8 Celebrities Who Are Also Ganjapreneurs
Who is Your Favorite Celebrity in the Cannabis Business? from CannabisNet on Vimeo.
These celebrities are definitely onto something. They know that money CAN grow on trees, alright. The demand for medical marijuana is at a record high; with the ArcView research group estimating that the legal marijuana market was worth $5.4 billion in 2015. By 2020, it’s expected to reach $21.8 billion in annual revenue.
Capitalists and opportunists alike see that the legal marijuana market is promising for anyone who wants to make some greens. Herb-loving celebrities are no exception: by attaching their name to a marijuana product that’s almost a sure sign of success.
Here’s a list of the top 10 ganja-loving cannapreneurs:
Snoop Dogg: One of the most famous celebrities who have no fear in speaking up about his love for the great ganja is the Doggfather, Snoop Dogg. Last year he launched Merry Jane, a marijuana-based lifestyle media platform. The site focuses on everything that has to do with cannabis, with a blog section dedicated to relevant content as well as an online shop. He also has a signature line of specially-designed cannabis products called Leafs By Snoop which includes a variety of delicious edibles such as candies and chews. His signature strain is called the Snoop Dogg OG, no less, which is an indica strain.
Melissa Etheridge: Diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2004, singer Melissa Etheridge turned to marijuana to help her deal with the nasty side effects of chemotherapy. She’s now in remission, and has partnered with the Greenway dispensary in Santa Cruz to cultivate “No Label”, a line of private reserve weed-infused wine tinctures which are currently only available to card-carrying tokers in California. These come in a wide array of both red and white wines, and are designed to deliver a good body high. The Grammy-winning singer and songwriter has been vocal about believing in the medicinal benefits of marijuana.
Sir Richard Branson: The world-famous founder of Virgin Airlines, British billionaire Sir Richard Branson invested a secret amount in Sidecar. The service provides on-demand delivery of medical marijuana to patients in San Francisco in under an hour. The ride-sharing company is also backed by Union Square Ventures and Avalon Ventures. The company temporarily shut down late last year though, in order to reassign their staff to new projects.
Willie Nelson: Famous musician Willie Nelson partnered with Tuatara Capital, a NY-based private equity firm to finance a line of marijuana products called Willie’s Reserve. The premium marijuana brand, which was developed by Nelson and his family, will be based entirely on the musician’s credo and lifestyle. It’s set to launch later this year as the products will be available in licensed dispensaries in Colorado and Washington.
Tommy Chong: Half of the comedy pair Cheech and Chong, Tommy Chong’s roles in films and comedy shows created the template for the stoner stereotype that we know today. Over 10 years ago he even had to do some jail time because he was selling bongs and pipes online. He battled prostate cancer and reunited with Cheech after years of feudign. Today he’s all legit: he founded Tommy Chong’s Smoke Swipe, which is a line of dry wipes that can reduce the lingering odor of pot and even tobacco smoke from your clothes. Earlier this year he also launched his own signature marijuana strain, aptly called Chong Star.
Rose McGowan: The Hollywood actress was overheard discussing cannabis and business at a party, and in particular, saying how fast the legal marijuana industry was growing. She has made it clear that she’s an investor although it remains hazy which companies she’s actually invested in.
Kevin Smith: Sometimes, nothing works better for publicity than developing a special marijuana strain. That’s precisely what happened with Kevin Smith and his strange horror-comedy movie called Tusk. The movie’s distributor partnered with a dispensary in California to cultivate branded pot for the movie.
Whoopi Goldberg: The Oscar-winning actress recently launched a line of medical marijuana products designed to address menstrual pains. The line, called Whoopi and Maya, partnered with ganjapreneur Maya Elizabeth who founded Om Edibles in California. Elizabeth has been in the cannabis business for a long time now and has expertise in developing medical marijuana products that cater to womens’ needs. Whoopi and Maya offer a range of medicinal products that come in the form of bath soaks, balms, tinctures, and sipping chocolate although these are only available to California’s card-carrying patients.
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