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Rolling with intention: How Super Okay is turning THC Design into the Great American Cannabis brand
In a cannabis industry crowded with hype, noise, and predictable tropes, THC Design is taking a different path, and it's paved with intention. The California-born, employee-owned cannabis company has undergone a sweeping rebrand courtesy of New York-based studio Super Okay, one that positions it not just for market growth but cultural resonance.
Its aim is unapologetically ambitious: to become "The Great American Cannabis Company." It might seem like a lofty claim, but one that creative director Anthony Cappetta is happy to own.
He says, " In our interviews, we talked about brands like Levi's and Coca-Cola and asked ourselves, what would it mean to have an ethos like these brands in the cannabis industry?"
The result is a meticulously crafted identity that speaks to longevity, confidence, and clarity, steering clear of the stoner stereotypes or overplayed lifestyle imagery that has long plagued the space. Instead, Super Okay has built a comprehensive brand system rooted in THC Design's core values: education, accessibility, and a deep commitment to quality.
From niche to national
Founded in 2016, THC Design has carved out a strong reputation in California's notoriously competitive cannabis landscape. But with plans to expand nationally (including a recent launch in Nevada), the company needed a brand that could flex across state lines, regulatory frameworks, and consumer demographics while staying true to its roots.
That's where Super Okay came in. Tasked with refining the brand's distinctive molecule logo and introducing a bolder red logo system, it created a visual shorthand that stands out both digitally and on dispensary shelves. Anchored in THC Design's signature purple, which has now been extended into a gradient of purples to differentiate product lines, the new palette is both eye-catching and strategic.
"We really wanted to simplify and take command of a few key equities that we could own," says Anthony. "This became the purple(s) and the red more than anything. The colour combination has the ability to become iconic."
Information meets intuition
One of the rebrand's most inventive elements is the introduction of a "bento box" design system—a modular grid used across packaging and brand materials to present educational and regulatory information without clutter or compromise. It's a smart solution to one of the cannabis industry's biggest headaches: compliance chaos.
"Compliance is the wild west," Anthony says. "We created universal packaging that could be used across state lines to bring costs down. Our labelling system utilises the bento box to display consumer, legal, and dispensary needs in a clear and brand-forward way so that nothing feels like an afterthought."
However, the bento box is more than just a functional tool; it's also a storytelling device. Super Okay uses the format to deliver terpene and flavour profile breakdowns, lifestyle imagery, and brand moments that build emotional resonance alongside factual transparency. It's a visual metaphor for the brand's layered identity: scientific, yes, but also warm, human, and rooted in everyday life.
A tactile identity that sticks
If the visuals are sharp, the materials are even sharper. The redesigned packaging suite features purple frosted glass jars and transparent mylar bags, evoking a sense of premium quality without tipping into pretension. The consistency across materials and form factors make for strong shelf presence and brand recognition, which is key for a product often displayed among dozens of competitors.
"The frosted jars and the transparent purple tubes and mylar bags were all part of the strategy to own purple as a brand," Anthony explains. "The clear and consistent colour strategy is what communicates their value proposition. It's elevated but inviting."
Even the user experience of the packaging was considered. Adaptive tops, universal boxes, and modular label placement make the brand as intuitive for consumers as it is efficient for dispensaries navigating various state rules.
Heritage without the hippie
Cannabis branding has long relied on one of two extremes: kitsch nostalgia or hyper-futurist slickness. THC Design's new identity, however, carves out a third lane, drawing on American brand heritage without defaulting to dated weed references or worn-out visual language.
The tone is confident but not cocky, with copy that is informed but never preachy. Of course, the brand's California roots are acknowledged (especially in lifestyle photography), but they don't define or limit the brand's potential.
"We didn't want to look too grassroots because that wasn't true to who we were," Anthony says. "We did want some of the photography to feel very California, but that's where the consumer can see themselves, not the brand shouting it."
Perhaps most importantly, THC Design's employee-owned structure and values are woven throughout the brand narrative. Rather than positioning itself as yet another start-up cashing in on cannabis, the brand communicates purpose, responsibility, and staying power.
"There aren't many companies in the cannabis industry with this level of intentionality and focus around their employees," Anthony adds. "It's a huge differentiator and value driver, so much so that we put it on the side of the packaging."
Built to last
While aesthetics matter, it's the underlying structure of the brand that gives THC Design its durability. From adaptive packaging to scalable visual systems, every element has been designed to evolve alongside the business.
The new identity has already boosted reorder rates and made an impact in Nevada, where the brand launched with strong momentum. According to THC Design CEO Marlon Coburn, the process went far deeper than a visual facelift.
"Through our sessions, we refined our visual identity and our core narrative, honouring our legacy while defining the next chapter of who we are as a company," Marlon says. "The rebrand wasn't just about aesthetics; it was about capturing the essence of our evolution."
While the cannabis industry still faces its fair share of stigma, the goal is to design for trust. This is why flashy gimmicks won't do the job. Instead, brands need to educate consumers and build brand integrity from the inside out.
"You give people the information that will help them have a positive experience," Anthony says. "And most importantly, you do what THC Design is doing – you put a tremendous amount of care into the quality and consistency of the product itself."
What's next?
As more states legalise cannabis and the industry matures, branding will increasingly separate the long-term players from the short-lived hype machines. For Anthony, the future of cannabis branding lies not in coast-to-coast domination but in thoughtful, regional storytelling and a healthy respect for craft.
"Be the best brand in the Southwest and focus on the cannabis culture there," he says. "More attention to the craft of the design and consistency of how the brand shows up is going to be important. The ones who can last, show up, and be memorable will win."
If THC Design is any indication, the days of cannabis brands being treated as a novelty are numbered. With its refined identity, adaptive system, and audacious ambition, it's not just rolling with the times; it's defining them.
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