Canni-Manis: This New Beauty Trend Will Blow Your Mind

You may have heard of the new manicure craze that has gone viral—#WeedNails. But this time, we’re not talking about pictures or decals of pot leaves painted on fingernails.

We mean actual crushed marijuana leaves, embedded in a gel or acrylic manicure!

Photo Courtesy of Deadly Nails

While we are not sure where the idea for #WeedNails originated (our guess is the West Coast, naturally), the trend has already gone global. Instagrammers and nail art enthusiasts, as far-flung as Australia, are proudly displaying their canni-manis.

For many nail technicians worldwide, weed manicures must be done covertly, to avoid trouble with the authorities.

Photo Courtesy of Evon

Kristina, a nail technician from Studio S Salon, in Orange, California, did her first manicure with weed just a few weeks ago.

“My client really wanted it,” Kristina said. “She brought her own [weed] with her, and we tore little pieces off. I placed it underneath the acrylic, over some gold glitter, and then put another layer of acrylic on top, to seal it. Since then, I have received a lot more requests for it, so I will probably be doing it again, with different designs.”

Evon, from Levon Nail Spa, in Kent, Washington, gave her first weed manicure, as a gift to one of her favorite clients on her 30^th birthday.

“My client sent me a photo of Bob Marley, because they share the same birthday,” Evon explained. “She wanted something along those lines. I asked her if she would be interested in a marijuana manicure, and she became really excited by the idea!”

Photo Courtesy of Deadly Nails

“Marijuana is legal here, for personal use, but I cannot charge for this service, because I will have to pay federal tax on the marijuana product itself,” Evon continued. “I called a few lawyers, to make sure. It is a sensitive issue, so I had to call around and ask the legalities of it.”

Nicole, who owns Deadly Nails, a salon in Melbourne, Australia, has put oddities like insects, feathers and candy into nails. She enjoys “challenging people’s perception of beauty.”

Photo Courtesy of Deadly Nails

She advises aspiring weed manicurists, “not to glue the weed on top of the nails.”

“It looks clumpy and gross,” she explained. “Encapsulate it in acrylic, so it looks like resin. Since weed is a natural substance, it won’t disintegrate once it hits the solvents. The weed is set between two layers of acrylic, like solidifying it in amber.”

Photo Courtesy of Kristina Vazquez

Australia is in the middle of their own battle for legalization, so Nicole has to be careful only to apply the weed to fingernails of clients she trusts, or can instinctively “suss out.”

“We are a little behind the times with legalization, but we are catching up.” she said.

Nicole has experienced a bit of backlash on social media, for “wasting weed,” but says no one should stress over a few flakes. “I am turning it into a piece of art.”

Have your own #MaryJaneMani or matching pot leaf pedicure pic to share? Send it to HIGH TIMES.

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