"Though you might not instantly see them as drug paraphernalia, on closer inspection, many of these products are offering to serve a need that no real person has ever had. Consider, for example, this video demonstrating use of a SLYD pouch, a small leather pocket with a magnetic clasp. The ad shows a person loading a small quantity of a powdered substance into the $39 pouch, and a caption exhorts the viewer: "Stop using that sketchy bag for your electrolytes.""
"The visual comparison with a resealable plastic bag containing whitish electrolyte power should make it clear what is seemingly being suggested here. The custom inscription of the word "BAG," common drug slang, on the leather sachet dispels any lingering uncertainty. Because while the world has never wanted for a convenient way to carry electrolytes around in one's pocket, a miniature wallet for cocaine-or other powder drugs like ketamine and MDMA-does have some consumer appeal."
"It turns out that such accessories are widely (albeit stealthily) marketed on Instagram. An online store called Magic Items sells its own take on the small magnetized leather pouch; it's called a Wildcard, comes in various sizes priced from $60 to $100, and is stamped with the logo of a rabbit in a jester hat. The company's Instagram page also features a demonstration with electrolyte powder, though some of the comments on the post give the game away: "Will a dog still be able to smell through it?" asked one prospective customer."
Big money and powerful interests have rebranded cannabis, mushrooms, and ketamine with modern, luxury imagery. Legal access to these substances has expanded, and marketing now often resembles consumer tech retail. Cocaine has not received the same makeover, but luxury products appearing on social media may be changing perceptions. Some accessories are designed to look like convenient wellness tools while implying use for powdered drugs. A small leather pouch with a magnetic clasp is advertised with electrolyte powder, paired with wording that contrasts it with “sketchy” bags. The pouch is stamped with “BAG,” a slang term, and similar products are sold with demonstrations and comments that suggest drug use.
#drug-marketing #instagram-commerce #cocaine-and-powder-drugs #rebranding-and-normalization #accessory-based-paraphernalia
Read at WIRED
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