UNI & NCF: Cannabis, Clothing, and Community

How a Lifestyle Brand Brought Cannabis and Clothing to the National Cannabis Festival

By: Lydia McClendon

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What better way to kick off 420 and National Cannabis Festival season than with an inaugural blog! We wanted to introduce you to the why behind UNI. Our goal as a premier cannabis lifestyle brand is more than just selling clothes. We want to educate and elevate the community that helped build us. We’re excited to share more about who we are, what we do, and why we do it. Here you’ll find exclusive content and elevating conversations, recipes, and more. We are joining in on one of the best events in the industry, NCF, and bringing you along for the ride.

National Cannabis Festival

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What is NCF? The National Cannabis Festival is a community-building event that showcases brands, dispensaries, and companies that are working towards a higher tomorrow. This once-in-a-lifetime festival has it all; munchies, sessions, education, and entertainment. We have been invited to participate as a brand and can't wait to drop exclusive merchandise at the event. Exhibiting with NCF was a no-brainer for us.  Anything that combines cannabis and community, you’ll find UNI. Our Spring Line will be an NCF Exclusive Release, meaning you won't be able to get these anywhere else. We decided to go big or go home and bring some of the best UNI has to offer, in person. NCF is giving us the unique opportunity to meet those of you who have supported us thus far, and to expose a whole new group to all that UNI has to offer.

The Journey to NCF

UNI has been built on the backs of a small, dedicated team who have a common dream. As COVID caused its problems we decided to use that time as a jumping point to kick UNI into high gear. We buckled down and found out what we needed to do to make this a success. Through the business expansion, we knew we wanted to bring it bigger and that meant watching what our home state was planning to do with the MRTA bill. We knew NY had been keeping things under wraps and we wanted to make sure we were around and ready when they announced their plans. Being a women-led, minority-owned, cannabis-supporting brand has offered its challenges from day one but we are fortunate to be helmed by the best of the best.

Who We Are

Our founder Desiree knew that to make this dream work she had some hoops to jump through; one of those being navigating the often complicated system of becoming a US citizen. On March 2nd Desiree joined the ranks of many before her and gained her citizenship. This was a major milestone not just for Desiree as an individual but for UNI as a brand. Although technically not an issue, she knew that having her citizenship was one less obstacle that an already systemically shadowy system could hold against us going forward. We decided to soft launch products so we could keep our eye on the prize of NCF and continued to R&D for months.

How We Got Here

April is one of the busiest months on the cannabis calendar. Between holi-daze, spring sessions, and an overall sense of renewal it can mean never-ending events. Fortunately, we truly love what we do. April saw UNI at all new in-person events like Smoke & Laugh events that are growing in popularity across the country. Desirees’ journey through entrepreneurship and citizenship lit a fire within the UNI team. We became even more dedicated to developing useful canna-cessories that are functional and won't go out of style. Unlike some brands that focus on aesthetics, we want our products to last people through session after session and allow you to pull up with style.

Where We Are Going

Elevating this industry is our ultimate goal. Through quality education and facts, we hope to be a source for all things canna-community. As our social followings continue to grow the connections we've found within the industry have become invaluable. Across the country, more and more brands are coming together to take a piece of the bud and make a name within the industry. UNI plans to continue to provide high-quality products and real people behind the screens. We hope to continue our fight for social equity and expansion from within.

If you plan on going to the National Cannabis Festival come find us and say hi(gh)! We would love to see you and sesh with you. You can catch UNI bringing the good vibes to more in-person events through ‘22 and sharing more information and education through our blog.