Sonoma Cannabis Company & John McNeil Studio Debut AYA: A Premium Cannabis Brand

As the market for medical marijuana continues to grow, the Sonoma Cannabis Company—together with its marketing partner, John McNeil Studio—launched a premium cannabis product, AYA, positioned in the top tier of cannabis brands.

With AYA, the Sonoma Cannabis Company is leading a new market category—premium vaporiser pens and cannabis nectar that is pesticide and chemical free, and responsibly extracted from Sonoma County farms using sustainable farming practices.

“There’s a new and emerging market for cannabis, and an evolution of the medical cannabis consumer,” says Sonoma Cannabis Company President Sam Edwards. “Dispensaries such as Harvest in Northern California or Cannabal City Collective in Southern California are already catering to the demand of consumers who want a higher end product.”

The brand needed to address this market evolution for cannabis, while reflecting the company’s origins in Sonoma, the “Valley of the Moon.” JMS gave the product line a simple name, “Aya,” which has a variety of cross-­‐cultural translations, from “beauty” to “angel” to “soul.” The underlying message is: no matter who you are or where you come from, all are welcome here. The packaging itself features animals native to Northern California, rounding out the brand story and giving it a sense of place.

“The product quality, combined with its unique packaging, make the brand stand out in an already-­‐crowded marketplace,” says John McNeil, founder of John McNeil Studio, a full-­‐service advertising agency and production company based in Berkeley, CA.

AYA currently offers four different cannabis nectars that evoke the benefits of the product: Inspire, Awaken, Relax and Slumber. AYA products are now selling in 40 dispensaries throughout the state, and distribution continues to grow as the Sonoma Cannabis Company rolls out new products for the current medical retail marketplace.