The full rage of Boast branded apparel and cannabis including the Needlepoint Key Fob, Navy Blazer, Boast x Tangerine Pickleball Paddle, 6 Panel Dad Cap. Boast vapes and mango sherbet pre-rolls. Photo by Dominic Perri
In the heart of California's Coachella Valley, a new player has emerged to disrupt the ever-evolving world of cannabis.
With an innovative approach to sustainability, wellness, and consumer culture, Green Horizons is turning heads and sparking conversations, thanks to Carlos "Los" Arias and his business partner, Michael Meade, the industry leaders behind the project.
Green Horizons’ state-of-the-art, 101,787-square-foot cultivation facility will focus on growing premium flower and debuting its own line of products—from pre-rolls to vapes to gummies. Part of the company’s strategy also includes launching a series of collaborations, most importantly a revamp of the 1970s cult tennis label, Boast, in partnership with Tommy Hilfiger.
Both men have a penchant for business and a track record in the industry, but their individual experiences with cancer left them with both a deeply personal connection to the therapeutic potential of cannabis. Arias, 44, learned the ways of plant medicine from his grandmother at an early age. While battling cancer in his 30s, he discovered the healing properties of cannabis as well as other plant-based medicines such as kambo, ayahuasca, and 5-MeO-DMT. This transformative experience led him to commit professionally to regulated cannabis more than a decade ago. “These plants were not just lifesaving; they were life-changing,” Arias says. “I’ve felt called ever since to serve these medicines.”
Arias met his co-founder, Michael Meade, through their mutual relationship with plant medicine. Cannabis helped Meade deal with the nausea caused by his leukemia treatments. He used a potent tincture formulation from Jenny’s Rose to obtain relief. The tincture stabilized his nausea and fortified his endocannabinoid system.
Meade claims he beat cancer through the use of kambo, the poisonous secretions of the giant monkey frog, applied during an indigenous medicine ritual to certain parts of the body. The treatment (which Meade and Arias continue to this day) is said to boost the immune system and cure diseases considered to be terminal in Western medicine.
Recognizing the transformative potential of cannabis and other natural solutions, the two business partners decided to start a company that would celebrate Mother Nature’s broader lexicon of healing modalities. “Our journey is unique, our experiences can’t be replicated, and that’s part of what makes Green Horizons so special,” Meade says. “We’re passionate about sharing this love, both within our organization and with the world.”
The Boast team. From left to right: Michael Meade, Steve Hash, Ally Hilfiger, and Carlos "Los" Arias. Photo by John "Guap" Soto
Before the Green Horizons venture, Arias started out at RiverRock in Colorado (one of the first dispensaries in Denver), while Meade was a legacy 215 operator in California, having been granted the first cultivation and retail license in Riverside County in 2006. As established multistate veterans of the cannabis industry, they anticipated the possible challenges of regulation, taxation, and inefficiencies in the burgeoning California market and designed a unique business model: disruptive low-cost cultivation of cannabis at scale, combined with a direct strategy to market through a strong consumer packaged goods portfolio.
Sustainability lies at the core of the company’s operations. Green Horizons’ cutting-edge, purpose-built infrastructure is a testament to its planning and commitment to environmental practices within an industry known for using excess resources. (According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, cannabis production represents 1% of the nation’s electricity use, with California’s cannabis industry consuming 3% of all the state’s electricity.) To minimize its negative impact on the planet, the company developed facilities that include high-efficiency water treatment systems, advanced LED lighting, an OMRI Listed (Organic Materials Review Institute) integrated pest management program, and energy-saving cultivation methods designed specifically for cannabis.
Additionally, Green Horizons uses advanced technology such as an evaporative cooling system, reverse osmosis water treatment utilities, and an H.E. Anderson fertigation system. Furthermore, its robust crop-steering program guarantees optimal control of water and nutrient usage rates, ensuring impressive water usage efficiency with minimal waste. “We’ve designed our operations so that nothing leaks into the earth’s surface,” Arias says. “We aspire to be the beacon of environmental stewardship in the cannabis industry.”
The company’s alignment with Tommy Hilfiger’s Star Branding group is yet another example of its multipronged creative cannabis strategy. Green Horizons is making its fashion market debut with Boast, a 50-year-old heritage fashion brand. By revitalizing Boast, the company aims to tap into the underexplored market of “cannabis 2.0” consumers who seek a balanced, active lifestyle complemented by healthy cannabis products. “There is simply no other brand in global cannabis with this pedigree,” Arias says.
Boast launched in the 1970s, a period marked by individuality and defiance, particularly in the realm of tennis. Inspired by American tennis megastars like Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe, the brand brought a playful irreverence to the courts. Established in Greenwich, Connecticut, by a group of all-American Ivy League squash and tennis players, Boast positioned itself as the alternative to traditional European brands, championed by those who appreciated a touch of rebellion. Prominent personalities proudly wore its distinctive leaf logo, and Tom Cruise boosted the brand’s recognition in popular culture through his portrayal of Joel Goodsen in Risky Business.
Set to launch in early 2024, the Boast line will include shirts, shorts, jerseys, and hats. The clothing will be sold online and at Boast retail shops, and to complement the clothing collaboration, a Boast brand of infused pre-rolls, vapes, and gummies made with Green Horizons’ flower will launch around the same time.
Green Horizons is also expanding its product offerings by forging bonds with other top-tier brands. Its collaboration with High Times magazine resulted in the debut of infused pre-rolls. A collaboration with Leaflets is in the works to launch a rechargeable vape series.
“What we do is about changing the narrative,” Arias says. “We’re transforming perceptions and reshaping experiences of cannabis culture. We’re more than just a business; we’re a community of people deeply committed to the transformative power of cannabis. We’re here to change the way people see and experience the plant and culture surrounding it.”