As we continue to navigate this new reality of COVID-19, we wanted to share some positive and inspiring news. In addition to being a fantastic source of apparel our patients love, Kush Groove is a true local success story written by Marcus Johnson-Smith and Michael Pires, two best friends who grew up in Cambridge.
Today, Kush Groove is a first-rate head shop with a killer website and great retail stores in Mission Hill and next door to our Central Square dispensary.
From awesome candles and storage products to some of the coolest t-shirts we’ve ever seen, our patients love how well Kush Groove’s products pair with the medicine they acquire from us. It’s our pleasure to let Marcus and Michael tell you a little more about their business, their background and how they’ve built such a strong brand.
What is Kush Groove and how did you get started?
The name Kush Groove is inspired from the cult classic hip hop film, Krush Groove that had some of the biggest actors and musicians of the day including LL Cool J, Sheila E, Run DMC, Kurtis Blow, Blair Underwood, and more. Krush Groove was a pop culture phenomenon in 1985 and we saw Kush Groove as the perfect name to celebrate the new pop culture phenomenon that is cannabis!
Established in 2011, The Kush Groove brand is best described as an “expression brand for city stoners” that blends style and culture, expressed through an urban fashion sense. We produce high-quality lifestyle products inspired by the four-twenty friendly movement that we sell on our website and the retail store that we opened in 2015.
What does partnering with Rev Clinics mean to you?
Having grown up in Cambridge, we know that Rev’s location is the heartbeat of the Central Square community. Who wouldn’t want to do business there? We remember when 541 Mass Ave was a Blockbuster video store and we always dreamed of opening there. Having retail space next to Rev Clinics is the ultimate win/win.
A few years ago, on a few different occasions, we occupied space at 541 Mass Ave as a vendor for the Together Boston festival. That was as close to the dream as it could be for us until now – it really is a full circle dream come true for us!
What did you do before Kush Groove?
Before starting Kush Groove in 2011, Marcus worked in corporate philanthropy and marketing. Mike worked in legal marketing and real estate.
What is your favorite strain to smoke and why?
Mike: I’ve always been a big fan of OG Kush from the start.
Marcus: I’m really digging the Bootylicious that Rev Clinics produces. It has great flavor, breaks up nicely and smokes smooth.
What’s your preferred method of consumption and why?
Mike: Joints
Marcus: Blunts
Why: we both love “the ritual”.
With retail closed, are there any cool products you recommend on your website?
It’s been a bummer that our retail location next to Rev Clinics on Mass Ave. is closed due to the Governor’s temporary stay-at-home order. However, we’re still bringing in new products (online of course) and shipping orders out daily. We have a lot of character pipes designed by a glass blower out in Indiana that we love! We also curated an online collection on our website of items we deemed appropriate for the 2 week quarantine we’re all supposed to abide by. Items you’d overlook under any other circumstance but are perfect for a “two week kickback”. Check them out on our website and help us get through this!
Any other news you’d like to share about the brand?
We can’t wait for this stay-at-home advisory to end and re-activate our location inside of Rev Clinics on Mass. Ave in Cambridge. We’re a partying bunch and we like to bring people together. We’re looking forward to getting back to the swing of things with our event programming and the community building events we do.
We’re proud of our products and the content we share on our social media channels and we love connecting with the cannabis community. We invite all Rev patients to follow us on Instagram at @kushgroove or @thekushgrooveshop. We’re also on Facebook and Twitter as well @kushgroove.
