Stranger Things Weed Strain Appears on Leafly

Netflix’s blockbuster hit Stranger Things has been a brandstravaganza since its launch, embedding iconic breakfast foods, salty snacks, ‘80s technology and throwback retailers and fast food chains into its supernatural storylines. Cannabis has not been part of that product placement parade—until now. Purple Palm Tree Delight, a weed strain credited with calming a few key characters during some particularly stressful situations, has had some significant face time in the fourth and latest season. New fan favorite pizza delivery dude Argyle turns to it for the ultimate in self care, and it's described by long-suffering big brother Jonathan Byers as a strain that can "make all your troubles float away, like the seed pods of a dandelion in the wind." Sounds like the perfect antidote for the stress that comes with sketchy activities like burying a body in the desert or throwing together a sensory-deprivation pool in the back of a pizzeria after hours. Sadly Purple Palm Tree Delight doesn’t exist—it’s a fictional strain that sprang from the minds of the drama’s creators. But now, thanks to cannabis platform Leafly, it’s real. Except it’s not. In short, Leafly came up with a fake origin story for an imaginary weed strain and built a promotional stunt around it. Everybody following along so far? A wink to the fans This meta moment, crafted in-house and turned around in about 48 hours, has no formal connection to the Duffer Brothers or the top-rated show, according to Leafly. Rather, it’s a response to consumer curiosity and a cheeky arm’s-length way to latch onto a pop cultural phenomenon. “People were searching our database for Purple Palm Tree Delight and saying, ‘Hey, where is it?’ when they came up empty,” Josh deBerge, vice president of corporate communications, told Adweek. “So we took the mention from the entertainment and turned it into an imaginary strain.” The indica-dominant hybrid, which lives only via this project, now has a Soviet-tinged backstory with references to CIA mind manipulation and Kate Bush’s resurgent classic “Running Up That Hill.” The description on Leafly, as well as posts on its social media channels, is full of Easter eggs like panel vans, Demogorgons and Hawaiian pies. A tidbit from the narrative: “Purple Palm Tree Delight results in full body and mind relaxation, an experience you truly must try before you deny.” It's clearly noted, by the way, that the product is a construct only. Leafly’s internal teams chose their words carefully, deBerge said, making sure they didn’t cross any lines or infringe on any trademarks. (There has been no cease-and-desist letter, yet, from the streaming service or producers.) “We avoided all the show’s branding,” said deBerge, who noted that many Leafly employees are Stranger Things superfans. “We felt we could really have fun, respect the IP and yet come up with something that people could connect to the storyline in an if-you-know-you-know kind of way.” Leafly, touting its own catalog of some 6,000 strains, has a devoted page for Purple Palm Tree Delight doppelgängers “based on our astute observations” of binge-watching the series. Since the fictional strain won’t be found at any neighborhood dispensary, Leafly recommends Grape Gasoline, Forbidden Fruit, Purple Punch and other potent flower as stand-ins that don't require "time travel or a bowl cut." The stunt, along with riding a water cooler wave, helps to push the $30 billion cannabis industry further into the mainstream as the majority of Americans support legalization, per Pew research, and the audience base continues to grow. Recent stats from New Frontier Data found that 53 million U.S. residents are expected to consume weed at least once a year by 2025, and 37 million will be frequent users, consuming at least once a month. “We saw this program as a way to speak to the destigmatization and normalization of cannabis use—we’ve been working toward that for 12-plus years and others much longer than us,” deBerge said. “There’s an important social conversation happening right now and we’re happy to be part of it.” Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra Ad Shows Stranger Things Lurking in the Night

Cannabis

A Strain-ger Thing: Potent Weed From Hit Show Appears on Leafly, but Is It Real?

Purple Palm Tree Delight joins a parade of products on Netflix's blockbuster Stranger Things

T.L. Stanley

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T.L. Stanley