Art Credit: Felicia Ann

The lightbulb moment for Dolo Rolling Co. first illuminated Daniel and John, a couple of coworkers turned friends, when they were both working at a Bay Area delivery service company during 2016. They quickly discovered a number of commonalities between them—they had both worked in cannabis since the Proposition 215 days and shared a mutual fondness of the arts, the creative and uplifting aspects of the plant, and for California cannabis culture at large. With Proposition 64 now passed, Daniel and John envisioned a cannabis brand that could serve as a platform for promoting and making their shared passions far more accessible to customers who experienced a similar resonation.

Thanks to that initial spark of an idea, Dolo Rolling Co. was formed and became an equity-owned, creative cannabis lifestyle brand that celebrates the positive cultural and life-enriching aspects of the plant. Based in Oakland, Dolo Rolling Co. is rapidly scaling its community of cannabis lovers and creatives who are collectively rooted in inclusivity, diversity, and hyper-local community building.

‍

From Inspirations To Ideations

One of Daniel’s most formative experiences was during the first time he was visiting San Francisco and he was free to smoke in Dolores Park, a vibrant space in one of the city’s most culturally diverse neighborhoods. It was post-legalization and without the fear of law enforcement intervening, he fell in love with the city he would soon become so intertwined with as well as the magic that the plant could offer.

“The plant is not just medicine, but it has an incredible influence on our culture and the human condition through the arts.” explains Daniel. “The plant heals, but it also brings people together. It’s our mission is not only undo the stigma of the plant, but to share stories and educate people in our communities about it.”

When customers choose to support Dolo, Daniel maintains that they’re also electing to support the creative community as well as uplift equity and legacy cultivators. “It takes recognizing that your customers, retailer partners, and vendors are all extensions of your company and you must look for synergy in all aspects of the business in order to be successful.”

Meeting The Muses

When it came to customizing Dolo’s product line, Daniel and John wanted to create products and portions that would ideally suit customers at any experience level with premium flower sourced by craft cultivators and eye-catching packaging crafted by local artists. Dolo’s Editions line became the vessel to deliver such experiences, which featured a single-release product line in support of a specific, social subject. The first 4 Editions featured beloved bay-area muralists from the Illuminaries, Berkeley-based illustrator Nigel Sussman, the diversity-defying duo of Moon Made Farms x Rachel Wolfe Goldsmith, and AAPI-celebrated activists Emerald City Genetics & Felicia Ann. 

When vetting artists to feature, Daniel and his team aim to select from those who create a lasting impact in the market. Daniel claims, “We often have customers that recognize the artwork or style of the products and feel immediately drawn to the brand. Once they try the products, they keep coming back for the high quality-flower and beautiful collabs.”

Future Editions And Collaborations

When it comes to what inspires him personally, Daniel reflects that on most days, his inspiration comes from his external surroundings and the people he surrounds himself with. He adds, “This is one reason why our company is so focused on the artists who are so invested in creating public art.” The city of Oakland seems to agree as well—in fact, Dolo recently received congressional recognition from the Office of Congresswoman Barbara Lee for its work in Oakland and its incredible support of the creative arts. 

As for future endeavors, Daniel and his team are hard at work on Dolo’s highly-anticipated 5th Edition. This Edition aims to zero in on social equity issues in cannabis and highlight the Equity Trade Network, a collective of brands and businesses owned and operated by Black, Brown, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, Veteran or system-impacted people.

As for the big dream collaboration? Daniel really wants to work with a world-renowned artist in support of a cause on a national level—introducing Dolo’s passionate following to great causes and creatives outside of California is the ultimate goal for the brand.