In case you were worried that millionaire celebrities might be too busy with their day jobs to cash in on the silly amounts of money being made in the cannabis industries, never fear; our cultural vanguard is rising to the challenge, and celebrity weed products are flooding the shelves of a dispensary near you.
Currently leading the pack on the national level are the three amigos of weed: Bob Marley (by way of his kids), Tommy Chong, and Willie Nelson. All three companies sell dried flower, of course, focusing on strains that provide highs that complement the mind-set of the typical Marley or Nelson fan. Chong’s Choice offers only flowers, while Willie’s Reserve also offers a couple of chocolate edibles and hard candies, and Marley Naturals, headed by Marley’s eldest daughter Cedella, branches out into lifestyle items like body-care products, smoking tools, and rolling trays. Not to be outdone, JuJu Royal, founded by Marley’s son Julian, also offers CBD products, and Damien, Bob’s youngest son, is currently renovating a 77,000-square-foot California prison into a grow-op.
Perhaps the most notable weed celebrity is rapper, actor, and all-around scamp Snoop Dogg. Featuring flower, shatter, wax, and a wide variety of edibles, Leafs by Snoop is arguably the most famous line of celebrity weed products in the U.S., even though it’s available only in Colorado. Rap music and weed go together like peanut butter and chocolate, so it should be no surprise that other rappers are getting in on the act. Wu Tang’s Ghostface Killah worked with Dr. Zodiac to produce a line of pre rolls, rosin, and vape cartridges under the apt brand Wu Goo. Wiz Khalifa got together with River Rock Cannabis to create Khalifa Kush, an “absolute” shatter that tests at a very potent 79 percent THC. Kurupt from Tha Dogg Pound also teamed with Dr. Zodiac and released his spaced-out “Moon Rocks”—nugs of weed rolled in hash oil and kief, guaranteed to launch you into space. And The Game released a line of non-alcoholic lemonades infused with THC.
Other musicians getting in on the act: Melissa Etheridge, who is releasing a cannabis-infused wine (technically it has to be called a tincture); South Africa’s Die Antwoord, with a line of weed products that include cocoa puffs and suckers; and the Icelandic band Sigur Rós, with a line of gumdrops created with Lord Jones.
Plenty of other famous people are getting in on the “green rush.” Comedian Margaret Cho has a line of OG Kush. Actress Whoopi Goldberg has joined forces with four-time Cannabis Cup winner Maya Elizabeth to create a line of cannabis-infused products intended for people who suffer from cramps and PMS. TV host Montel Williams, who lives with multiple sclerosis and has openly advocated for medicinal cannabis for years, has started his own company called LenitivLabs, dedicated to manufacturing high-quality, standardized medicinal cannabis. And if she gets her way, Hunter S. Thompson’s widow, Anita, will grow and sell the same strains of weed her late husband grew and smoked at his infamous Owl Farm. As the old boy used to say, “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.”
stashbox@seattleweekly.com
