And Then Celebrities Rushed In!
Tommy Chong, Snoop Dog, and Wiz Khalifa have long been household names tied to the market for consumer goods – along with the Marley family are among the pioneering names in the marijuana industry. But recent months have seen even more celebrities rush in.
Last year, Melissa Ethridge asked us to medicate with marijuana, wine, and song, and introduced a wine tincture called “Know Label” through Greenway Compassionate Relief in Santa Cruz. But the product was released in full-sized wine bottles – which was a bit confusing since the recommended dosage was 1-2 ounces (ie, less than a standard pour of wine). Even worse, Greenway closed its doors last November, after being evicted for failure to pay rent. They still offer delivery to patients in the Santa Cruz area, and their last website/Facebook post informed members they should be opening a new location shortly.
Just last week, a new line of products aimed at reducing menstrual cramps was announced by Whoopi Goldberg. Along with partner, Maya Elisabeth, Whoopi & Maya are planning to offer a line of infused THC-products that include edibles, tinctures, rubs and extracts, which will be available in California. In response, Goldberg’s home state, NJ, introduced a bill in the legislature to loosen the state’s strict medical laws to include menstrual cramps as a qualifying condition for medical access to marijuana. (Awesome, Whoopi!) But this good news was followed by swirling rumors that executives at ABC are not looking favorably upon this venture, and may not extend her contract for The View when it comes up for renewal in August. (Still just rumors!)
Meanwhile, actor Woody Harrelson is waiting to see if his business is approved for a dispensary license in Hawaii – the state will be announcing the 8 licenses that will be awarded from the 66 applications they received on April 15th. (Good luck, Woody!)
Also aiming high is former NBA star Cliff Robinson, whose company Uncle Spliffy is looking to raise money to create the world’s first sports cannabis brand. He will be pitching this concept at the Arcview summit in May. His website, which was just launched, states that “marijuana designed for athletes will become the third largest market in the cannabis space behind Recreational and Medical Marijuana.” (You go, Cliff!)
We hope all these investors, who also happen to be celebrities, find success in creating viable businesses, while at the same time continuing to capture the public’s awareness of the diversity, creativity, energy, and growth in the marijuana industry.
Then there are Miley Cyrus and Rihanna, who both simply appear content to post Instagram updates showing how much they love to smoke. C’mon, you both really need to launch brands! Who knows? When the Federal Government finally regulates the industry, you may be able to write off these years of product sampling and testing as a company expense for “research and development”?
