TAKE A DRAG

Laganja Estranja dazzled her audience with her witty comebacks and catchphrases as a breakout star on RuPaul’s Drag Race (RPDR) Season 6. Laganja is ripe with talent considering the progress of her musical career, but when she’s not performing and rapping, teaching dance school or starring on television, she’s promoting LA Hepburns, her line of ice water hash prerolls. After a live performance in downtown L.A., CULTURE caught up with Laganja Estranja over some flowers during a rare break in between her U.K. tour and Peru tour.

What led you to tap into the cannabis industry?

My name is Laganja Estranja, so it was only a matter of time. In college, about four or five years ago, I was doing a dance piece where I was lifted above three girl’s heads. Long story short, I was dropped and injured my back. I started seeing a chiropractor. I didn’t like it. I thought the technique was a little too aggressive to heal my body. My chiropractor said maybe I should try medical marijuana for my pain. I never really smoked growing up, so I wasn’t open to the idea. My grandma died of cancer, so any kind of smoking equaled cancer because it reminded me of my grandmother. My pain got worse, so I decided, fuck it. I got my card and started medicating. I’ve tried it before, but never for medical reasons. I went to a real doctor. I went to a real collective, not one of those ones with bars on the windows. So fast forward a couple of years later, I got off my anti-depressants. I got off Ambien for sleep. I was able to get off any pharmaceutical that I was on.

Why is cannabis important to you?

Naturally, as I was becoming a drag queen, I knew that I wanted to have a platform that I’d always be able to fall back on. Being a drag queen was never something that I planned on doing long-term. I saw RuPaul’s Drag Race as a launchpad for my career. I told myself that I wanted something embedded in my name that I can fall back on. I chose marijuana because at that time I was in art school, everyone smoked. I was seeing, even four years ago, how much more accepted cannabis was becoming. I told myself that I’m going to get on this wave, and become something. I will be the gay face of marijuana. My first introduction to marijuana was for medical reasons, so it’s very important for me to continue this idea and brand.

You recently released partnered with San Francisco’s The Hepburns to release LA Hepburns, your own line of ice water hash prerolls.

My products are all organic/veganic. It’s ice water hash, so there’s very little chemicals involved in that process. My joints are literally as healthy as a joint could be. They come in two sizes. There’s the Big Deluxe joint, which is for high rollers and those who are looking to party more. Then we have our little tin of bud joints—Those are more lady like. It contains almost an eighth.

Was Season 6 of RuPaul’s Drag Race a turning point for you and your career?

Of course. Are you kidding me? Up until that point I was literally working for $50 a night. My booking fee automatically quadrupled because of my appearance on TV. I’m very thankful for having been on that show. It wasn’t always easy growing up in front of an audience. I think that I’m a lot better person because I survived everything that I went through on the TV show. I’m proud to be part of the RuPaul’s Drag Race experience and the legacy. I think I’m doing a great job of that regardless of whether I’m on RPDR All Stars or not. I was asked to do the show, and it didn’t work out. And I’m very happy about that, to be honest. I’m so proud to see Alyssa every week. I’m happy to host my own local RPDR viewing party. I enjoy being part of the brand without having to compete again.

I’ve seen dozens of aspiring drag queens, lined up, with starry-eyed dreams of breaking into the world of Hollywood and the music industry. Why did you succeed while so many others fall short?

My secret to success is two things. One is: “L’important c’est de durer” by Yves Saint Laurent which means ”The important thing is to laugh” in French. Yves Saint Laurent was the longest lasting couture person there is. He lasted longer than Louis Vuitton, Chanel, all of them. There’s this amazing documentary where he is smoking cigarettes. In the documentary, he takes a big puff of his cigarette and he says it so beautifully. After Season 6, I thought that I’d never do drag again. I went back to that quote and remembered that it’s not about how I’m being perceived right now, but in the future. The other motto is “Don’t dream it, be it” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show.