Heavy Metal Entertainment revealed this week that it is partnering with the licensed cannabis company Berkshire Roots to launch a new line of weed products for the regulated market in Massachusetts. Through the new partnership, the two companies will offer new flower strains and create unique cannabis products under the trade name “Heavy Metal,” a brand that rose to fame more than 40 years ago with a science fiction, fantasy, and horror magazine and feature film.
Heavy Metal Entertainment (HME) has made a name for itself since the company was founded in 1977 by bringing adult-oriented science fiction, fantasy and horror entertainment to the mainstream. Heavy Metal was launched as a print publication curating unique comic book-style stories with adult-themed subjects and characters the like of which were simply unavailable through mainstream media. Four years later, Heavy Metal and legendary producer and director Ivan Reitman released the groundbreaking 1981 film, bringing the magazine to life on the silver screen and introducing adult animation to a worldwide audience.
Heavy Metal was the first magazine to bring the work of European artists including Moebius, Enki Bilal and Pepe Moreno to the United States while featuring skilled American talent such as Richard Corben, Jim Steranko and Bernie Wrightson. The magazine continues to showcase emerging new talent and established creators through serialized and standalone stories, artist galleries and interviews.
Under a new ownership group, HME is focused on a comprehensive fan experience unique in the entertainment industry, delivering content across print publishing, new media and a newly launched television, film and animation content studio.
To kick off the new Heavy Metal cannabis launch in Massachusetts, James Winokur, CEO of Berkshire Roots, and Heavy Metal Studios President Tommy Coriale will be at the New England Cannabis Convention (NECANN) in Boston this weekend. The new line of products will then be available at licensed dispensaries throughout Massachusetts beginning in April.
“Building on the reputation and consumer loyalty Berkshire Roots has established since it launched, we are now in a position to guide other brands that want to enter the cannabis market and Massachusetts specifically,” Winokur said in a joint statement from the two brands. “We want to work with unique offerings that set themselves apart in a crowded field. When I first started thinking about the Heavy Metal brand and how creative we could get in our product offerings, I became really passionate about working with the HME team. I think this model is game-changing for the industry … Our customers are going to really love this pairing!”
Pittsfield, Massachusetts-based Berkshire Roots is a cannabis cultivator, processor and retailer with dispensaries in Pittsfield and East Boston. In addition to the company’s shops, Heavy Metal branded cannabis products will be available starting next month at other licensed retailers throughout Massachusetts including Budzee Delivery, Dreamer, The Goods, Honey, Nature’s Remedy, Northeast Alternatives, Nova Farms, Panacea Wellness and Zyp Run Delivery.
“When we were all introduced to Berkshire Roots, we immediately gravitated to the idea of a connection between our brand and cannabis,” said Coriale. “As conversations with company management went on and Heavy Metal got a glimpse of their follow-up product ideas, we grew increasingly excited as they really understood the DNA of the brand and its commitment to enhancing our customer experience in unexpected ways. We can’t wait to see this product connect to both the long-time fans, and the younger generation who are just getting to know Heavy Metal for the first time.”
The cannabis community will get its first look at the new Heavy Metal products this weekend at NECANN, a cannabis industry trade show taking place in Boston from March 10 through March 13.
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