Please excuse the rant, but I need to vent (hahaha!!!!!!) and if not here, then where? <3
especially since I've been blocked on Instagram for criticizing Storz&Bickel in the last few days and any negative criticism is immediately marked as "spam" and deleted. really, really great people.
so. why am I upset? because it affects me. I'm basically a neighbor of Storz and Bickel and have always been quite proud to know that there is a world-famous manufacturer of these products here in southern Germany. We have a special relationship with cannabis here - it is simply incredibly strictly forbidden and punished harshly, more severely than anywhere else in Germany.
The fact that a company sets up a shop here and produces such "evil" things has always been a bit of a sensation.
That's why the company always had my sympathy. German engineering produces really great things - unfortunately not in the long term when it comes to greed.
Since Storz und Bickel was taken over by Canopy Growth in 2018, something has changed... the imagery, the appearance, everything has become incredibly "American-polished". They tried hard and fast to be modern, fresh and visionary.
The fact that they have completely lost touch with reality is not only shown by their absolutely ridiculous photo advertisements, which are cruelly posed (suits smile at each other with a thick plastic bag full of weed vapor, come on people...give me a break)
But the main problem that I see now is: the company is being sold out, squeezed out and then, presumably, disposed of. There is a crackdown on medically certified products because these are the only ones that are covered and paid for by health insurance companies - this is probably such a lucrative market that S&B is giving the finger to normal consumers. If they just released like a crafty minus, a consoomer-type-model, without the bluetooth fuzz, WITH a replaceable 18650 battery, for, lets say, 180-200? that would be okay.
However, I find it shameful that they bring _so_ little innovation with their new model and at the same time charge _such_ prices.
what have they done? Stretched out a Mighty, halved it in the middle, crammed in a bit of crafty Bluetooth technology, put in a few bright colors and a useless filter, an adjustable air supply and the latest shit is ready? really?
My Arizer Argo, which is now 9 years old, seems to me to be more durable, more versatile and easier to clean. and smaller. and.....well. cheaper. much, much cheaper.
I don't understand this company - and all the people who buy from them and advertise for them, getting their devices sponsored, getting flown to great gatherings and parties to be brand ambassadors and sell this plastic chunk to people as a revelation. nope, i am really not happy with it and i think they should adress the critic and not blend it out totally.