Arizona Business Feature: Mary Jane Smokewear
Diamond Cube Promo
(602) 275-8222
3007 N 73rd St unit D, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Map: Google Maps
Website: maryjanesmokewear.com/
Mary Jane Smokewear apparel is a favorite of stoners in the Southwest. Well known for fresh clothing designs that complement cannabis lifestyles, their clothes can be found at events like First Friday Phoenix, and music festivals where the booths are always packed with visitors.
My first Mary Jane Smokewear shirt said “f*** the DEA”, and I've been a fan ever since. I met with Co-Founder Zack Maita, who works at his headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, where his team finalizes the new collections to be released in fall 2023. Zack describes Arizona as "The America of America" by which he means that many families have moved to Arizona from somewhere else, making Arizona a true 'Melting Pot' state, uniquely situated in the middle of the desert. Zack was born in Portland, Oregon, and Raised in Danville, California until 15 years old, when his family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. "One of the biggest shocks about moving to Scottsdale (other than the heat) was seeing how differently the kids dressed at school compared to California. The kids really dressed up for school, California was more casual." Zack graduated and eventually met his life partner; "I have been married to an amazing woman named Afi since 2007."
Now, let's talk about the Mary Jane SmokeWear lifestyle brand, and how their cannabis-inspired designs came to be so popular. Meet Zack Maita, Co-Founder of the most worn cannabis clothing brand in the Saguaro desert.
How did Mary Jane Smokewear start? What was the first design?
The very first 420-themed t-shirt I created was for our flagship brand ADIACIAS Apparel, and predates Mary Jane SmokeWear by about 4 years. The name of the shirt was “Corruption Controls Everything”, and depicted a cartoon drawing of a politician speaking at a podium denouncing cannabis use, while simultaneously taking money behind his back from a pharmaceutical lobbyist. That shirt was released in 2005, and after spending a few years selling it along with a few other styles, under the ADIACIAS Apparel brand, I realized how difficult starting a clothing line is. In early 2007, I came to the realization that the best way to make it happen was by starting a custom screen printing and embroidery business. This way I could print my own designs for way cheaper than outsourcing them to other print shops, while simultaneously creating a steady revenue stream by providing printing and embroidery services to other companies.
In 2009 I met my business partner John “JP'' Avila, and within about 2 hours of knowing each other we realized a common affinity for the cannabis plant. JP started working at our print shop where he created a design of a huge purple nuggie with the text “Got Purp?” printed on the front of a t-shirt (Grand Daddy Purp was a very popular strain at the time). JP sold them on the bus to and from work at the print shop.
Around the same time, we started printing shirts for the people gathering signatures to get prop 203 on the ballot. The shirts were very simple, printed with bold text: “SIGN HERE TO LEGALIZE MEDICAL MARIJUANA” and had a pot leaf printed on each sleeve. A dude named Jaymarr would buy a bunch of shirts and sell them to the other signature gatherers. Then one day, JP showed me a drawing of a woman wearing a pot-leaf headdress, and suggested we start a 420-themed clothing brand and call it Mary Jane SmokeWear. We got to work designing and printing a few more styles to go with “Got Purp?”, and started selling them at 'First Friday' in downtown Phoenix.
JP and I really knew this brand could be special when MJSW traveled to San Bernardino, CA for the Cypress Hill SmokeOut Festival in 2010. We sold hundreds of shirts, hats and Dope Sacks over the 2-day festival, and came back to Arizona inspired to do our part in helping mainstream cannabis culture through fashion. The rest is Arizona history.
How are your designs created, and then made into a t-shirt or hoodie etc?
Concepts come from anywhere. Most of the time myself, JP or a friend or family member will have an idea for a shirt design, and then we’ll send the concept to one of the talented artists we work with who creates the dope visuals you see on our apparel. We like to work with a lot of different artists so that the line has different flavors to it, and doesn’t look all the same. After a design is created, we print the apparel at our screen-printing shop.
How do you describe the Mary Jane mission?
Our official mission statement is: “MJSW has been dedicated to outfitting the 420 movement since 2009. We aim to reflect the culture we represent, and our mission is to spread peace, love, and cannabis through dope art and chill vibes.”
We try to emulate the actual cannabis plant in 2 keyways:
#1 – Cannabis makes people feel good, and we want to do the same. Fashion is one of the most fundamental forms of self-expression, and when you put on an MJSW t-shirt you feel proud to represent who you are without caring about the opinions of others.
#2 – Cannabis brings people together, and MJSW through our Dope Squad platform aspires to do the same. Connection to other humans is a key to happiness, and if we can help facilitate that in any way, we try to. Not saying we always succeed in doing so… but we try.
Mary Jane SmokeWear is entering the digital art space with authenticated designs that can be purchased, traded, and stored on a blockchain backed by Ethereum. The tradable art series also includes profit collaboration between customers and the Mary Jane SmokeWear brand, by allowing them to hit benchmarks together, and earning Ethereum credits. To get involved in this release, participants must have a cryptocurrency wallet to store digital transactions.
Each series of collectible digital art will be paired with limited edition apparel for sale. The NFT owners of each collection can act as ambassadors to help increase merch sales and, in turn, collect bonus ethereum when Mary Jane SmokeWear hits sales benchmarks. This interactive way of shopping allows customers to become minority owners of a given project, benefiting from the Mary Jane SmokeWear brand and supporting activism in the cannabis industry. Here's some advice on how to open a cryptocurrency wallet.
Cryptocurrency Wallets
Types of Wallets
There are different types of crypto wallets, including hardware wallets, software wallets (desktop or mobile), and web-based wallets. Each has its own advantages and security considerations. Familiarize yourself with these options to determine which one suits your needs. Look for reputable wallet providers that have a good track record of security and user trust. Read reviews, compare features, and consider factors such as ease of use, supported cryptocurrencies, backup options, and customer support.
Choose a Wallet
Popular wallet providers include Ledger, Trezor, Exodus, MyEtherWallet, MetaMask, and Trust Wallet. Visit their websites or app stores to access their wallets. If you opt for a hardware wallet, purchase it from the official manufacturer or authorized resellers. For software wallets, download the wallet application from the official website or a trusted app store. Ensure that you are using the legitimate and verified version of the wallet.
Setting Up the Wallet Securely
This typically involves creating a strong password, writing down a recovery seed phrase (a backup for your wallet), and securing your private keys. Be careful to store the seed phrase offline in a secure location, as it is crucial for wallet recovery. Enabling Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is an important security tool. Many wallets offer the option to enable 2FA, which adds an extra layer of security. Activate this feature using an authenticator app or other provided methods to protect your wallet from unauthorized access.
Fund Your Wallet
Once your wallet is set up, you can fund it by receiving cryptocurrencies from other wallets or exchanges. Your wallet will provide you with a unique address or QR code that you can share with others to receive funds. Be mindful of the security of your private keys and recovery seed phrase. Safeguard your wallet by regularly updating your wallet software, keeping your devices secure, using reputable antivirus software, and being cautious of suspicious links.
Remember, it's essential to conduct your own research and exercise caution when choosing cryptocurrency investments.
Tell us more about your new NFT releases with Mary Jane SmokeWear?
MJSW is hoping to change the game with this release. NFT’s have taken a hit over the last year, but we strongly believe in the technology’s potential and have something big planned. NFT’s provide MJSW the perfect vehicle to help us shift the paradigm around how people respond to marketing and their relationships to the brands they support. Best way to find out about what we have going on is to go to:
Join our Discord and stay in the loop on what we have planned.
Full details for the drop will be released on August 5th.
What About Arizona influences Mary Jane Smokewear?
I love Arizona because it is a very diverse community – I call it “The America of America” – because people move from all over the world to live in America, people move from all over America to come live in AZ. We try to appeal to a wide variety of demographics. MJSW is much like cannabis in the sense that there is no demographic for cannabis – it’s for everybody.
Can artists submit their own art for consideration?
Yes, we are always looking to work with new artists.
What do you want to share with humanity in general?
Once you got, it is your duty to give.
What new design concepts for this summer and fall?
This summer’s crop drop mostly consists of ladies’ gear like swimsuits, overall skirts, crop tops, shorts, and more. This fall we got a couple super dope new shirt and hoody designs dropping, including an Ethereal/extraterrestrial Mary Jane goddess, The 'Endonesian' Skunks, and another mushroom-themed design.
What are your All-time best sellers?
Mary Jane SmokeWear signature logo
F*ck the DEA
Dope Squad Bomb Shirt
Stoney Turtle
Dope Sack tote bags
Flower Power ladies tanks
Shop online now at MaryJaneSmokeWear.com
Anything else on your mind?
Go check out the ultra-epic Dope Squad Anthem created for MJSW by some of the dopest MC’s AZ has to offer. Featured on the track are: Mega Ran, Big Wax, Skywriter, Sincerely Collins, Moss da Beast, Property 6, Nutter Tutt and 2D.
