By: Kristilyn Waite
Watching policy and pretty much all things cannabis evolve has been almost disorienting.
Boutique dispensaries, custom strains cultivated for specific effects, CBD infused everything – these things were almost unimaginable even a decade ago.
It comes as no surprise, though, that as the market has exploded, celebrities have gotten in on the game.
For one thing, cannabis and creative go together like, well, cannabis and cookies. It inspires.
It’s a magical plant getting its long overdue embrace.
Also, there’s money to be made. And wrongs to right. Here are twelve celebrities making moves in cannabis.
Chelsea Handler
Speaking of evolution… Chelsea Lately, the long running late night talk show Handler hosted on the E! network, wrapped in 2015 and she has kept busy since.
The comedian, writer, actor, producer, activist and, now, cannabis entrepreneur is partnering with NorCal cannabis to launch a newbie friendly cannabis line “specifically for women.”
Handler, once a heavy drinker, rediscovered cannabis in 2016 and has become a proponent of the herb’s many therapeutic effects.
Her line will include low dose cartridges and edibles for everyday use.
Martha Stewart
At 77, Stewart is affectionately known as “America’s Cool Weed Grandma.”
In 1990, the model turned celebrity homemaker became editor in chief of Martha Stewart Living and a household name.
She and Snoop Dogg bonded over her mashed potato recipe when he appeared as a guest on her cooking show, and the two realized an undeniable chemistry which would eventually culminate in collaboration.
Martha and Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party, now in its third season, features rappers and cannabis-friendly celebrities cooking and cracking weed jokes.
Never one to deny her business savvy, Stewart was the keynote speaker at the World Cannabis Congress in 2019.
That same year, she assumed her seat on the advisory board at Canopy Growth Corp., a Canadian cannabis-conglomerate.
At Canopy, Stewart is overseeing development of a broad product line featuring animal care, cosmetics, and edibles. “
Martha Stewart Living has 30,000 or 35,000 original recipes, and those can be adapted with cannabis or CBD or whatever we’re going to use” she told Bloomberg.
Margaret Cho
Cho’s unapologetic social critique from a Korean American perspective has attracted lots of attention over her multiple decade career, and some controversy.
One thing is for sure, though. She’s an icon.
A longtime legalization advocate, Cho created her own strain in 2015, Cho-G. A special cut of the well known OG Kush strain, Cho-G is a cerebral indica with a bit less THC than its potent parent.
Reviewers report a mood boosting, mind activating euphoria.
She’s also been attached as star and executive producer to a TV series called “Highland” about a family run dispensary.
Sarah Silverman
It’s no secret that Silverman is a righteous advocate for cannabis. It’s weaved into so much of her comedy.
And she did vape on the red carpet at the 2014 Emmy Awards and all.
Behind the scenes, she’s working in the cannabis industry, where only around 30% of executives identify as women.
She sits on the advisory board for The Initiative a business accelerator with the goal of helping female found businesses succeed in the cannabis space.
CJ Wallace
His late father, Christopher Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G., aka Biggie Smalls, rapped about ”hustlin’ in the streets just tryin’ to make some money to feed (his) daughter.”
But CJ, Biggie’s son with hip-hop star Faith Evans, is taking the legit route. Think BIG is more than just a cannabis company.
Since their 2019 collaboration with Lowell Herb Co. on limited edition pre-roll packs of their signature Frank White strain, ThinkBIG has emerged as a force, creating criminal justice and social reform around cannabis.
That collaboration benefitted the Prison Arts Project. Think BIG’s ultimate goal is global legalization for social justice.
Wallace told Forbes, “We have to free cannabis POW’s, stop the over policing of black and brown communities and lay the groundwork for reinvestment into those communities that were the most harmed by the war on cannabis with grants, advisors, education, job training, economic reinvestment and criminal social justice reforms across the country as we build this new industry.”
Jenny Lewis
Over the course of her two decade solo career since she parted ways with her beloved band Rilo Kiley, Lewis has firmly established herself as rock royalty.
She’s worked with legends, Conor Oberst, Elvis Costello, Beck, and Ringo Starr, to name a few, and been likened to Loretta Lynn and Emmylou Harris.
Lewis loves her cannabis. In a Rolling Stone interview, she recalls burying the band’s supply in a National Park before crossing the Canadian border and drawing a treasure map so they could retrieve it.
It’s kind of funny, then, that her signature strain, developed in collaboration with California’s Glass House Farms, is called Rabbit Hole.
Named after a song from her 2019 album On the Line, this low THC sour diesel sativa is easy to enjoy and not too strong for those social, backstage situations.
Mickey Hart
Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart’s polyrhythmic style was integral to the band’s late 60’s sound, and in his long tenure with the band, he has provided the soundtrack for countless hours of cannabis consumption.
He refers to the plant as his greatest creative ally and a companion for exploration.
In May of 2019, Hart announced his Mind Your Head line in partnership with Left Coast Ventures to be released at Bay Area dispensaries.
Fans can pick up a tin, featuring Hart’s original artwork, of ten Magic Minis, one-third gram preroll joints meant to stimulate and help “find your groove” or a Space Ticket, a potent, one full gram, indica heavy hash and flower blend.
Ben and Jerry
Poster children for the Vermont hippy ethos, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield have always promoted environmental and social awareness through their brand.
They’re adamant supporters of cannabis reform, and have promoted a petition for passage of the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act on their official website, which aims to decriminalize and deschedule cannabis, and to provide resources to people adversely affected by the War on Drugs.
In spring of 2020 they pledged to launch a line of CBD infused ice creams upon federal legalization of CBD infused food end beverage.
The Marley Family
Marley Natural, according to Steven Marley, is “destiny.” Honoring his late father, reggae legend Bob Marley’s legacy, Steven, and the rest of the family, have always advocated and educated on the plant’s many benefits.
Launched in 2016, on what would have been Bob’s 71st birthday, Marley Natural offers flower and cartridges in legal states, as well as accessories like pipes, jars, and rolling trays.
Method Man
Clifford Smith Jr., of Wu Tang fame, an outspoken supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, has long been a proponent of criminal and social justice reform.
2020 will see the launch of his TICAL Official cannabis brand. An acronym for the title of his 1994 debut solo track “Taking Into Consideration All Lives”, TICAL will be a socially conscious brand, only available at black-owned dispensaries.
Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson concerts have always been a bastion of cannabis community. He has lived – by example – by one simple philosophy, “my stash is your stash.”
The crowd would show up with a potluck of their best bud, and there was plenty to go around.
Now, this ethos permeates every corner of Willie’s Reserve, a diverse brand featuring flower, cartridges, his wife Annie’s Infused Milk Chocolates, and accessories.
Wiz Khalifa
Since his 2007 debut, rap star Wiz Khalifa has so frequently referenced cannabis in his lyrics that many attribute a cultural shift toward acceptance to his influence.
His cannabis resume is impressive. In 2014 he collaborated on a line of rolling papers with RAW.
In 2015 he founded Khalifa Kush Enterprise and commissioned a strain by the same name.
In 2016 he curated a line with Colorado’s River Rock Cannabis. And in 2018, Khalifa Kush partnered with Supreme Cannabis for distribution throughout Canada.
Perhaps most entertaining of his canna-business ventures is Wiz Khalifa’s Weed Farm.
Initially released as an iPhone app on 4/20/2017, this game, now available in iOs and Android versions, teaches users to grow and harvest their own strains.
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Kristilyn Waite is a writer who focuses on cannabis culture and lifestyle.