Cheech Marin to Help Secretary of State Register California Cannabis Businesses

Per the request of Secretary of State Alex Padilla, Cheech Marin is helping spread a word of encouragement to California cannabis businesses that are in the process of registering for licensing with the state. Marin appeared on the secretary of state’s ad introducing the new registration portal. It’s all part of an effort to help California’s long-running medical cannabis industry ease through the transition into the next generation of regulated cannabis.

Marin’s new public service announcement urges cannabis businesses to register with the secretary of state’s new website, Cannabizfile. It’s a similar version of the state’s Bizfile portal, where conventional businesses can file paperwork.

In the video, a woman asks a filing clerk, who is Marin, about how to apply for state paperwork. “You could do it in person,” Marin said in the video, pointing to a towering stack of papers with a skull-shaped paperweight on top. “Or, you can go to cannabizfile.sos.ca.gov.” Throughout the video, Marin’s face is partially hidden behind the computer, adding to the surprise.

According to The Sacramento Bee, Padilla ran into Marin in a Los Angeles restaurant a few weeks ago and asked him to help get the message across about the new portal. Marin happily obliged.

Marin recently released Cheech’s Private Stash, his own line of cannabis, and he is personally involved in the California cannabis market. His longtime sidekick Tommy Chong has released his own line of cannabis Chong’s Choice as well. The duo helped introduce America to cannabis culture during the ‘70s and ‘80s, when cannabis was not as socially acceptable as it is today.

The website identifies a few new changes. “The Secretary of State is accepting organization documents for cannabis-related business entities,” Padilla website states. “Starting January 2018, the Secretary of State will accept filings for the newly created entity type, Cannabis Cooperative Association.” Cooperatives can be formed by three or more people under the new license type.

Putting Marin’s face on the  ad helps make the registration process a little less painful for California cannabis businesses.