering that we’re all staying put for some time. Daydreaming gets me by in the meantime. Patagonia has long been super high on my list. The geography looks so humbling. And the incredible cuisines developed from such a severe landscape are awe-inspiring. Plus, being that high in the mountains makes you feel closer to the gods.
My travels most definitely have inspired all my blends. They’re less exact memories and more sentiments that conjure nostalgia. What I wanted to do was link many places together in interesting ways. Like my Lavender and Passionflower blend—I smile thinking about the insanely perfumed Mediterranean air in June with lavender in full bloom. But I’m equally drawing on memories of climbing grandma’s passion flower vines picking fresh fruit for dessert in Brazil. Coupling experiences gathered from two sides of the world just feels right to me.
We hear a lot of famous peeps are fans of the brand. Is there any celeb you’d love to be the face of Drew Martin?
I want Zoe Kravitz to try our pre-rolls so bad! She’s an incredible actress, makes such cool music, and makes it all look totally effortless. You just know from watching her that she’d be so much fun to share a joint with.
What meal or drink pairs well with your blends?
My background in mixology allowed me to bring a really flavor-driven framework to creating these pre-rolls, which makes them perfect to pair. We’ve actually been hosting some cool online events in LA on how to craft cocktails that complement the blends. In pairing, I try to focus on the driving flavor profile and then complement that. For the Chamomile, Yerba Santa and Calendula blend, I’d find a floral gin cocktail or a Soave Classico wine. For the Ginger, Lemon Balm and Damiana, I’d consider a spicy rum cocktail or smoke one over a green papaya salad.
Where do you see the cannabis space in 2021?
I believe that coming out of this pandemic we’re all going to have a new appreciation for connection and communion. I know cannabis to be a powerful tool to facilitate this, both functionally and ritually. I think that we’re going to see people turn more to conscious cannabis use for connection, and that excites me.
