News
2015 Cannalebrity Update
Over the past year, the entertainment industry has heavily influenced media and public opinion. Most recently, celebrities at the Emmy Awards–Emmy’s talk show hosts Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, sing
Celebrities are beginning to look to cash in on this growing industry, while entrepreneurs hope well known names will help their products stand out in a crowd.
This made me reflect on my appearance on ABC’s The View earlier last spring, where I chatted with Whoopi Goldberg in the green room about vape pens, and even demonstrated them LIVE sitting next to Barbara Walters on stage! It’s more than a coincidence that Whoopi detailed her love of her vaporizer pen in an article soon after.
Cannalebrity brands include everything from branded strains to ancillary products like vape pens and stash jars, with icons Tommy Chong, Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa leading the way. Even venture capitalist and PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel, in association with the iconic Bob Marley name, aim to make history in the Cannalebrity space.
Tommy Chong
Iconic actor, best-selling author and Grammy Award-winning comedian Tommy Chong–perhaps best known as one-half of the legendary cannabis-fueled comedy duo Cheech & Chong–served a nine-month prison sentence in 2004 for shipping water pipes to Pennsylvania and battled prostate cancer in 2012 with a controversial cannabis oil protocol, has become a passionate advocate for cannabis freedom and fairness. Now at 76 years old, Chong adds entrepreneur to his resume with his new line of medicinal cannabis called Chong Star and ancillary products like The “Chong Roller” by Futurola and the Tommy Chong Green Card, a frequent buyers club card for consumers. The card, retailing at $19.95, may be loaded to spend at dispensaries as cash while earning points and rewards such as discounts on favorite strains, show discounts and monthly specials.
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Bethenny Frankel
During a ski trip to Colorado, Frankel was photographed outside of a cannabis dispensary. After making some social media comments, the rumors swirled that cannabis would be her next big endeavor. The Real Housewives of New York star cashed in more than $100 million when she sold her Skinnygirl line of alcoholic drinks to Beam Inc. Now, Frankel, is trying to expand her brand in to the cannabis industry. My big question? Skinnygirl cannabis is rumored be engineered to eliminate the munchies. What’s the point? Isn’t having the munchies a great side effect?
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Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson has revealed that she’s a huge supporter of cannabis legalization and the Second Amendment. In a revealing interview with Us Weekly, the singer admitted that she sees nothing wrong with smoking cannabis recreationally. Kelly was featured in the magazine’s “25 Things You Don’t Know About Me” list.
“I cannot understand the fact that controlled narcotic substances and alcohol are legal and weed isn’t. How many people do you know who have died from weed? My point exactly.”
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Chelsea Handler
Good golly Chelsea Handler, why did it take you 10 years to get your medical cannabis card? Handler recently tweeted that she’s officially licensed to light up, in celebration of her 40th birthday. Ten years after medical cannabis was legalized in California. Was she inspired by Roseanne Barr, back in 2011? Check out this transcript when Handler talked with Roseanne Barr on Chelsea Lately about the necessity of a prescription for cannabis.
Barr: Well, you know, for most of my life I had a chronic addiction to marijuana and then the doctors gave me a medicinal marijuana prescription in order to treat it, so I’m really doing good. Yeah, it’s really working for me.
Handler: Those prescriptions are great.
Barr: Well, it’s such a great drug, I mean, it really helps a lot of people who have a lot of problems. It’s not just, like, you know, to go out and get crazy, but I mean it’s a real medicine.
Handler: Well, it absolutely is a real medicine, and sometimes it’s not a medicine at all, but you need to be doing it.
It’s great to see she’s finally taking Roseanne’s advice.’
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Jane Fonda
Now we know why Jane Fonda looks so incredibly young and vivacious. Fonda manages to defy age every passing year and the 77-year-old actress has shared a recreational pastime she indulges in every so often that could be a factor in that. She confided to DuJour Magazine that she does “smoke pot every now and then.”
“I cannot see a movie on pot,” she said. “The number of movies I’ve seen thinking, ‘This is probably the best I have ever seen,’ and then I’ll see it again sober and think, What was I thinking?”
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Bill Maher
Bill Maher used his Real Time platform to address the status of cannabis legalization in the United States, as he thinks it’s time cannabis is allowed its freedom. “We should at least be honest with our kids and tell them the truth about drug laws in this country. Kids, if you’re gonna experiment, make absolutely certain that beforehand your parents are white and well-connected.”
“It is beyond past the time for the legalization of marijuana,” said Bill Maher, “as well as time for President Obama to pardon all Americans that are behind bars for non-violent drug offenses.”
