Cultivating New York's 'Kulture' With Happy Munkey

California has had its cannabis market up and running since the '70s. Being illegal, it wasn't as polished as it is today, with fancy dispensaries and government oversight. However, it's still the largest trade in the country. This week, for episode five of The Plant Lady, we are transported across the country to the East Coast—where legalization has taken a much different path.

 

On this week's episode of The Plant Lady, Jackie talks to CEO and co-founder of Happy Munkey Vladimir Bautista. This internationally known New York City lifestyle company is one that's synonymous with cannabis culture. Alongside company partner and high school friend Ramon Reyes, the duo created Happy Munkey in 2017 to host spaces where people can hang and share their love for weed. Uniquely, these events were often set ablaze in swanky cocktail bars; uptown, immersive art playgrounds; and VIP rooftops, all to empower and elevate the cannabis community during a time when consumers were still made to feel like criminals.

 

The brand works to dismantle the stigma still prevalent on the East Coast, where distribution (colloquially known as dealing) dominates the culture over generational farming, which is the bedrock of culture more