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Known and recognized in the smokers' universe, the Raw brand has stood out from the competition by manufacturing and marketing natural, unbleached, unrefined products made from hemp fibers. It strives to leave only a small carbon footprint to optimize the consumer's pleasure while preserving the planet. A look at this unique brand.
Josh Kesselman is a 5-year-old New Yorker. One day, his father performs a magic trick with a rolling paper. He takes it in his hand, lights it with a lighter, and poof: it disappears! That was all it took for this young boy to dedicate his entire life to the rolling paper. Passionate, he started a collection that would later become the largest in the United States.
He graduated from the University of Florida in 1993, and then with his roughly 500 dollars in savings, he opened a headshop in Gainesville which, as you might expect, specialized in importing rolling papers from Europe. Quickly, he made a name for himself in the field, to the point that he became a major importer of paper.
One day, one of his clients asked him to find an unbleached, natural rolling paper. However, when receiving the order, he realized it was just some bleached paper. Disappointed, he thought there was a little opportunity to take advantage of.
Josh's business is as thriving as his ideas, but the dream collapses when he sells a bong to the daughter of an American government official. Reported by his client, he is forced to close shop and receives a house arrest order. It's a cold shower.
It is always when one is at the lowest point that one can give the best kick to regain the surface. A year later, Josh moves to Arizona and opens a new company importing smoking products. This is how HBI is born and experiences a meteoric success after 1 year of opening. Riding the wave of success, Josh then decides to create his own brand, Raw.
To do this, he is going to travel to Spain, to meet a man wanting to revive an old rolling paper factory in Alcoy. Already elderly, the famous José Emilio had some experience in the field and thought that Josh was an ambitious upstart with no knowledge of the industry.
However, it took more than that to discourage this rolling paper obsessive! By telling him about his journey, Josh managed to pique José's interest, and an alchemy was born between the two men.This is how the production of natural paper begins under the name Elements. Made from rice fiber, the raw materials are imported from Africa and India. Josh then decides to stay and live in Spain.
To make the most of the surplus, Josh launches Cool Jay's paper, which is nothing more than a little wink to his nickname. It is the very first menthol paper that will give rise to other flavored papers later.
Meeting with a tobacco producer is going to change things, since he is going to offer Josh a 100% natural paper. However, the result is still not up to his expectations. He wants to make a truly clean paper, without bleaching, without chemicals, and in a color that resembles the earth. So he is going to dive headfirst into the search for raw materials to create his holy grail. He will choose natural hemp fiber, but will struggle to find what he wants. Hemp producers demand an enormous amount of money, which Josh ends up putting on the table, confident in his success.Finally, he can start the production of his natural paper!
Even though he was sure of his success, he did not expect to achieve it so quickly. From the very start, sales explode. Rappers are the very first to be interested, and with satisfaction being in order, the brand is mentioned in numerous lyrics. Word of mouth works wonderfully: Josh is a hit with his 100% natural Raw paper.
Not only is it much healthier than other papers, but above all, it stands out for its clever watermark that guides the burning evenly. Raw also expands by creating unique smoking accessories and some goodies like pajamas, t-shirts, caps, etc. Raw pleases, Raw seduces, and Raw brings people together.
The arrival of social networks has further helped to grow the brand. Josh has millions of followers across all accounts. Collaborations with globally known rappers abound. Josh's detached and cool side, which he showcases to present his products, shows that he has remained a simple person. This is particularly what appeals to consumers (in addition to his excellent quality products).
Making money with a simple rolling paper, Josh dreamed of it and he did it. Always attached to his core values, he created the Raw Foundation in partnership with the NGO WinetoWater.
The goal being to help underprivileged populations without access to drinking water. More than 25,000 people have benefited from the foundation's support, notably in Africa (Ethiopia, Uganda), but also in the Amazon as well as in the Philippines.
