Cannabis activists are calling for a boycott of Altai Brands after the edibles company made the disastrous decision to serve charcuterie off the body of a live, nearly nude woman during a private party held while the Marijuana Business Conference took place in Las Vegas last week. As photos of the model—clad only in a towel and bikini—draped with deli meats circulated on social media, the cannabis community responded with calls to eradicate sexism within the fledgling cannabis industry.
The company has apologized profusely, and responded to inquiries for comment with these statements: “Altai Brands sincerely regrets a poor decision we made during a private event in Las Vegas by having a professional model act as a physical server for charcuterie. It did not demonstrate the respect that we have for all women. We pride ourselves on representing California cannabis culture at its finest and we are committed to maintaining a community that recognizes and values the inherent dignity of every person, by fostering sensitivity, understanding and mutual respect of our customers, employees and partners. *The team at Altai is dedicated to making sure that all future events meet our high standards that reflect the core values we live each and every day. Again, we would like to apologize to the community and hope to demonstrate our firm dedication to respectful treatment of all and to assure everyone this will never happen again.”**“This experience has been humbling and eye opening and I personally take full responsibility and apologize to all attendees, customers, the cannabis community, and the females in my life. I could try to explain what we were thinking but that would be pointless as there is no excuse – it was a bad choice and it was offensive. If I can see anything positive coming out of this situation it is that it has opened up an important dialogue. Our focus right now is on the enormity of having offended people whom we deeply respect and making whatever amends we can. I have heard your voice and it has made a personal impact on me. I will continue to listen and am actively engaged in seeking ways to increase awareness and support of women’s rights and concerns.” –Robert Weakley, CEO of Altai Brands * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoSV95kOZJc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYguxFVpXSM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By0RS0e3FjA https://youtu.be/AZAsBlX1oIs