Trend check: Best of our 2018 predictions

Rebranding sexual wellness (#86)

The global wellness industry, which the Global Wellness Institute calculates to be worth over $3.7 trillion, is rapidly expanding into the bedroom. 2018 saw a host of new brands and products destigmatizing sexual health and wellness, using direct-to-consumer models, frank messaging and design-forward branding to push the category into the mainstream.

• Direct-to-consumer men’s wellness brand Hims launched Hers in November 2018, simplifying access to birth control and libido boosters for women and “rebuilding healthcare for her in mind.”
• Ohnut, a silicone wearable that alleviates deep dyspareunia, or painful sex, reached its kickstarter goal and began production in 2018. The product is opening up the conversation around painful sex in an effort to “change the rules of sex,” says the brand.
• Modern sex essentials brand Maude introduced its first line with gender neutral products including condoms, lubricant and a vibrator. The brand also opened an extended pop-up in Williamsburg in November.
• Roman (Ro), the men’s wellness brand targeting erectile dysfunction, launched new app “Morning Glory” in January to help men track morning erections, which are an important indication of overall sexual health.

Ganjanomics (#98)

2018 has been a great year for cannabis. As of November 2018, 10 states in the US have legalized recreational marijuana and 33 states offer medical marijuana. Canada fully legalized recreational cannabis this year, becoming the second nation to do so. These new laws have opened up the category, making way for an abundance of lifestyle cannabis brands, CBD drinks and cannabis accessories.

• New York City welcomed its first luxury cannabis store this year called MedMen. The store aims to rebrand cannabis as a consumer product by elevating its wellness properties “from stress relief to curing insomnia.”
• In April 2018, the Standard Hotel introduced its first cannabis dispensary in the Hollywood brand. Guests were able to indulge in Lord Jones’ CBD gummies, chocolates and lotions. Over on the East Coast, the James New York-NoMad hotel started offering an in-room CBD tasting menu.
• Cannabis-themed tours are also blazing the travel industry with Greenline Trips offering tours in California since 2018. For more read our story, Traveling on a High.
• For more on how cannabis is making an economic boon, read our report High Times.