Globally recognized queen of bounce music Big Freedia recently announced the launch of Royal Bud, a new cannabis and culture brand in California created and curated personally by the “Queen Diva” herself.
The brand debuted its initial product drop Monday, August 22 exclusively at Green Qween, a queer-led and social equity licensed dispensary in downtown Los Angeles. Last Friday, an in-store meet and greet with Big Freedia took place at the dispensary, attended by fans of the musician.
According to a statement by the brand, “Royal Bud kicks off its launch with three Freedia focused fire strains in limited glass jar eighths aptly dubbed Release Ya Wiggle (Hybrid), You Already Know (Indica) and Mardi Grass (Sativa) – each an invitation to ‘release ya mind, release da stress, release da love and to forget the rest,” according to a statement, referring to Big Freedia’s song “Release Ya Wiggle,” which was featured on Beyonce’s new album.
Royal Bud was influenced by black culture, bounce culture, queer culture, cannabis culture, and more.
Big Freedia
The weed brand taps into Big Freedia’s own cannabis-inspired culture.
“When people smoke Royal Bud, they’re smoking what I smoke,” said Big Freedia. “Royal Bud was influenced by black culture, bounce culture, queer culture, cannabis culture, and more,” she said.
“I want this brand to be celebrated and smoked by everyone who is part of the diverse movements making popular culture what it is today,” Big Freedia said.
Big Freedia says that the endeavor aims “to empower the growing community of Black, brown, queer, and women-led brands that are writing a new chapter in cannabis history.”
The brand was launched and is exclusively available at Green Qween in DTLA. Green Qween co-founder Andres Rigal said that it was Big Freedia herself who had the idea to collaborate.
We really built this brand to be about creating a space and a stage for marginalized communities. -Andres Rigal, Green Qween
Rigal said that Big Freedia’s team thought it was the perfect fit from the start. “‘We’re launching this brand and it has to be at Green Qween,'” Rigal remembers them saying. “Which really meant so much to us because we really built this brand to be about creating a space and a stage for marginalized communities,” Rigal said.
Rigal says that queer brands like Green Qween dispensary and Royal Bud weed are cutting a new path in the huge weed industry of California.
“I think we’re all bringing it to a new audience,” Rigal said. “Cannabis has been a bit one-note for a while. I think for the first time in a long time we have the opportunity to create a bigger, different microphone and look at weed in a different way through different perspectives,” he said.
According to the brand, Royal Bud will continue to expand its distribution network and product suite throughout California this fall, “with terpene-rich cultivars, infused products, and industry partners hand selected by Big Freedia in line with the brand’s inclusive and forward-thinking ethos,” according to the statement.
