Churved Chanukah Chontest Chickoff!

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Buy a Double Four Pack for the Festival of Lighting Up!

By Michael O’Malley

While you’re buying your gifts online this holiday season, please stop by curvedpapers.com and try a festive double four pack with our three new styles, RICE, RICE KING and HEMP KING paired with Curved® Papers and our 100% organic hemp NORML® Curved Papers for less than $10.

Curved® Papers make great stocking stuffers, and favorites in holiday gift guides every year. Each purchase with coupon code Churved Chanukah makes you eligible to win one of the new Curved Papers t-shirts and a whole box of Curved Papers, like they have in the store.

I always got a kick out of Chanukah. Though I am of Irish decent, I grew up in New York, and knew a lot of ethnic kids from immigrant families like myself in my neighborhood in Brooklyn. My first encounter with Jewish people came in the form of my family’s piano teacher, Mrs. Levy. She was so beautiful and played the piano beautifully, and was a great teacher.

It was the Sixties and all kinds of radical change was going on. The Pope came to New York on Yom Kippur. My sister as born that day. My father gave her a Jewish name, Miriam. It was part of what they called the Ecumenical Movement, and Vatican II. In the Catholic Church, they had the Priest facing the congregation, and said The Mass in English and sang folk songs. It only got weirder in the Seventies.

When we moved out of Brooklyn, my best friend was a guy named Ward. Turns out he’s half Jewish. Long story.

When I went to MIT, I started school on my 18th birthday, and in the first week, I was given the assignment to make up and solve what’s called a Fermi problem, in essence, figuring something out precisely using reason rather than measuring or counting. I thought of this problem, how many of the student at MIT are Jewish? There were not that many Irish kids. I was living with a lot of Jewish kids, and I became close to them, the Italian kids, the few Black kids and the other Irish kids. The Protestant kids, I had not been around as much, and they were different. There is such a tight relationship between Boston and New York. I could think of a million reasons why there would be this number of Jewish students or that number. My answer to the problem was very accurate in the end and I got my first good mark at ‘The Tute.’

I started smoking weed with a Jewish friend in the dorm during the holidays freshman year.

I lived up there a long time and during that time my sisters married guys from Jewish families. Someone asked my nephew what religion he was, and he said, “regular.”

When I moved home to New York again, I had a company called Kinetic Designs in Manhattan that did animations from CAD data, mainly for architects. We did jobs for all these great architects in the city, and then wound up doing it for all kinds of clients, including The Rolling Stones and other amazing people. I had a Guy named Guy working for me. He was from Israel. He was the same age as my brother James. They both had two sons during that time, and named them Aidan and Liam. Along with Michael, those are some old names that have appeared in both cultures for a long time. It was funny. Israel is still a leading marijuana country.

Running Curved Papers and sponsoring MJBA nationally with David Rheins, I have always enjoyed tagging along on his voyage year after year with the Jewish faith. He’s almost a New Yorker himself, after all. I guess 25 years at Rolling Stone and Spin should count for something. He’s up there on my lifelong list of favorite Jews, along with fellow left-handed, basketball-playing white guy and fellow Brooklynite, Bernie Sanders.

Michael O’Malley and Stu Zakim 2018 NYC Cannabis Parade

Let’s not forget real New Yorkers like Stu Zakim and Steve Bloom. Stu Zakim, New Jersey? Are you kidding me?

I digress, but I hope you’ll dash over to CurvedPapers.com/ChurvedChanukah and pick up a double four pack. All double four pack purchases through Christmas are qualified for the Grand Prize Drawing on Boxing Day, December 26th, also known as St. Stephens’s Day. Prizes will be awarded live on Zoom, and Curved Papers FB page, on Wednesday, December 28th, 2020 at 4:20pm EST, the third day of Kwanzaa. Be there or be square.

Enjoy the coming joint rolling season: Happy Hanukkah. Happy Holidaze 2020 to one and all!

And a happy New Year! There. I said it. Not too early. 2021 is gonna be a good year. But let’s do enjoy Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwaanza and all the vital festive traditions left in our crazy 2020 in the meantime.

Celebrating 50 Years Of NORML

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By Michael O’Malley

NEW YORK: Today is a good day to wish NORML happy birthday. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws hold its annual national conference today and tomorrow. NORML celebrates 50 YEARS OF ACTIVISM this year with a high impact, information rich webinar. This iconic cannabis brand and historic advocacy continues to roll on into the next fifty years of consumer protection, still strongly focused on legalization.

In the conference webinar, national NORML leaders are providing their members and chapter leadership, and other activists and supporters with facts and strategies to augment and enhance their activism in their states and spheres of influence.

NORML President Erik Altieri opened the festivities with a rousing address, followed by NORML Founder Keith Stroup greeting the conference in a taped segment. From there the conference proceeds over all the issues and contests facing the nation and the states.

Tune in, donate! Click here:

We need NORML now more than ever. They are busier than ever and having more success. There is still so much to do as this transition continues to roll across the country and around the globe.

Curved Papers supports NORML under a licensing agreement to produce 100% organic hemp NORML Curved Papers.

HELP MAKE MARIJUANA LEGAL.  BUY THESE ROLLING PAPERS!

“We’re very proud to be associated with NORML. This commercial program will help sustain the world-changing work that NORML does to protect personal freedom and reform our nation’s marijuana laws.”

Watch or join “Easy To Roll” Sundays at 4:20pm Eastern Time Sunday School for Rolling Joints.
Like and follow @curvedpapers on all platforms.

 

‘Easy To Roll’ W/ Mike Every Sunday @ 4:20 EST

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Can you roll a joint? In today’s legal cannabis culture, being able to twist up a respectable doobie is “essential,” according to Curved Papers founder Michael O’Malley.

Inventor, entrepreneur, MIT Grad and longtime pot smoker, O’Malley invented a new kind of rolling paper whose patented curved edges make it “Easy To Roll.”

As a public service, O’Malley has been invited cannabis industry professionals to join him on a ZOOM meetup, “Easy To Roll With Mike O’Malley’ every Sunday at 4:20 EST.  On the call, participants share tips, tricks and joint rolling stories…and much more!

WANT TO JOIN IN ON THE FUN? DM @curvedpapers or e-mail info@curvedpapers.com for the Zoom Info. All are welcome. #easytoroll #easytolearn #NORMLtoroll #fourpack #toyourdoor

Joint Rolling Summer School “Easy To Roll” With Curved Papers’ Mike O’Malley

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Cannabis Industry movers and shakers continue to join in the Zoom fun on Sundays at 4:20pm EST.

Check our our fourth episode this Sunday, as we continue our discussion of the traditional art of rolling joints, still the unsurpassed natural and economical way to get high. It only takes about a minute to roll a joint if you know how. You should! It’s an “essential life skill” according to the late Anthony Bourdain, connoisseur of all things cool. This week we have a New England guest theme.

Michael Cohen, founder of The Pass, a newly launched vertically integrated “Marijuana Dispensary in the Berkshires,” will be on to tell us about his new store in Sheffield, a beautiful place in a beautiful place. thepass.co

Eli Oullette, Advanced Grow Labs in West Haven, and a member of CT NORML will join and talk about his joint rolling style, which is a thing of beauty as well. advancedgrowlabs.com

Speaking of New England, O’Malley invented Curved Papers in Cambridge, while in architecture school at MIT. Curved Papers partner Al Beardsley will also join and talk about the finer points of Curved Papers patented Easy To Roll papers, which include 100% organic hemp NORML Curved Papers, and three new styles, RICE, RICE KING and HEMP KING. Try a mixed four pack sampler! curvedpapers.com/shop/

WANT TO JOIN IN ON THE FUN? DM @curvedpapers or e-mail info@curvedpapers.com for the Zoom Info. All are welcome. #easytoroll #easytolearn #NORMLtoroll #fourpack #toyourdoor

Curved Papers Launches ‘Easy To Roll’ With Mike O’Malley On Sundays This Summer

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By Michael O’Malley

As the Founder/CEO of Curved Papers, I’ve traveled the world and, along the way, taught a lot of people how to roll joints. I’ve also met some of the joint rolling virtuosos of the universe.

This summer on Sunday afternoons at 4:20pm EST, I’ll be going live on Zoom with some of my joint rolling friends, to teach novices in this ongoing tradition, known as Roll Your Own (RYO), which dates back centuries and millennia. Knowing how to Roll Your Own is still a big part of daily cannabis life, and the skill will serve you well over your life as a stoner…not to mention make you more popular at parties.

People learn from people, or they learn for themselves. Rolling joints is a nice thing, and over the years I’ve gotten teaching people how to roll down to a science. Well, it’s an art, I suppose.

But it’s like wine and weed, so much detail, and so many preferences. It’s a deep subject, and it touches on so many others, like many traditional practices.

‘Easy To Roll’ will start tomorrow (July 5, 2020) and I will host similar Zoom events every Sunday through Labor Day.

If you want to be on the Zoom call tomorrow or any Sunday, contact me (see below for my info).  Over the Summer many familiar faces from the blazing trail will pop in and show us their tricks. Tune in to see our surprise guest on the first episode tomorrow.

Otherwise, if you just want to follow along and learn a lot about rolling your own, the health benefits, the economics of it, the greenness and sustainability of it, the history of it and the cultures around it, tune in to @curvedpapers on FB and

As a special bonus, anyone who joins the call or comments on the FB or Instagram streams will be eligible to win a classic Curved Papers t-shirt, sure to make you the boss of your neighborhood, at the end of each month!

Curved Papers now offers seven popular styles, each with the Easy To Roll Curved Edge: White, brown, hemp and rice, and two popular sizes.

 

Michael O’Malley can be reached at: info@curvedpapers.com; @curvedpapers; www.curvedpapers.com

420MEDIA Trailblazers In Cannabis: Curved Papers CEO Michael O’Malley

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mjba Business

Digital marketing agency 420MEDIA and the Marijuana Business Association (MJBA) have joined forces to create a series highlighting entrepreneurs trailblazing the cannabis scene. Each week, we profile a noteworthy business pioneer, and ask each 5 questions. This week we talk to trailblazer Michael O’Malley, CEO of Curved Papers.

 1. Tell us about your company

Curved Papers is a rolling papers company founded on my invention, the ‘Easy To Roll’ Curved Edge. Curved Papers literally give you an edge.  We just got our first patent. Curved Papers are easy to roll. We have four types of paper at two sizes, and  we make 100% organic hemp Curved Papers under a licensing agreement with NORML.

curved-papers12. Why did you choose the cannabis/hemp business?

Though rolling papers have been traditionally a tobacco product for centuries, in North America they are largely used for cannabis. We are weed people, not cigarette people, so it was natural for us to focus on our native market. Because of the Tobacco Control Act (TCA) of 2007, we couldn’t make the papers here in the US, so we went to Canada. We made the first Curved Papers and great connections up there, and we are becoming a top brand in Canada as a result.

We will go to Europe and pick up the much larger (25x) tobacco market in 2019. European Cannabis is the next wave, so we’re already working on complementing our tobacco relationships with contacts in that market. We have done a bit of work on hemp plastics and other bioplastics for doob tubes and rolling trays. We are an innovation company. I’m an MIT graduate in architecture, but mostly worked as a digital media consultant and software engineer throughout my career.

 3. What change will your firm address in the industry? Does it address an unmet need?

Ease of use is always good to sell in any market. Of the many ways to consume marijuana, four of the top five are smoking or inhaling. Nobody gets cancer from smoking joints. Rolling joints is a natural tradition. Flower, paper and fire. E-Z Widers are not actually easy, they are just too much paper and the paper is too heavy. Cut corners are still around, and they are good. But the easy to roll curved edge is ten times better. So, not so much an unmet need, but progress in an area where many people will appreciate it, experts and novices alike. Curved Papers is like power steering for rolling a doobie. 

4. What has been the reaction to your product/service/technology?

I can honestly say the people love Curved Papers. It has been quite gratifying. My kids are proud of me. I mean, I have people with carpal tunnel syndrome, Parkinson’s, and MS dropping their crutches and dancing a jig. Really. It’s dramatic. I have never heard the word brilliant so many times in my life. It’s a trip! Experts like them, too. They are just nice.

 5. Are there any upcoming milestones for your company?

We have established a major distribution relationship and gotten a patent recently. We hope to be in 10 cities by the end of the year. On the ‘Find Stores’ page of www.curvedpapers.com, you can see that we have started in Detroit and Toronto, but have a handful of stores around the country in other cities where we have focused for our initial rollout.

Where can readers learn more?

www.curvedpapers.com is our main website. You can e-mail info@curvedpapers.com any time. Also, our handle is @curvedpapers on many social media platforms. We also have a special website for retailers and their staffs, retailers.curvedpapers.com.

Cannabis Educational and Awareness Campaign, “Hmm Did You Know” Debuts On Cable TV

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 30-Second Spots Aired On BRAVO, Discovery and The History Channel, Dispelling the Stigma of Cannabis

CALIFORNIA: For the first time in history, cannabis education commercials hit mainstream television this week. A groundbreaking media blitz campaign for the upcoming cannabis online TV network Hmm Did You Know (HDYK) aired a number of :30 commercial spots during primetime programming on stations including BRAVO, Discovery and the History Channel in the greater LA market. Featuring  Senator Positive T.A. Nelson, a seven-term Senator from the island of St. Croix, discussing the science and economic power of medical cannabis, the HDYK campaign suggests that standards are shifting for cannabis marketing in legal states.

The spot, created by 420MEDIA, a Seattle, NYC and Nevada-based digital marketing and media agency serving the legal cannabis industry, is the first in a series that will feature prominent voices in the cannabis industry and community.

“The rationale behind medicinal cannabis is real, the science is real, the economics behind it is real, the health behind it is real,  and the opportunities behind are very real” says Senator Nelson in the spot promoting Hmm Did You Know Online Cannabis Network, a collaborative effort with 420MEDIA to launch an internet based digital video service that provides insight, education, and entertainment in the world of cannabis. The network will give audiences a clear representation of the cannabis plant and industry through premium content, innovative advertising, and a personalized experience.

Cannabis Commericals

“This first cannabis education spot for the HDYK Network marks an important milestone for the cannabis industry. For the first time in history, cannabis industry commercials have now gone mainstream and we are ecstatic to reach large populations during primetime with messages on the benefits of cannabis,” says Kerri Accardi, CEO of 420MEDIA.  “This is just the first of many slated for this cannabis awareness education campaign with other renowned cannabis experts in the sports, medical and entertainment field sharing their wealth of information about benefits of medical cannabis. We are happy to break through and deliver the message that will reach national audiences,” she adds.

The first spot was co-sponsored by 420MEDIA along with several cannabis-based organizations and businesses including:

Humboldt Grace, a woman-owned cannabis strategic consulting company. Founder Lelehnia Du Bois offers her 45 years of experience to educate on the cannabis culture, work with individual, businesses, and organizations to develop successful strategies, and advocate for a healthy and sustainable industry.

The Marijuana Business Association (MJBA) has quickly established itself as one of the leading national b2b organizations in legal cannabis.  Established to provide business intelligence, professional networking and new business opportunity, MJBA hosts regular industry networking meetups, boot camps and seminars in Washington, Oregon, Colorado,  New York and Ohio and publishes the MJNews Network.

Nature Nurse Products utilize the power of nature and knowledge of medicine to create products that support the biological Endocannabinoid system. Nature Nurse is a beautifully blended and synergistic combination of ancient plant wisdom which has been expanded upon through science to create high-quality, easy to use products to incorporate into everyday life supporting health and well-being.
Curved Papers, a new twist on Rolling Papers, was founded by Michael O’Malley, an MIT-educated entrepreneur whose innovative patented curved design makes joints Easy To Roll.

Vital CBD:  Age Vital pharmacy, research and wellness is your local community and compounding family pharmacy Sarasota. By working in the medical field closely with physicians and patients for several years, their primary commitment is to serve people who suffer from chronic conditions such as pain, inflammatory conditions, and stress.

“We did it! We can take cannabis education to the mainstream on TV during Primetime to provide facts with the cannabis industry sponsors,” 420MEDIA’s Accardi said. “I’m humbled. We were able to achieve this five years to the day my Aunt Kathy passed away on October 2nd. I promised her that that I was going to educate the world about cannabis. This is the first in a series to air on TV. I encourage, and welcome cannabis and hemp businesses of any size interested in supporting cannabis education and build their brand awareness to contact us about unprecedented sponsorship opportunities,” she said.