Joe Hinton (Brown ’20) had a conversation with
Izaak Cohen ’20,
student-entrepreneur at Skidmore College
and founder of Z’s Papers.
Z’s Papers: The Brand
For Izaak Cohen, cannabis is something “intimate” to be shared between friends who value quality products. As the founder and sole member of Z’s, an ambitious, budding cannabis lifestyle brand with a current focus on rolling papers, Cohen has made incredible progress in the 4 years since he decided to start and develop his business, all while still an undergraduate at Skidmore College in Upstate New York. Izaak has thrived even in a country where even the most benign and positive aspects of cannabis culture, like the plant’s ability to connect people through common experiences, are stigmatized politically and socially.
With a year on the market, Z’s papers are not only available in an array of vibrant colors from Hermes Orange to Cherry Leather, but they also include 50 papers in a pack, a magnetic clasp, and perforated filters, all packed into a durable gold-printed booklet. Using all-natural, ultra-thin European flax papers and organic gum, these papers are made to burn slow and the booklet is made to last. Izaak sees a future for sustainability within his brand and looks to make products while maintaining a low-carbon footprint, as “whenever a customer purchases a Zbook off Izaak’s website, zs.life, One Tree Planted will plant a tree in California”.
Quality and durability are Izaak’s primary prerogatives, as he seeks to move beyond the paper market’s dependence on cheap, easily replaceable, and aesthetically monotone rolling papers to provide a trendy but lasting alternative. Cohen says his papers will do well with anyone who is looking to “differentiate themselves within their smoking circle”.
Growing A Business While In College
With cannabis being “normalized” throughout his upbringing, Cohen was inspired by his older brother to craft “a luxury product that destigmatizes cannabis”. Cohen’s brother, also an entrepreneur, hosted Izaak as an intern at his leather goods store during the younger brother’s gap year.
He successfully navigated and eventually won a series of entrepreneurial competitions at Skidmore College, pitching Z’s as a trendsetting cannabis lifestyle brand and receiving incrementally generous grants over his three years as an undergraduate. Although his initial presentations as a first-year received notable skepticism, he has noticed a “drastic change” with regard to his college’s perceptions of cannabis and remains incredibly gracious to Skidmore for their role in advancing his business.
Majoring in studio art and minoring in management and business, Izaak has benefitted from a balanced curriculum. His creative and entrepreneurial skill set and attainments are equally impressive. With a well-designed website and an idiosyncratic aesthetic approach, this Westchester native’s business is challenging rolling paper giants in the US such as Raw and OCB, all while expanding its own ceiling; making personalized and quality rolling papers is just the beginning for Cohen, as he eventually sees Z’s occupying a more complete role in the US cannabis world, selling flower and other smoking accessories. He is currently finishing his senior year and is set to graduate in May.
Izaak seeks intentionality with his brand’s message. “Analyzing the market” of US cannabis is no small feat given the plant’s federal illegality, yet Izaak embraces this challenge, seizing the opportunity to target insulated, smaller markets in cannabis hotspots like California so that he can expand with precision finding luck with notable stockists like Mister Green. He indispensably values the extracurricular experience offered by his entrepreneurship and stresses the power of the human connection that he has both experienced through the creative entrepreneurial process and that he seeks to create through the distribution of his papers.
Closing Thoughts: Repetition & Practice
Izaak encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to “follow their intuition” in looking for that first big step. “It really just comes down to talking to people,” he offers, emphasizing the importance of perseverance in the early stages of networking. The importance of “repetition and practice” are not to be understated for anyone looking to pursue a personal entrepreneurial goal, especially when one is relying completely only on oneself and one’s personal set of skills. Although he is currently a one-man show, he is actively looking to work with creative collaborators of all persuasions and backgrounds for mutual benefit.
Looking to “ramp up volume” in the immediate future and release a second book of papers for distribution, Izaak promptly intends to release a line of products that provide “a more holistic cannabis smoking experience”, such as a “resin rolling tray” and “sterling silver tamp”, cross body bags, and other accessories. Most recently, Z’s launched the Deception Collection, an unprecedented set of papers that are “reflective and holographic”. He sees a future of simultaneous opulence and accessibility for his products. The authentic personality and vision he projects through his products not only fill a hole in the market; they also represent the perspectives on cannabis that this young, budding generation is bringing to the table: those that see the destigmatization of cannabis as both pressing and a vehicle for human connection. We have been delighted in working with Izaak and welcoming him into the SMART network.
Are you interested in having your voice heard by our College Cannabis community? Submit ideas for SMART blogs at hi@studentmmj.com
