Let’s be honest, everyone and their mother, who has any kind of celebrity clout, has been trying their luck in the cannabis industry, setting up brands, creating products, and even offering smoking retreats. Now it goes a step further as entire hard rock band the Deftones just created their own cannabis brand.
Rock band the Deftones are making their way into the cannabis world with their new cannabis brand. If you can’t get over to a location where their products are being sold, there are plenty of other options out there to choose from. And with the new industry of cannabis cannabinoids, its not just about standard weed. You can buy delta-8 THC, THC-O-A, CBN, and THCV just to name a few. We’ve got great deals, for vapes, gummies, oils, and more. Go ahead and start your holiday shopping today! Remember to subscribe to The THC Weekly Newsletter for deals on legal cannabis products, as well as all the latest news and industry stories. Also save big on Delta 8, Delta 9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP & HHC products by checking out our “Best-of” lists!
Who are the Deftones?
In a world more heavily centered around pop acts and mainstream rock, the name the Deftones is probably not that recognizable, and that’s fair. However, for those of us who have always liked things a little harder, a little more alternative, and a little more out-of-the-mainstream, then the name the Deftones should be familiar.
They’re not new, coming together in 1988, and solidifying their lineup by 1993. Out of Sacramento, California, the Deftones have found themselves associated with several genres from rock to hard rock to metal to alternative to experimental. Though the lineup has changed a bit over the years, the band has released nine albums in their tenure, to much critical praise. They have sold over 10 million records worldwide. So while not the biggest band ever, certainly a well-known one in the world of rock, with a decent amount of name value that spans several decades of time.
Besides creating a large cult following, the Deftones have also received several accolades for the work they’ve done. The band’s album Elite won the Best Metal Performance at the 2001 Grammy Awards, and their most recent album Ohms is up for Best Rock Performance for the 2022 Grammy’s, along with its second single Genesis being up for Best Metal Performance.
They’ve also won a Kerrang! Award (UK music awards) for Best Album (the album White Pony), a California Music Award for Outstanding Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album for the same album, and a Revolver Golden Gods Award for Album of the Year for Koi No Yokan.
The Deftones cannabis brand
Part of what’s interesting about what the Deftones are doing, is that it’s being done as a band, as if its simply another album to put out. This isn’t a lead singer or guitarist setting up a side project of selling weed products, but an entire band, which usually makes its money by creating and selling music, making an entire band effort to create this side hustle.
Whereas plenty of Hollywood elite (and some not so elite) have been starting up different kinds of operations, this is the first time that a music group consisting of several members, have started a project like this together. It’s literally like they’re treating this new weed business like it’s a tour, or a press gig, or a recording studio, all working together to make it happen.
So what is the band doing? On November 24th, the Deftones announced they are putting out their own cannabis brand, aptly titled The Deftones Cannabis Collection. As an official cannabis line, which deals with high-THC marijuana, the associated products are being sold according to regulation, meaning only through dispensaries in the state of California. In the future, with changing regulations, this brand is likely to be seen in dispensaries all over the country (where its legal!)
Fans of the band, of cannabis, or of both together, can follow the band on Instagram for further updates about available locations, products, and what’s to come in the future.
The Deftones partnered with California based company Golden Barn to create their cannabis brand, a company which is specifically in the business of cannabis extractions, and more specifically, extractions with the much safer use of CO2. The first offering of the line is a set of products called ‘The Passenger Box’.
These boxes come in variations, but include an eclectic mix of cannabis buds, concentrates, disposable vapes, and gummies. What does the band say about the box? That it smells great, and does what it’s supposed to! The box is emblazoned with the artwork from the band’s album from 2000, White Pony, for which the name ‘The Passenger Box’ is also a direct reference.
The Deftones and cannabis in general
With any band that survives for decades and has sold millions of records, it can be assumed there’s at least someone with a good business sense related to the operation. It also generally means that the band is selling what is considered a quality product, as it implies fans have continuously returned through the years. In the words of the band members themselves:
“Throughout our career, it has been an ongoing mission to provide our fans with quality products. Whether it’s music, beer, or tequila, we put in the time, care and effort to make sure we’re delivering merchandise to the market that have been thoroughly scrutinized by all of us. The obvious next step in this progression is cannabis. In the foreseeable future, we will be rolling out several different products in this vertical via [Golden Barn], and we are excited to unveil our first: The Passenger Box.”
Says guitarist Stephen Carpenter, who shows the boxed goods in an Instagram video, “We’ve been waiting and smoking forever, you know? To finally be able to present something we all enjoy and like is awesome.”
According to the band, “[There are] nine locations that have our cannabis line in stock today in California. More will be distributed throughout the state in the following week. Stay tuned.” The Deftones new cannabis brand doesn’t represent the first time famous people have ventured into the weed business, but it is the first time I’ve heard of a full band doing it together.
And apart from weed…
This is not the first time the whole band has done a venture together outside of music. The band has also put out its own beer and tequila. In March of 2021, the band announced its limited edition White Pony Tequila in conjunction with Abre Ojos Tequila company. The tequila was produced in the home of tequila, Tequila, Mexico, and only 2,880 bottles were made, and were only available in certain states.
In terms of beer, the Deftones have an ongoing collaboration with Oceanside, California’s Belching Beaver Brewery (Kinda cool name, right?), and in January of 2021 announced the release of Ohms Pale Ale. This relationship between the band and brewing company has been ongoing for five years, and this newest release takes its name from the Deftones 2020 album, Ohms. At the time of announcement, the deal was to sell the beer in 4-packs of 16-ounces starting in February. Sales were set for selected states in the Southwest and West coast, as well as being sold at Belching Beaver’s four locations.
This follows up a previous release. In 2020, the double dry hopped White Pony IPA was released, titled also after the White Pony album, much like the tequila. The IPA was released to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the album, and even that wasn’t the beginning. Together, the Deftones and Belching Beaver have been putting out different beers for several years, some as limited editions. Names of past releases include Good Morning Beautiful Brown Ale, Digital Bath Hazy IPA, and Phantom Bride IPA, which is still available.
Conclusion
I’m a rock girl, but I’ve never specifically been a Deftones fan. Even so, coming from this world, I recognized the name immediately and thought ‘well, that’s pretty cool’. I expect the Deftones are capitalizing on this name value, along with actually creating high quality products to sell (outside of their music).
As mentioned, part of what makes this interesting, is that the Deftones, by operating these businesses, have become not just a band, but a justifiable business enterprise. In fact, younger generations might learn the name ‘the Deftones’ by the products, rather than the music. Perhaps this was even forward thinking for the musicians, setting up businesses for when they stop making music. Regardless of how you look at it, the Deftones are a band that cares about providing good products, and weed is the new entry on the list.
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Disclaimer: Hi, I’m a researcher and writer. I’m not a doctor, lawyer, or businessperson. All information in my articles is sourced and referenced, and all opinions stated are mine. I am not giving anyone advise, and though I am more than happy to discuss topics, should someone have a further question or concern, they should seek guidance from a relevant professional.
