MAE wants to put the mind at ease

Light years ahead of the way cannabis is treated in France, the brand MAE, for Mind at Ease, has come up with an ultra-luxury concept of accessories and cartridges of cannabis extracts. From vape pen engraved in rose gold to water pipes, ashtrays and flower humidifiers, MAE has skilfully swept through the world of the stoner fortunate.

Filling a gap

Created by Armen Gregorian, ex-CEO of luxury ready-to-wear, Mae is supposed to fill the void Gregorian personally observed in the cannabis market when he bought a vape pen in Los Angeles.

«Knowing what I know about fashion and design, I didn't think that this would be the right thing to do. vape pen was the alpha and omega of luxury cannabis. So I thought, there's got to be a better way to do this. And Mae was born.» explains Gregorian to Forbes magazine.

Mae now sells its own accessories and a JUUL e-cigarette case, all positioned on a fine-tuned approach to cannabis. In addition to luxury, the second word in the collection is discretion. Mae's THC and CBD cartridges are odorless, thanks to a proprietary blend of terpenes designed to make use as discreet as possible.

Putting the mind at ease

«Cannabis helps put your mind at ease, hence Mae[ndlr: the initials of Mind at Ease]. We thought we could all share the feeling, especially these days,» adds Gregorian, who replaced his late-night glasses of wine with cannabis at the encouragement of his wellness-loving daughter. «I really liked cannabis in the 70s, so when I went back to the plant after abstaining from smoking for nearly 30 years, I was stunned. It wasn't the plant I remembered at all.»

Mae has also launched a capsule collection Mae x Joe Doucet, a design icon whose work includes worked for Coca Cola, Nike or YSL. Made from precious metals such as brass, silver and rose gold, this avant-garde capsule includes six objects from 45 to 395$: a pipe, a cannabis cellar, an ashtray, a grinder, a pair of tongs and a water pipe.

«I never look for inspiration. Rather, I look for a feeling,» Doucet explains. «Cannabis is something that used to be relegated to dark rooms and dresser drawers. The idea is simply that people should feel as proud of their cannabis accessories and want to display them as they would a nice bottle of scotch. What fun it is to play a small part in its normalization. I don't use often, but when I do, I expect an exceptional experience. Why shouldn't an experience be highly conceived?»

Mae's ultimate ambition? To work with the world's leading luxury brands.

«As cannabis becomes more widely accepted and legalized, the rest of the world will follow. Fashion brands will be more likely to collaborate with cannabis brands and large conglomerates like LVMH and Kering will look to buy successful luxury cannabis brands.»