Tokyo Smoke acquires Van der Pop, Seattle's preeminent female-focused cannabis lifestyle brand

TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - February 08, 2017) - Tokyo Smoke, Canada's leading premium cannabis-oriented lifestyle brand, has acquired Van der Pop, a like-minded cannabis product and experience brand based in Seattle, WA. Run by acclaimed designer and serial entrepreneur of consumer lifestyle brands April Pride, Van der Pop was created in response to a lack of sophisticated product for female marijuana connoisseurs. Women represent a rapidly growing segment of the cannabis market, underserved in cannabis despite being responsible for 85 per cent of overall consumer spending. Van der Pop has focused on creating a unique product line with a design aesthetic targeted directly to women, complemented by a carefully constructed shopping experience.

The full line of Van der Pop products will be sold at all Tokyo Smoke retail locations, and the brands will also collaborate on a limited line of new products. The teams from each enterprise will support one another with creative and marketing projects; April Pride assumes the role of Chief Creative Officer for both companies.

The acquisition combines one of the leading and highest visibility female-focused cannabis brands with Tokyo Smoke's expertise in retail, international partnerships, and the curation of leading cannabis experiences. The combined companies will focus on providing a better, more thoughtful cannabis experience to an even broader community and will offer a myriad of new opportunities for consumers to approach cannabis.

"Van der Pop is an incredibly important and rare contribution to the consumer landscape, a brand that is, at its core, authentic and truly speaks to people," says Alan Gertner (co-founder and CEO, Tokyo Smoke). "April and I share the same values when it comes to the normalization of cannabis and the appetite for design driven thinking within the industry. Together, we are natural partners to offer the best experiences to the burgeoning marketplace."

Pride created Van der Pop in the spirit of Mies van der Rohe's design adage of "less is more," combined with the 'joie de vivre' sound of corks popping. Van der Pop's thoughtful product line places equal importance on form and function, and strives to infuse each item with a fun first, fashion forward focus. Best-selling items include stash jars, lockable stash bags, grinder cards and rolling papers.

"I feel empowered to help shape the messaging around responsible cannabis use," says Pride. "Brands like Van der Pop and Tokyo Smoke are more than lifestyle purveyors, we want to help the global community engage with cannabis for the best possible results. This partnership combines our knowledge of the industry and presents customers with the most considered products and experiences. All while emphasizing design and creativity. That is the point."

Van der Pop's unique shopping experience targets the desire to discreetly enjoy cannabis while making informed purchasing decisions in consultation with like-minded friends and experts. Community members can become hosts for Van der Pop's private shopping concept SESSION, or join scheduled parties where guests are educated about products in a social setting. SESSION has been hailed by Vice and reflects modern cannabis culture and offers discretion, education and style. Van der Pop products have been highlighted by Forbes and are now available at Tokyo Smoke retail locations and online at www.tokyosmoke.com.

About Tokyo Smoke:

Tokyo Smoke is an award-winning lifestyle brand that brings sophistication and design to the cannabis space. With immersive experiences and designer retail spaces with coffee, clothing and designer products, Tokyo Smoke is developing an international reputation as the go-to destination for luxurious, creative offerings within the industry. With the recent completion of Series A funding, resulting in $3 million in raised capital, Tokyo Smoke will release four branded cannabis strains in the first quarter of 2017 in collaboration with Aphria Inc ("Aphria"), one of Canada's largest licensed producers of medical marijuana. Tokyo Smoke will also expand into the U.S. market in spring 2017.

Instagram: @tokyosmoke / @vanderpop
Facebook: /tsmokecoffee / sessionobsessed
Twitter: @tokyo_smoke / @van_der_pop

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