WTF is up with RAW Organic Hemp and its fake nonprofit?
Asking for a friend
Hey everyone,
Sorry, I was under deadline this week, so I dropped the ball on sharing this incredibly juicy tidbit that landed in my Instagram stories the other day from cannabis publicist Alice Moon. Speaking of, keep an eye out for two stories I have coming up in the next issue of The Red Bulletin and also make sure to check out the red hot discount on Valentine’s Day subscriptions to The Weed Witch below. But first: let’s get to the dirt!
According to a story that ran in Ganjapreneur, your favorite rolling paper company has been blowing smoke up everyone’s asses (see what I did there?). Turns out HBI International, the maker of RAW Organic Hemp rolling paper, has made a number of false marketing claims from its production in Alcoy, Spain and their utilization of sustainable practices to a completely fictional non-profit organization. That’s right: the RAW Foundation doesn’t exist.
Rolling paper company Republic Brands has won a permanent injunction in a federal lawsuit against HBI International, the maker of RAW® Organic Hemp rolling papers, which requires HBI to cease promoting and selling certain products and stop making certain promotional statements. The plaintiff, Republic Brands, is the rolling paper company behind OCB®, JOB®, and other rolling paper brands.
Following a jury verdict last month that HBI International engaged in unfair business practices and violated the Illinois Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, the rolling paper company has been barred from suggesting that its products are made by artisanal craftsmen in Alcoy, Spain — the birthplace of the modern rolling paper — and that it contributes its proceeds to a charitable entity or foundation known as the “RAW Foundation,” which the court found did not actually exist.
In total, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on January 31, 2023, permanently enjoined HBI International from communicating or otherwise implying — whether via marketing material or statements by personnel — any of the following:
That HBI and/or RAW® contributes its funds or proceeds to a charitable entity/foundation dubbed the “RAW Foundation”
That RAW® Organic Hemp rolling papers are “unrefined”
That RAW® Organic Hemp rolling paper adhesives are made from natural hemp gum
That RAW® Organic Hemp rolling papers are the world’s first or only organic (or organic hemp) rolling papers
That RAW® Organic Hemp rolling papers are made in Alcoy, Spain
That HBI International shall not include a packaging “stamp” using the word Alcoy or referring to Alcoy
That RAW® Organic Hemp rolling papers utilize wind power
That RAW® Organic Hemp rolling papers are made from the center of hemp stalks
That HBI or its founder Joshua Kesselmen invented rolling paper pre-rolled cones
That OCB® Organic Hemp papers are knock-offs, “RAWnabees,” copies, or fake versions of RAW® rolling papers
RAWR! That’s a lot of false claims!
Obviously, the website is down—most likely being rebranded and giving someone a PR meltdown trying to slip this under the rug—but our good friend The Wayback Machine has an archive of the RAW Giving website where you can see photos of founder Josh Kesselman partaking in various global clean water, deforestation and other philanthropic initiatives throughout Ethiopia, Uganda, the Philippines, Sumatra, Kenya, and the Amazon. The former website also noted that its RAW Water Well Project nonprofit arm claimed to partner with a number of notable organizations including Rainforest Trust, Wine to Water, Trees for the Future, Carbon Fund, Home Fur Good, Kiva, WATERisLIFE, and the NVC Foundation.
Below is the mission statement pulled from their former website:
We aspire to provide the greatest impact possible with our resources & to improve the lives of thousands with access to basic needs. We practice Entrepreneurial Philanthropy to create sustainable economic loops in the communities we serve, helping people today to have a brighter future tomorrow.
Aside from a mention in a Forbes profile on Kesselman, a quick Google search reveals no digital footprint that confirms any basic information about the RAW Foundation, RAW Giving, or RAW Water Well Project, or its association with these organizations. Which makes sense because, again, the lawsuit notes the RAW Foundation isn’t real.
That said, Kesselman has posted recent videos and comments on his personal Instagram account that currently has 2.1 million followers where he has earnestly claims that they have truly given millions to these charities and plans to take viewers on a tour through Spain through the factories and mills.
So, which parts of this fake nonprofit narrative are we supposed to believe?
For many, the company’s sustainability- and mission-driven “RAWthentic” ethos contributed to their loyalty. The company, which has been around since 1995, is a feel-good brand. It’s literally called RAW—a name that suggests a natural, unfiltered, honest product you can trust with higher values. After all, isn’t it nice to know that every joint you smoke is helping the environment because you chose to roll using all-natural organic hemp rolling paper from a heritage brand that believes in equality, particularly for the marginalized communities who are also brand loyalists? This is the messaging that Kesselman regularly leans on as part of his brand’s marketing shtick.
The real insult here is that they’re entirely capable of having such an organization. Why wouldn’t you? I can think of at least two broke artists I personally know who launched working nonprofit arts organizations within the past decade that actively benefit various communities, even in a small way, even when they had relatively little financial means to do so. Meanwhile, this is a successful corporation with major visibility whose ambassadors include high-profile rappers like Wiz Khalifa, Curren$y, and 2 Chainz. No one thought to fill out some paperwork to establish this while they were building this whole backstory and mission? OK.
Not so long ago, I happened to be on the RAW Foundation website after passing a fabulous-looking girl in the East Village whisking down St. Marks and 1st Avenue while decked out in one of their RAW branded scarves, a place where RAW products have a ubiquitous brand presence among the glass menageries filled with carefully stacked glass pipes and silicon dildo bongs. As someone who doesn’t shy away from impulse-purchasing stupid shit, I decided to poke around the RAW website in search of functional and ironic goods, when I came across the RAW Foundation splash page.
It’s not uncommon to learn many companies have shitty, cheap or elusive websites—even if they can afford better ones—so I didn’t really think much about it at the time. But RAW paints such a profound image of its altruistic mission, that I distinctively recall digging around for information about careers and opportunities to get involved, and mostly came up with nothing aside from an e-commerce site with select products that supposedly gives 100% of profits to Wine to Water.
While you would think that this might capture some media attention, it hasn’t aside from a few cannabusiness-specific news sites. As of printing this, Leafly, Merry Jane, WeedMaps, and the usual suspects have been quiet on the subject. Even Benzinga didn’t pick it up, which is a bit surprising. (Note: since publishing this newsletter, it was brought to my attention that Benzinga did publish something). Obviously, mainstream media wasn’t going to bite, which I can only attribute to the fact the story is about cannabis. And that means a lot of people don’t know. Unsurprisingly, he’s also generated a certain number of cult followers who don’t seem bothered or automatically giving him the benefit of the doubt.
Mostly, it’s another example of how challenging it is for consumers to make educated, trustworthy and ethical choices. This isn’t some small farm that doesn’t have a PR budget to talk about its regenerative agriculture practices; it’s a successful corporation with a massive platform. One that appears to be using greenwashing marketing tactics in a remarkably shady or negligent way. Coincidentally, this news comes only a few months after I discussed this exact issue of greenwashing within the cannabis and wine industries. Get it together already.
So, I know what you’re thinking: Carly, just tell me what to buy. What is the good rolling paper?
First, please note that I am not going to come for you if you continue smoking RAW papers. That’s not the purpose in sharing this information. In some cases, it’s unavoidable getting a preroll at a dispensary with RAW filters and cones. After all, the brand is a household name for a reason; it’s not necessarily that the product itself is “bad.”
Still, I have a lot of unanswered questions regarding which materials they are actually using given that the lawsuit seems to indicate they might not be as natural as they claim. It’s an undeniably lengthy list of false marketing claims they need to own and explain. The fact they not only lied about it, but pushed this as part of their overall message house is icky.
Aside from RAW’s joint rolling machine, I am partial to boutique luxury brand Z’s Life, French heritage paper brand J.O.B. (including designer paper brand Devambez, which has fantastic paper even though I don’t know a single person who drop $38 on cones), and woman-owned brand Papers + Ink that has some of the most distinctive designs and artist collaborations on the market.
On a final note, this information was brought to you thanks to independent media, the true fake nonprofit losing out here. Your donations go towards supporting me until I get another job, can afford to live exclusively off sending newsletters or start every podcast episode thanking the MacArthur Foundation. Help a struggling writer today with a sexy Valentine’s Day discount subscription to The Weed Witch which goes until February 19!
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