![Jay-Z and one of his Monogram cannabis flowers](assets/components/directresize/cache/dr_JayZMonogram_w625_h234.jpg)
Shawn Carter may have started as a crack dealer in Brooklyn’s notorious Marcy Projects, but Jay-Z is now a legitimate cannabis entrepreneur after dropping the first products from his cannabis company, Monogram.
Monogram represents the first fruits of Carter’s newly formed joint venture The Parent Company – for which he’s been named Chief Visionary Officer – combining his Roc Nation brand with California cannabis companies Caliva and Left Coast Ventures. A press release issued on December 10 said Monogram “seeks to redefine the cannabis category by taking an individualistic approach to describing product experience” with four numbered strains – No. 88 Medium, No. 96 Heavy. No. 70 Heavy and No. 01 Medium. The strain catagories are
"light" (sativa) “medium” (hybrid) and “heavy” (indica).
![The Monogram sampler box](assets/components/directresize/cache/dr_Monogram2_w625_h430.jpg)
Monogram was officially announced in October, but the products just become available in Los Angeles and the San Francisco-Bay Area. After 18 months of "careful strain selection and meticulous cultivation practices," Monogram unveiled the brand by sending VIP boxes to influencers.
Jay-Z: “Cannabis has been around for thousands of years, yet it is still an industry whose legacy of skilled craftmanship is often overlooked,” said Jay-Z. “I created Monogram to give cannabis the respect it deserves by showcasing the tremendous hard work, time and care that go into crafting a superior smoke. Monogram products are next level when it comes to quality and consistency and we’re just getting started.”
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CelebStoner received one of these highly sought-after boxes. It contained three products: flower, OG Handroll and Loosie’s Pre-Rolls. Here's our review:
![Monogram flower](assets/components/directresize/cache/dr_Monogram_w625_h311.jpg)
• The OG Handroll: Wrapped in a cigar-style blunt inside a slick black tube casing, this fancy preroll costs $50. The “proprietary roll technique” developed by Monogram's Culture & Cultivation Ambassador DeAndre Watson allows the flower to burn slowly and evenly over multiple sessions. This is a great example of the quality Jay-Z brings to the product; it has a smooth pull and a potent kick with a slow-burning wrap that encourages you to let it rest on the ashtray and then light it up again later when you're ready for another sesh.
• The Loosies: This take-off of when people used to buy so-called “loose joints” in New York in the ’70s and ’80s comes in a pack of four pre-rolled half joints (.4 grams each). Monogram’s No. 70 "heavy" strain with a THC content of 31% filled these mini-prerolls. The pack, containing four in black tubes, runs $40. These quick hitters provide a pleasant buzz that makes it best used as an eye-opener in a “wake-and-bake” situation, with its miniature size offsetting the relatively high THC percentage.
• The Flower: Available in both two-gram ($40) and four-gram ($70) jars, Monogram’s No. 01 "medium" strain with a 34% THC content came with the sampler. Perhaps the most impressive of the Monogram product line, the single glistening green-and-purple bud represents a top-of-the-line strain that packs an impressive wallop, whether smoked or vaped. One look and you appreciate Jay Z’s commitment to upmarket quality.
![The Monogram assortment](assets/components/directresize/cache/dr_Monogram4_w625_h399.jpg)
The press release added that Monogram "offers a clear and considered sensory description for every product within the line. The newly introduced Monogram strains – No. 88, No. 96, No. 70 and No. 01 – are currently available via the brand's three product classes."
"Perhaps the most impressive of the Monogram product line, the single glistening green-and-purple bud represents a top-of-the-line strain that packs an impressive wallop."
Monogram flower is cultivated at The Parent Company’s flagship growing facility in San Jose using a batch-by-batch approach. Carter first partnered with Caliva in July 2019 to bring his flagship cannabis line to life. In November, Subversive Capital Acquisition Corp. entered into an agreement with Jay-Z, Roc Nation, Caliva and Left Coast Ventures to form TPCO (The Parent Company) Holding Corp., a transaction that's expected to close in January.