Actually, we can have nice things

An up-close and personal look at Amitha Raman's high-vibe accessories line

All photos by Iydeen Younis

Every time I take out my fancy brass joint case, I get comments. “Wow, that’s pretty,” someone usually says (or some permutation thereof). “That looks like it could hurt me” (it could, if I threw it). And, just as often, “Where’d you get that?”

It’s from Amitha, an online shop for luxury cannabis accessories. New York-based entrepreneur Amitha Raman started it last year. Her specialty is in product development, following a career in various product development and creative and corporate innovation roles at many big-name tech and commerce companies. She also nurtures a fierce personal love for fine art and happens to love cannabis.

On the phone last winter, Amitha told me that she didn’t find much that excited or inspired her in the cannabis accessories space. I’ve heard this a lot, especially from women, and I’ve said it myself. She especially longed for something that spoke to classical and fine art, to truly high design in all its permutations. In other words, not something cute. Beautiful. As she says, “Something to display next to your Eames lounger.”

“Smoking is a ritual. How you do it becomes your ritual,” Amitha says. She believes there’s something sacred in that, and it should be supported by matching aesthetics—the ritual itself becomes an art form in that case. Intellectually, I feel the same way, though I use plenty of ugly but functional accessories every day. Lately, whatever’s cleanest and within reach.

But I’ve also written lovingly about joint rolling and about the heartbreak of busting beloved pieces; I’ve lamented the loss of ritual in our smoking and social lives post-Covid and how much it damages the culture overall. I think the ritual of smoking weed is indeed sacred–anything where altered states are involved is–and I love how it plays out in different places among different people. I also think there’s another kind of aesthetic pride in using tough-looking, uber-functional “dude”-oriented smoking accessories: it signals I fit in, even though I’m a woman, however fucked up it is to think that way.

Not someone to be satisfied with dualities, I know there’s room for more, so I’ll pair my Mendo Mulcher with a pipe inspired by Rene Magritte. As the great poet Walt Whitman, who was from my hometown, once said, “I contain multitudes.” So do we all. We can all live this ritual in our own quirky ways and pick up new yarns as we go along. As a bonus, sometimes I prefer to make mine slightly more beautiful.

To become living art, Amitha designed a line of accessories for her eponymous online store and sells accessories from other brands that she has personally curated.

The Judd Storage Box can double as a jewelry or keepsake box or be the nicest stash box you’ve ever owned. Its minimalist linear design takes inspiration from the geometric sculptures of artist Donald Judd. The box is heavy, wood-based, and finished in brass or silver with a moveable divider. It also pairs with the stunning Judd Joint Case and Judd Poker.

The Serra Ashtray, made of Nero Marquina marble with a silver lid, is an almost brutalist sculptural piece that can also be used as a ring dish, key holder, or incense burner without the lid.

A pipe in two colors doubles as sculptural art, what Amitha calls “a playful ode to René Magritte’s ‘The Treachery of Images.’” It was designed by LA-based glass artist Sibelle Yüksek exclusively for Amitha’s line. The curved glass sculpture rests in a brass or silver glass base when not in use and enables users to take a strong pull, even more so when filled with water. I keep one of each, paired together, on our bedroom dresser as a functional work of art.

One thing Amitha didn’t skimp on that sets her brand apart is high-quality materials–something I find glaringly lacking in other accessories brands claiming luxury status. One of the most stunning pieces in her collection is the Serra rolling tray, which is made with Verde Guatemala marble and a brass or silver insert, which can also be used separately. The marble piece is intended to be a centerpiece and easily doubles as a tray for non-smoking accessories since it doesn’t have grooves for grinders or joints, nor are there any other smoking-specific nooks and crannies.

My favorites, and I think the most usable for every day, are the brass Asawa joint and lighter cases. Oh, the lore they carry! Martha Stewart owns them; Snoop Dogg gifted them to her (along with the Serra trays and Judd case). I also own them, carry them everywhere, and receive compliments on them 100% of the time. I figure it’s one of Amitha’s most popular products because it’s relatively affordable compared to some of the others and exceptionally useful.

Don’t carry the brass lighter case or joint case in your carry-on because it may set off the TSA (silver will not). When I was flying out of San Diego one morning, an agent plucked out my bag, pulled out my beautiful case, and opened it, revealing at least 12 joints. I remember my face burning bright red and thinking about all the cameras on me at that moment. “Idiot,” I thought.

While the agent inspected in full view of the other passengers a few inches away from us, a fat whiff of ganja wafting through the federally controlled air, a nice woman beside me blurted out, “Wow, that case is so beautiful. Is it for…” and I glared at her so hard, so effectively, she immediately shut up.

“Yeah, it’s for cigarettes!” I said, all sing-songy, snapping into Karen mode and flashing a giant, toothy grin. Then I shot her a final incredulous look, a la Kramer in Seinfeld, intended to say, “Dude, be cool!”

The agent looked at me, looked back down at the open case filled with joints, closed it, put it back in my bag, and sent me on my way. Lesson learned: Brass cases will be in the checked luggage now.

This is only a peek at some of Amitha's accessories in her shop–she is consistently designing and curating more for the collection over time. She’s also getting into events: this past spring, she held a Hudson Valley dinner party inspired by Salvador Dali’s famous Surrealist dinner parties with Blooming Hill Farm, take-home ceramic ear sculptures by Dustin Barzell of Ceramicism, and a whole bunch of CBD and THC-laced cocktails by Pleasure Plants and flower from my friends at Supernaturals (who, completely coincidentally, provided the joints seen in these here photos). The idea was that people could do as they like, opting not to infuse the food. Personally, I prefer that, though I enjoy infused food, too.

A personal ask: do a gravity bong next! Or maybe a torch.

You can shop Amitha’s line, as well as other accessories she has curated, here.

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Scooby snacks…

I commented in a CBS8 segment yesterday about a law potentially coming to Carlsbad prohibiting people from smoking in apartment or condo units even if they own them. I’m obviously not in favor of turning residents against one another and further turning landlords into cops, among other hang-ups I shared.

Now, there’s evidence some marijuana samples submitted for testing contain a mysterious “soup” of dozens of unknown compounds never before found in cannabis. Lab executives told MJBizDaily they believe the compounds are created when hemp-derived cannabinoids are converted to delta-8 and delta-9 THC. How they affect consumers is unknown.

MJBizDaily reporter Chris Roberts debunks Kamala Harris’s supposed weed prosecution lore. He also wrote a good report about how the DCC is handing down more recalls to catch up with the scandal, but they’re being released much too slowly for any meaningful consumer safety.

This Filter article discusses why felons are often forced to re-offend for lack of any other economic opportunities after they leave prison.

In Arizona, they are wondering aloud whether or not their precious water should be used to grow cannabis.

Curaleaf and other MSOs are pivoting to hemp-derived cannabinoids.

Ahh, the neolibs at The Atlantic finally figured it out! “Congress accidentally legalized weed six years ago.”

Hightimes.com is still down.

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