Cannabis often gets lumped in with narcotics, substances, often illicit, that dull the userâs senses and allows for a detachment from reality. But for many users of the kind herb, that sort of characterization rings hollow. More often than not, cannabis has the opposite effectâit can unlock new perspectives and heightens the senses. Perhaps the closest English word we have to describe the end result is the relatively new sonder, meaning âthe realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.â We might miss the details of that other entityâs narrative, almost as if that snapshot is a compressed jpeg, and cannabis expands the same view to a crisp, high definition 4K.
Cannabisâs ability to create sonder is the inspiration for the queer-created-and-led brand by the same name. Spouses Faun Chapin and M. Paradise, both from families of cannabis farmers, founded Sonder with the view that the plant engages rather than disconnects, allowing the consumer to see nuances, inspire creativity, and create connections with the world and one another. They also run the design studio Guts & Glory, which is likely why the branding shines with personality and intrigue.