When Katie Motta launched Jade Stone, she wasn’t coming from a background steeped in cannabis. In fact, her earliest impressions were shaped by prohibition-era narratives.
“I was raised in a family with strong anti-cannabis beliefs, and I carried some of that stigma myself,” Motta said.
It was a branding project for a friend’s rolling paper company that became the catalyst—not just for a career shift, but for a reframing of cannabis itself. That project revealed a market void: little existed in the way of modern, inclusive design targeting women or canna-curious consumers. “That’s when it clicked,” Motta recalled. “There was a real need for a design agency that could bring fresh energy and representation into the space.”
A New Design Language
Jade Stone is on a mission to dismantle stereotypes. Gone are the slime drips, red-eyed cartoons, and stoner tropes that alienate potential consumers. “The design work we do views cannabis as a modern wellness tool, not something illegal, underground, or grungy,” Motta explained. Even the cannabis leaf is rarely featured in Jade Stone’s visuals—a conscious decision to avoid triggering ingrained biases and make space for curiosity.
This refined aesthetic is a strategic move grounded in understanding regional nuance.
“West Coast branding is often laid-back and surf-inspired,” said Motta, “but in New York, the energy is faster, more style-conscious, and rooted in cultural diversity.”
Jade Stone’s work reflects this elevated expectation, pulling cues from fashion, beauty, and wellness sectors rather than from legacy cannabis aesthetics.
Strategy in Every Stroke
Creativity, while foundational, is never adrift. Every Jade Stone brand is engineered to evolve.
“We design with the next five to ten years in mind,” Motta said.
That might mean a packaging suite that adapts as a product line expands or a tone of voice that’s strong enough to transition from CBD to THC markets.
Their process is immersive. A typical project includes brand immersion decks, two distinct design directions, and ultimately a full Brand Identity Book. But it’s the personal investment that distinguishes the agency.
“We consider ourselves an extension of the client’s team,” Motta said. “If they need support beyond design… we leverage our network to help.”
Grounded, Artful, and Ahead
In a recent New York project, Jade Stone named and branded a dispensary using a nearly forgotten piece of city history discovered in the archives—a move that turned a vague retail vision into a place with soul.
“We added a lot of value to the business as a whole,” Motta said, emphasizing their holistic, research-driven approach.
Looking ahead, she sees the pendulum swinging away from glossy digital graphics toward handcrafted, tactile design. “As AI becomes more prominent… we’ll see a rise in natural textures, recycled papers, and candid photography.”
That philosophy—grounded, human-centered, and built to last—is what makes Jade Stone a creative force reshaping the visual identity of modern cannabis.
