Seattle's Stash Pot Shop Announces Name Change Due to Pressure From International Conglomerate, Stash Tea Co.

SEATTLE, Jan. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Stash Pot Shop, the largest retailer of variety, high-quality recreational cannabis in Seattle, announced it is changing its name to Lux.

The string of retail marijuana shops is changing its name in response to legal pressure from Stash Tea Company of Portland, Ore., and anticipates the name change to be finalized over the next several weeks.  

"After considering all of our options, changing our name allows us to avoid a legal battle and focus on what we do best as a company: providing our customers with the best product available and facilitating better education and awareness around legal, recreational cannabis," said Kc Franks, co-founder and owner of the newly named Lux Pot Shop.

Lux's name change is the latest in Stash Tea Co.'s string of legal threats and actions against small cannabis retailers. The international tea conglomerate sued Beaverton Stash Cannabis Co. of Beaverton, Ore. in April 2016 for allegedly infringing on the tea company's trademark – and has taken action against others.

While transitions are not welcome for any organization, especially one in its first year-and-a-half of business, the Seattle Stash Pot Shop team is committed to continuing to provide high-quality service and product to Seattleites, and believes the new name represents the core values the company was founded upon: "Community. Culture. Cannabis." The word lux is a measurement of lumens, a popular light source used in many marijuana grow operations that produces the highest quality of flower. The team hopes this new name allows them to continue to 'shed light' on this nascent industry for consumers who are interested in a high-end experience that involves education and, of course, indulging.

The ownership group plans to retain the same visual identity that brought it so much success, and integrate the new name into a near identical logo, complete with the company's signature parenthesis, text type and color scheme.

"We are dedicated to keeping the same operations and feel that have made us a staple in the local community, with a focus on offering high-quality product and services, and supporting the very culture and lifestyle our shop embodies," said Shea Hynes, product buyer at Lux.

For Franks and Hynes, and their team, the Stash Tea issue is just one of many challenges they've overcome as pioneers and active members of the recreational marijuana business community in Washington state since the industry's incipient days in 2013 and 2014.

"When we first started out, the industry was like the Wild West: anyone could apply for a license, get building permits, slap a catchy name on the building and open up shop. This is certainly a proof point of the changing times facing our industry, and as it becomes more viable, a concrete business strategy and involvement in the community and broader industry are a necessity for anyone involved," added Franks.

Local Industry Advocates and Evangelists

The Lux team is an active contributor to legislative and awareness initiatives, including playing a key role in Seattle, King County and Washington state recreational marijuana legislative activities. In the upcoming legislative session in Olympia, Wash., Franks plans to testify and work with state lawmakers to highlight key issues facing the industry, including safe access and preventing consumption amongst minors; financial and banking limitations; strict branding and marketing guidelines facing growers, processors and retailers alike; and a proposed bill to legalize cannabis delivery across the state.  

"As we approach the three-year anniversary of the first recreational marijuana shops in our state, we've witnessed tremendous evolution in our industry.  Yet there are still many challenges we need to address to ensure that the retail marijuana industry will continue growing more viable, and that businesses are able to operate in a way that spurs progress and innovation," stated Franks. "If we truly want to be advocates for industry success, we have to work as a collaborative, cohesive group. Through our activities in Olympia, we can offer a voice for the entire industry, not merely the interests of our individual businesses."

A History of Proven Success and Innovation

Stash Pot Shop opened in August 2015 and since has grown to expand to two locations, the flagship store in Ballard and its newest location at 10333 Lake City Way NE. The shop was named "Best New Pot Shop" of 2015 by Dope Magazine and was nominated for the "Best Staff Award" for 2016. Today, the business currently employs nearly fifty employees and is producing combined revenue of more than a half a million dollars per month, across both of its locations. 

According to public recreational marijuana database 502data.com, the company is currently one of the only recreational retail stores in the state to open two locations, and is one of the most successful in terms of revenue amongst shops with multiple stores.

As former medical marijuana proprietors, the team self-funded much of their transition to the recreational scene, spurning investment opportunities that compromised the integrity of their brand and their vision of shaping the Seattle community through its key values.  

Its success and innovation are driven by a "Nordstrom-esque" culture of customer service and affordable, high-quality cannabis products. Since it opened in August 2015, the shop has worked to create a new narrative for itself and its industry peers by appealing to customers with a welcoming environment that promotes education and awareness.

Part of this narrative is carried on through Stash Pot Shop's industry-leading digital newsletter, Toke, which provides readers with monthly updates that include recommendations for music and artist series, cannabis food recipes, and the latest industry news. As advocates for local culture and positive change, the business also hosts musicians frequently and promotes local artists and their work onsite at each location. The team also spends time educating the community at local neighborhood events and markets, and even launched its own quarterly pop-up market, Day Break, dedicated to driving the intersection of recreational marijuana industry and other businesses. The most recent Day Break event on January 8, 2017 included Michelle Mitchell, the critically acclaimed director of the documentary The Uncondemned, and representatives from the pop-up nail art shop Topcoat, among others.

To learn more about the brand that is currently Stash Pot Shop and will be Lux, visit www.stashpotshop.com/.

About Stash Pot Shop
Stash Pot Shop is one of Seattle's original recreational cannabis retailers dedicated to providing the finest, high-quality and most natural product available in Washington state. Its core values are built around changing the stigma and dialogue surrounding cannabis culture to facilitate better education and awareness around this new era of cannabis use. With locations in Seattle's Ballard and Lake City neighborhoods, Stash Pot Shop carries an extensive selection of premium products to suit exactly what consumers are looking for. Stash Pot Shop carries an extensive selection of premium products to suit exactly what consumers are looking for. For more information on the brand that is currently Stash Pot Shop, visit http://stashpotshop.com/. 

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Annie Alley
206.443.9357
[email protected]

SOURCE Stash Pot Shop

Related Links

http://stashpotshop.com