Academy Not Happy About Vaporizers in Oscar Gift Bags

Bill Maher holds the Haze Dual V3 portable vaporizer on "Real Time."

Last year, Oscar nominees received an unusual gift in their schwag bag: the Haze Dual V3 portable vaporizer, valued at $250. The company is providing another 60 models for this year's lucky nominees. 

"It is an honor to be selected for such an event," Ana Martin, Director of Marketing at Haze Technologies, tells CelebStoner. "Our product is on the hands of many top celebrities. The organization wouldn't let a product of poor quality being offered to them. It's worth the investment and we're proud to be included again this year."

It's all about boosting brand awareness, Martin explains: "The inclusion in the red carpet gave us an increase in recognition, which resulted in a jump in sales. The Haze Dual V3 is the best portable vaporizer, but many people have never heard of it. Once they learn more about it, it doesn't take them long to purchase one."

The company responsible for assembling the bags, Dustinctive Assets, is being sued by the Academy for unauthorized use of the Oscar trademark. The complaint claims: 

"Distinctive Assets’ continued use of the Academy’s trademarks not only infringes the Academy’s trademarks, but it is also likely to dilute the distinctiveness of the Academy’s famous trademarks and tarnish their goodwill. Press about the 2016 gift bags has focused on both the less-than-wholesome nature of some of the products contained in the bags, which purportedly include a $250 marijuana vaporizer, a $1,900 "vampire breast lift," skin treatments by Park Avenue plastic surgeons valued at more than $5,500, a $250 sex toy and $275 Swiss-made toilet paper, and the unseemliness of giving such high value gifts, including trips costing tens of thousands of dollars, to an elite group of celebrities."

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After last year's Academy Awards, Top CelebStoner Bill Maher showed off the Haze Dual V3 on Real Time during a comparison of Oscar and Daytona 500 gift bags. The latter bag, he joked, contained packs of EZ Wider papers and gun lighters.

On Feb. 28, such nominees as Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Sylvester Stallone, Brie Larson and Bryan Cranston may not walk away with Oscar trophies, but they will have spiffy new portable vaporizers to take home.

Steve Bloom

Steve Bloom

Publisher of CelebStoner.com, former editor of High Times and Freedom Leaf and co-author of Pot Culture and Reefer Movie Madness.