Every now and then, as a journalist, you get to go on a press trip. It might be dope, it might be wack, but they’re always somewhat interesting for various reasons. Recently, I was able to attend a cannabis press trip with Storz & Bickel, makers of the legendary vaporization device the Volcano.

Here’s how it went. 

What is a cannabis press trip?

A press trip is basically when a company throws down a bunch of dollars to bring media to a place where they’re hosting an event to unveil a new product or campaign that they hope to get coverage for. They want you to showcase the product, hype up the company, and overall tell people “Yo, this experience was dope as hell. You definitely should buy *this* product and/or support *this* initiative.” 

This press trip was for Storz & Bickel’s with Love for Peace campaign, and the release of their new, limited-edition Peace Volcano Classic.

Who is Storz & Bickel and what is the Volcano?

Founded by Markus Storz and  Jürgen Bickel, Storz & Bickel is a Germany vaporizer company whose history dates all the way back to 1996. Their flagship product is the Volcano Classic, which they first launched in 2000. S&B also produces the Crafty+ and Mighty+ handheld herb vaporizers.

The Volcano is a desktop dry herb vaporizer that turns your cannabis buds into flavorful bags of tasty vapor. It swept the game by storm decades ago and quickly became one of the most popular devices on the market, especially for medical cannabis patients who do not want to inhale smoke and its potentially harmful byproducts. 

The Volcano comes in two types: The Volcano Classic and the Volcano Hybrid, which allows temperature control. They both come in a wide array of colors. For this press trip, it was all about their new Peace Volcano Classic, a white Volcano that has “with Love for Peace” engraved on it.

What is the “with Love for Peace” campaign?

The with Love for Peace campaign was launched in response to the Ukraine invasion by Russia. Storz & Bickel takes 100 euros from each sale of the 1,000 limited edition Peace Volcanos and donates it to one of four charities. The partner organizations are CARE, Razom for Ukraine, Ärzte der Welt, and Ukraine Charity.

According to Storz & Bickel, funds will go directly to providing vulnerable populations much-needed humanitarian aid, evacuation for civilians in dangerous areas, and continued international advocacy for the Ukrainian cause. 

What was the press trip to Germany like?

The Storz & Bickel press trip was a two-day affair, scheduled for September 8 and 9, 2022 in Tuttlingen, Germany. The bulk of activities took place on the 8th.

The trip consisted of about 30-40 content creators of all kinds, including influencers, educators, musicians, media, models, and overall creative talent from all over the world. Most of them were people who had worked with Storz & Bickel before.

Day 1’s activities included a tour of the Storz & Bickel facilities, where we were able to see how their devices were made; a hangout in their Volcano Bar; a surprise hike up to a castle; and a dinner party. 

The tour was dope because we got to see behind the curtain of the devices. It was an excellent time to ask questions, and allowed us direct access to  Jürgen Bickel (Storz is no longer with the company). Basically, it was a big building of electronics, and employees with laser focus on the task at hand. 

The tour concluded with a beverages and snack session at their Volcano bar, which is essentially the building’s cafeteria area. The pretzels and apple juice were FIRE.

After the lounge, the S&B bus drove us out to a big ass cornfield where we did this weird raisin tasting thing, then went on a surprise 3.2 mile hike that absolutely no one was prepared for, or even aware of. It got turbulent at times, and I was very vocal about my disdain for the situation. Eventually, after the 5k ambush, we all made it up the mountain to a castle named Schloss Bronnen.

At this castle, we enjoyed beautiful views, German breads, various beverages, and finally, some cannabis. Inside the castle/manor, there was a Volcano with single serving baggies of weed for us all to enjoy. We kicked it there for a little bit before they gathered us for  Jürgen’s big announcement. It was Peace Volcano time. 

After a speech from Jürgen about Storz & Bickel, the with Love and Peace campaign, and the unveiling of the Peace Volcano, it was dinner time.

Prepared by Bickel’s wife, the dinner was a culinary journey through the Danube Valley. The menu included a crayfish on melon-mango-ragout with herb pesto; an herb salad with raspberries; roasted venison with pretzel dumplings, spaetzle, and vegetables; and three desserts: panna cotta, a dark chocolate mousse, and a lemon sorbet. 

The food was great; the company was greater. After a long day of obligations, it was awesome to sit down and actually get to know all of the other creators there. It truly put the idea of global cannabis into focus for many of us Americans. 

Day 2 of the trip, we went on a ferry ride on Lake of Constance. Here we were able to see Tuttlingen from many different angles, and also smoke some weed on a boat. Smoking weed on a boat is always fun.

What were the highlights of the trip?

Everything about the trip was a highlight, but the people really made it. No one sucked. Not a single person. It was a special time with such a special cast that I left with a mission/obligation to travel the world, see other cannabis markets, and connect with new weed homies all over. 

That’s what traveling is all about. You go to a place that peaks your curiosities, and hopefully meet a few people that walk you right into their world. That’s what the Storz & Bickel team did with their offices, the hike, the castle dinner, the ferry ride, and the cast of people they brought together. 

All in all? The trip was amazing and I’d for sure pull up on Storz & Bickel again. Shout out to them for an excellent example of what a cannabis press trip should be like. It was their first time ever putting together an event like this, and they absolutely killed it. Danke schön, S&B.