Stash Pot Shop, one of Seattle’s largest retailers of recreational cannabis, is changing its name to Lux in response to legal pressure from Portland’s Stash Tea Company.
“After considering all of our options, changing our name allows us to avoid a legal battle and focus on what we do best as a company: providing our customers with the best product available and facilitating better education and awareness around legal, recreational cannabis,” said KC Franks, co-founder and owner of the newly named Lux Pot Shop.
Lux’s name change is the latest in Stash Tea Co.’s string of legal threats and actions against small cannabis retailers. The international tea conglomerate sued Beaverton Stash Cannabis Co. of Beaverton, Ore. in April 2016 for allegedly infringing on the tea company’s trademark and has taken action against others.
The word “lux” is a measurement of lumens, a popular light source used in many grow operations that produces the highest quality of flower. The company plans to integrate the new name into a near identical logo, complete with the company’s signature parenthesis, text type and color scheme.
“We are dedicated to keeping the same operations and feel that have made us a staple in the local community, with a focus on offering high-quality product and services, and supporting the very culture and lifestyle our shop embodies,” said Shea Hynes, product buyer at Lux.
“When we first started out, the industry was like the Wild West: anyone could apply for a license, get building permits, slap a catchy name on the building and open up shop. This is certainly a proof point of the changing times facing our industry, and as it becomes more viable, a concrete business strategy and involvement in the community and broader industry are a necessity for anyone involved,” added Franks.