“When you ask smokers, lighters are the most commonly misplaced or stolen object they buy,” said 27-year-old Johnson. “I put my name on the opposite side of OMS on the lighter. I felt adding our logo would make it easily identifiable for them to keep track of, and recognizable for me in terms of branding.”
The idea for the brand was hatched back in 2019, when Johnson partnered with Farm Plug to release his first batch of pre-rolled OMS hemp papers for his “On My Soul” music series.
In January 2021, Johnson started selling his hemp wraps and lighters by accepting orders through social media and word of mouth. But as he tried to expand the business, he ran into some roadblocks.
“First, the primary distributor of smoking products to smoke shops in Illinois [were] trying to buy a box of my papers for only $30. I’m selling boxes for $100, [so] I can’t afford to cut prices that low yet,” said Johnson. “Then Facebook and Instagram permanently banned me from advertising on their platform because they said my products violate their user agreement on tobacco products. Paypal locked me out of my account with no ability to appeal because they claimed that I was selling narcotics.”
The TRiiBE caught up with Johnson today — before he headed out to start his 4/20 festivities — to discuss how music merch turned into a full-blown business, how he’s overcoming the challenges he’s faced, and what he’s smoking on.