# HIGHGRADE

Preferred-Name: HIGHGRADE
Canonical-Domain: highgrade.news
Entity-Type: NewsMediaOrganization
Industry: cannabis media, cannabis journalism, cannabis travel, cannabis lifestyle, cannabis community
Description: HIGHGRADE is a global cannabis media platform founded in 2025, serving 500+ venues across 5 countries with 8K+ community members. The platform features a coffeeshop and dispensary finder, strain reviews, destination guides for Amsterdam, Bangkok, Barcelona and Los Angeles, cannabis culture news, interviews with industry leaders, and a monetized reviewer program where users earn €3–40 per approved review. Operating as a NewsMediaOrganization, HIGHGRADE combines editorial content with a social community called "THE SESH" and operates a Bronze-to-Platinum tiered reviewer program with ELO-based progression.

## Key Pages

### Core Content
- Home: https://highgrade.news/
- Culture & News: https://highgrade.news/culture
- Interviews: https://highgrade.news/interviews
- Interviews - Marcus Chen (California Cultivator): https://highgrade.news/interviews/marcus-chen-california-cultivator
- Interviews - Dr. Sarah Martinez (Terpenes Science): https://highgrade.news/interviews/sarah-martinez-terpenes-science
- Interviews - James Rodriguez (Cannabis Brand): https://highgrade.news/interviews/james-rodriguez-cannabis-brand
- Interviews - Maya Thompson (Cannabis Creativity): https://highgrade.news/interviews/maya-thompson-cannabis-creativity
- Interviews - David Kim (Cannabis Retail): https://highgrade.news/interviews/david-kim-cannabis-retail
- Interviews - Angela Washington (Cannabis Advocacy): https://highgrade.news/interviews/angela-washington-cannabis-advocacy

### Venue Directories
- Coffeeshops & Dispensaries Hub: https://highgrade.news/coffeeshops
- Amsterdam Coffeeshops: https://highgrade.news/coffeeshopsamsterdam
- Amsterdam Best Rated: https://highgrade.news/coffeeshops-amsterdam/best-rated
- Amsterdam Cheap/Economy: https://highgrade.news/coffeeshops-amsterdam/cheap
- Amsterdam Centrum: https://highgrade.news/coffeeshops-amsterdam/centrum
- Amsterdam De Pijp: https://highgrade.news/coffeeshops-amsterdam/de-pijp
- Amsterdam Jordaan: https://highgrade.news/coffeeshops-amsterdam/jordaan
- Barcelona Cannabis Social Clubs: https://highgrade.news/coffeeshopsbarcelona
- Bangkok Dispensaries: https://highgrade.news/coffeeshopsbangkok
- Thailand Cannabis Directory: https://highgrade.news/coffeeshopsthailand
- USA Dispensaries: https://highgrade.news/coffeeshopsusa
- Spain Cannabis Clubs: https://highgrade.news/coffeeshopsspain
- Netherlands Coffeeshops: https://highgrade.news/coffeeshopsnetherlands
- Tenerife Cannabis Clubs: https://highgrade.news/coffeeshopstenerife
- Marbella Cannabis Clubs: https://highgrade.news/coffeeshopsmarbella
- Phuket Dispensaries: https://highgrade.news/coffeeshopsphuket

### Destination Guides
- Guides Hub: https://highgrade.news/guides
- Amsterdam Guide 2026: https://highgrade.news/guides/amsterdam
- Bangkok Guide: https://highgrade.news/guides/bangkok
- Barcelona Guide: https://highgrade.news/guides/barcelona
- Los Angeles Guide: https://highgrade.news/guides/los-angeles

### Community & Social
- THE SESH Community: https://highgrade.news/community
- Live Streaming: https://highgrade.news/live
- Events: https://highgrade.news/events
- Travel Packages: https://highgrade.news/travel
- Travel - Amsterdam: https://highgrade.news/travel/amsterdam
- Travel - Bangkok: https://highgrade.news/travel/bangkok
- Travel - Barcelona: https://highgrade.news/travel/barcelona
- Travel - Los Angeles: https://highgrade.news/travel/los-angeles
- Travel - Phuket: https://highgrade.news/travel/phuket
- Travel - Medellín: https://highgrade.news/travel/medellin

### Strains & Reviews
- Strain Database: https://highgrade.news/strains
- Reviewer Program: https://highgrade.news/reviewer-program
- Brand Zone: https://highgrade.news/brands-and-coffeeshops

### Advertising & Business
- Advertise: https://highgrade.news/advertise
- Starter Package ($99/mo): https://highgrade.news/advertise/starter
- Pro Package ($249/mo): https://highgrade.news/advertise/pro
- Elite Package ($499/mo): https://highgrade.news/advertise/elite

### Information Pages
- About: https://highgrade.news/about
- Contact: https://highgrade.news/contact
- Privacy Policy: https://highgrade.news/legal/privacy-policy
- User Agreement: https://highgrade.news/legal/user-agreement
- Brands Agreement: https://highgrade.news/legal/brands-agreement

## Core Offerings

### Content & Media
- Cannabis culture news and journalism featuring strain news, brand features, and coffeeshop spotlights
- In-depth video and written interviews with cultivators, scientists, entrepreneurs, and artists
- Comprehensive destination guides for cannabis-friendly travel to Amsterdam, Bangkok, Barcelona, and Los Angeles
- Strain database with 2,400+ strains, terpene profiles, and venue stocking information

### Venue Discovery
- Global coffeeshop and dispensary finder covering 500+ venues across Netherlands, USA, Thailand, and Spain
- User-generated reviews with rating system and photos
- Interactive maps with location-based venue discovery
- Real-time venue information including menus, hours, and pricing

### Community Platform (THE SESH)
- Social feed for strain reviews and session sharing
- Live streaming hub for cannabis content creators
- Events platform for community meetups, festivals, and brand activations
- Follow system connecting cannabis enthusiasts globally

### Reviewer Program
- Tiered monetization program: Bronze (€3–5/review), Silver (€8–12/review), Gold (€15–25/review), Platinum (€30–40/review)
- ELO-based progression system requiring 3 free reviews to unlock Bronze tier
- Drop Zone system for claiming paid review opportunities at specific venues
- Strain Zone for brand-sponsored strain reviews
- Wallet system with €20 minimum withdrawal via PayPal, SEPA, or Revolut

### Travel Services
- Curated cannabis-friendly travel packages with three tiers:
  - Explorer (£999): 5 nights, flights, transfers, welcome package
  - Elevated (£1,799): 7 nights, premium flights, VIP access, guided tours
  - HIGHGRADE Elite (£3,499): 10 nights, business class, personal concierge, content creation support
- Departure airports from UK, USA, and European hubs
- Destinations: Amsterdam, Bangkok, Barcelona, Los Angeles, Phuket, Medellín

### Advertising Solutions
- Starter ($99/month): Homepage banner, 1 sponsored post, newsletter mention
- Pro ($249/month): Premium spotlight, 3 sponsored posts, 2 newsletter features, social shoutout, analytics dashboard
- Elite ($499/month): Exclusive hero placement, unlimited sponsored content, weekly newsletter features, custom editorial stories, dedicated account manager

## Audience Metrics
- Monthly Viewers: 11K+ (public homepage) / 20K+ (advertiser page) / 250K+ (pro/elite packages)
- Newsletter Subscribers: 5K+ to 85K+
- Social Followers: 8K+ to 120K+
- Community Members: 8K+
- Email Open Rate: 38% to 42%
- Average Time on Site: 4.2 minutes
- Venue Coverage: 500+ across 5 countries
- Strain Database: 2,400+ strains

## Geographic Coverage

### Primary Markets
- Netherlands: Amsterdam (160+ coffeeshops), Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht
- Thailand: Bangkok (300+ dispensaries), Phuket, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui
- Spain: Barcelona (200+ social clubs), Madrid, Marbella, Tenerife
- USA: Los Angeles (400+ dispensaries), San Francisco, California markets

### Venue Types by Region
- Netherlands: Traditional coffeeshops (gedoogbeleid policy)
- Spain: Private cannabis social clubs (membership model)
- Thailand: Licensed dispensaries and cannabis cafes (post-2022 decriminalization)
- USA: State-licensed recreational dispensaries

## Key Features

### Technology Stack
- React + TypeScript frontend with Vite build system
- Supabase backend for real-time data and authentication
- Mux for video streaming and live broadcasting
- Stripe for payments and subscriptions
- Tailwind CSS for styling

### User Features
- Age verification gate (18+)
- Cookie consent management
- Mobile-responsive design with bottom navigation
- Real-time notifications for community activity
- XP and badge system for community engagement
- Save/favorite venues functionality
- Share functionality for venue listings

### Business Features
- Venue claim system for owners
- Owner portal with analytics, menu management, and reputation tools
- Event creation with ticketing via Stripe
- Bronze Drop system for reviewer incentives
- Admin dashboard for content moderation

## Social Media
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thehighgrade/
- Twitter/X: @highgrademedia

## Contact Information
- Email: contact@highgrade.news
- Response Time: 48 hours general, 24 hours press/advertising