SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leafly (NASDAQ: LFLY), a leading cannabis discovery marketplace and resource, is celebrating 4/20 by highlighting how cannabis is a positive, uplifting force for good in local communities throughout the U.S. and Canada. The company worked with local artists to commission large-scale murals in high-exposure areas of Washington, D.C., Chicago, Toronto, and Portland, Ore. - all markets where possession and/or use is legal. Bringing together art and innovation – two essential components of the cannabis experience – Leafly is drawing attention to communities and organizations promoting social justice and equity.
Known as the informed way to shop for cannabis, Leafly serves as the destination for information and resources to help anyone find and order the right cannabis for their needs, connecting 100 million annual website visitors to more than 7,800 brands and 5,200 dispensaries. Leafly also provides crucial, otherwise unreported data about the cannabis industry’s benefits in local communities, highlighting job numbers and trends over time as more and more states embrace legalized cannabis.
The cities chosen by Leafly demonstrate the lasting value of the cannabis market, economically and as a force for good in local communities. These core concepts are captured in the main mural design in Washington, D.C., and are localized in each city’s unique mural. The murals are equipped with augmented reality (AR) features, which anyone can access from their smartphones. Viewers will be able to watch the mural come to life with custom animations that highlight features unique to each city – and link to local deals and information.
“Our focus for 4/20 this year is bringing together technology, creativity, and communities to celebrate the incredibly wide-reaching and positive impact cannabis has on communities,” said Yoko Miyashita, CEO of Leafly. “Just as we have for more than a decade, we’re excited to help spread the joy of cannabis and highlight how the industry has created enormous economic benefits, while also directly addressing its complicated past by investing in social justice and equity– with these beautiful, compelling murals and through supporting local organizations. We’re honored to partner with these artists and organizations working each day to make their communities a better place, and to continue to work to make legal cannabis an inclusive and equitable industry for all.”
Each city’s mural has also been minted as an NFT, available for a limited time on OpenSea and currently offered at $420 (or approximately 0.12 ethereum), with proceeds going directly to the artists and local organizations focused on advancing social justice and equity issues in each city. Leafly has committed to donating $2,500 to each organization, regardless of the NFTs’ final sale prices.
The flagship Washington, D.C. mural was designed and painted by local artist Shawn Perkins, and in partnership with the DMV League of Artists. It is located in the city’s Park View neighborhood and depicts a Black woman enjoying a joint on a beautiful, sunny D.C. day. Funds from the sale of the NFT will go to the artist and to the Center for Black Equity, a nonprofit that promotes a multinational LGBTQ+ network dedicated to improving health and wellness opportunities, economic empowerment, and equal rights while championing individual and collective work, responsibility, and self-determination.
“I walked by this wall many times when I was in college at Howard University, and knowing how many people will see this message of activism and joy really resonated with me. My creative process includes cannabis, so when I designed this art for Leafly I knew I wanted to evoke those feelings of creativity and joy I get from consuming cannabis. That is what the woman in the mural signifies for me,” said Shawn.
In each additional market, the murals were painted by local artists and will directly benefit social justice and equity organizations active in their communities:
- In Chicago, the mural was painted by local social impact artist Olusola "Shala" Akintunde, and is located directly across from historic Wrigley Field. It highlights some of the city’s best views, activities, and experiences, portraying a woman lounging on a boat, enjoying both the lakefront views and a joint. Proceeds from the sale of the NFT will go to the Cannabis Equity IL Coalition, a grassroots non-profit formed by community members fighting to make sure the legalization of cannabis in Illinois repairs and reinvests in the communities most impacted by the War on Drugs, and to ensure the cannabis industry prioritizes people over profits.
- Located in the Central Eastside, Portland’s mural features a combination of some of the city’s favorite pastimes – riding a bike, enjoying the outdoors, and smoking a joint. The mural is a colorful, vibrant, fun celebration of how unique Portland is and was painted by Magdaline “Maggie” Wang in partnership with the Portland Street Art Alliance (PSAA). The proceeds from the NFT will go to the Oregon Handlers Fund, which works to help Black and non-Black people of color obtain Marijuana Worker Permits, enabling them to join the cannabis industry more easily.
- Toronto’s mural is located in the city’s Design District and celebrates the joy and ingenuity of cannabis. It depicts a woman enjoying some cannabis, a book, and a picnic, and is designed with soothing greens and pops of color. The mural was painted by local artist Haena Joen, who is a part of the Kadence World art collective, a community agency that connects brands to consumers through art, lifestyles, and subcultures. Proceeds from the NFT will go to Cannabis Amnesty, an independent, not-for-profit advocacy group dedicated to righting the wrongs caused by decades of cannabis criminalization in Canada.
