Healing the world, one party at a time
Coffeehouse Pitch
Cannabis
Sociables will be the Playboy After Dark of this century
Smart Classy Fun
A magnet for mainstream viewers—because as you well know
Americans love to watch people they wish they knew,
Hanging at parties they wish they could attend.
I’d play host; a tall, thin, well-groomed 50-something cannabis
Yankee
From a pair of conservative Eastern medical families, and
conveniently,
A self-taught guitarist and authority on medicinal uses of
cannabis
A Hefner party without the Mad Men, alcohol or tobacco
Chatting with smart and interesting creative artists
About their connection with cannabis
THE TWIST
It’s a prohibition-era mask with invited guests treated to beautiful
disguises
THE HOOK
Celebrities come on as themselves because they don’t need to
hide.
My host persona will draw from
Hefner, Carson, and Benny
A bit of Robin Leach, a dash of Tom Lehrer…
No Dean Martin.
Mr. Hefner made a hero of the martini.
I’m going to do the same for the finest green.
What’s the Attraction?
This reality
show will reflect the ‘honesty’ Lenny Bruce talked about with Mr. Hefner back in
1959; it’s actually a party. The message; Look smart, be well-informed, have
fun and act civilized.
The show will
be popular with college students and young professionals, since many guests
will be rising young artists, musicians and actors who see the party as a great
place to openly discuss their connection with cannabis.
Cannabis Sociables will attract
boomers and senior viewers who use cannabis in the shadows—and have fond
memories of The Tonight Show and Playboy After Dark (I was 12, sneaking
episodes while the house slept).
Just as Playboy After Hours attracted viewers
who didn’t necessarily use alcohol, Cannabis
Sociables will attract folks whose view of cannabis has been shaped by the
most successful and far-reaching propaganda campaign the world has ever devised. Americans will tune in for the vibe; beautiful
people and intelligent conversation, and along the way we’ll show them the true
nature of cannabis and the people who choose it.
Why now?
Cannabis use is rising in
every demographic and support for full legalization grows with every election
cycle. Legalization is now inevitable, and
more viewers than ever are tuning into cannabis-theme shows.
·
Who will buy?
ADVERTISERS OUTSIDE
OF THE CANNABIS TRADES: Clothes, jewelry,
watches, eyeglasses, airlines, travel and resorts, spas and hotels, computing
and communication devices, snacks and beverages, chain restaurants, feature
films, musical instruments
CANNABIS TRADES
ADVERTISERS: Dispensaries, consultants,
extract/edibles manufacturers, glass makers, 420 retailers/e-tailers (clothing,
merchandise, head shops, cafes), vaporizing and smoking devices, cultivation
and processing equipment (lights, nutrients, trimming), grow room builders,
ganja vacations
Production Notes
ADDITIONAL REVENUE: Limited number public
ticket sales, product placement, merchandise.
DOMAIN ASSETS: www.thefinestgreen.com/net/org,
www.cannabisrising.com/net/org
AGGRESSIVE ATTITUDE: Some of us who have been ducking and dodging prohibition
for decades have had enough of the bullshit.
Like many I use cannabis medicinally and it’s my creative and spiritual
muse. We harm no one, and yet in New
Hampshire, for example, they could still come for you; put you away. National advocacy groups are not taking the
case to the people. For them it’s all about
holding smoky festivals to expand the base, and crafting laws with people who
were elected to maintain the status quo.
If the American people were shown the truth about cannabis; about how
people use it in the context of successful lives, this long and terrible war
would be over sooner than later. This is
the way to reach them…
HONEST ENTERTAINMENT: In the growing field
of cannabis programming, content is often defensive, fact-laden, noisy, crazed,
or just silly. That holds minimal appeal
for mainstream viewers. No appeal, no
interest, no education; so The Great Prohibition continues. Cannabis
Sociables is a reality show that can tear down the wall and attract Middle
Americans. When they tune in, they’ll
learn the truth about cannabis and the sorts of people who use the herb—by way
of upscale parties with celebrity guests, talented performers, and smart people
respectfully enjoying the finest green.
SMART TALK WITH CREATIVE, ARTICULATE GUESTS: Cannabis aficionados are often deep thinkers, and Carl will want to hear what they have to say on a wide
range of subjects and issues. Held in undisclosed,
classy settings in legal states (a mansion in Newport, a chalet in Telluride, a
San Francisco rooftop), these private gatherings will attract socialites,
models, fashion designers, musicians, writers, philosophers, visionaries,
teachers, artists, inventors, and entrepreneurs. Some
guests, like rising artists, will be looking for exposure; most will choose to
remain in the shadows…
COMING OUT IN DISGUISE: Guests not wishing
to reveal themselves at the party will be treated to a custom disguise by a
team of Hollywood make-up artists. Well-spoken,
successful closet stoners (doctors, lawyers, teachers, moms, dads, stiletto
stoners) will finally have the chance to express themselves about cannabis outside
of the legal and/or social framework that keeps them underground. These artsy semi-formals will be visually intoxicating;
beautiful guests in disguise mixing with established artists, entertainers and entrepreneurs
who no longer feel the need to hide.
EXCESS SELLS: This house party
concept is of course entirely self-serving and hedonistic in the same manner as
Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous was
for Robin Leach. Cannabis Sociables will be classy, smart, interesting, and very
exclusive. Viewers will tune in for the
vibe, the people, the music, the strain reviews, and especially to see who
might drop by to talk cannabis connections with Carl. In the course of being entertained and
dazzled, Americans will receive cannabis truths by way of comments and
testimonials from successful, vibrant people they respect, admire, or at least
envy.
A CANNABIS TASTING: Cannabis Sociables will begin with a tantalizing look at the
evening’s featured strains. While the
expert (dispensary/seed company sponsors) describes the flavor, medicinal uses
and other characteristics, images of the bud and magnification shots are cut
with shots of masked guests listening to the presentation. Several perfectly cured strains will be
chosen to demonstrate how different the flowers can be from one another—in
appearance and in effect. A medicinal use
practitioner will be on hand to dispense the buds, answer questions, and
provide guidance.
CANNABIS ONLY: Alcohol will not be served
and tobacco use will not be shown. Great
food, fresh juice, coffee, tea, smoothies, ice cream, chocolates; a stoner’s
culinary paradise…
TRUTH AND MUSIC: Venues would feature
an area for musical exploration; a nice piano, maybe an artisan violin and some
beautiful guitars maybe on loan from Taylor Guitar. Carl will sit in on impromptu jams, which would
be encouraged between guest performances.
PRODUCTION: One camera would stay
with Carl while he greets guests and sparks conversation. At the same time, other videographers roam in
pursuit of musical moments and compelling discussions. The raw material from each sociable will be
cut to make two reality show segments.
SUMMIT GATHERINGS: Once or twice a
season Cannabis Sociables will travel
abroad to provide Americans with a look at more progressive countries like Portugal,
Spain, the Netherlands, and Argentina. Stoner celebs (on vacation or shooting on
location) will drop by to chat and sample the best of the local green.
YOUR HOST: Writer, musician,
tincture maker, and cannabis patient/advocate Carl Hedberg, 56, will host the
show modeled on Mr. Hefner's socially groundbreaking Playboy’s Penthouse and After Dark shows.
Carl is not a
typical cannabis advocate, and he’s no stoner.
He’s a boomer Yankee with conservative roots who grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts—Dexter
School boy, former skeet shooter and curler at The Country Club, MBA from
Babson College, co-founder of Boston Bagel, a wholesale business he ran in the
1990s.
A
few years ago Carl managed to take himself off of pharmaceuticals (for
headaches) using a potent cannabis tincture he still makes for himself and
legal patients. In 2009 he came out in
the Nashua Telegraph about it, and
ever since he has been working to find ways to deliver the truth to the world.
As a father of two teen girls—with one headed
for the film industry—Carl says it’s important to tell the truth to young
adults who finally have a chance to end this terrible war:
The new generation is not buying the crap anymore, but we
still need to fascinate them with the possibilities of freedom before they get
caught up in their jobs, money, and family and end up as closet stoners like
most of my generation has…
Carl
is the son and grandson of Harvard Medical School physicians. He was named after his mom’s grandfather;
Schyler Carl Wells, founder of S. C. Wells & Company, a well-known
turn-of-the-century ‘cures and remedies’ maker.
Carl worked as a teaching case writer at the Blank Center for
Entrepreneurship at Babson College until 2008.
Related works:
