New York rapper Jay-Z's entry into the cannabis industy as a brand manager, announced July 9, signaled a new wave of celebrities seeking a place in the burgeoning business. Here's our guide to the top celebrity canna-brands.
Celebrity: Snoop Dogg
Brand: Leafs By Snoop
On the heels of legalization in Colorado and Washington, Snoop Dogg was one of the first to jump in. The L.A. rapper got his start in Colorado partnering with LivWell in 2015. The next year the company expanded to Canada where its products are grown and distributed by Tweed, which is owned by Canopy Growth.
Celebrity: Willie Nelson
Brand: Willie's Reserve
Also announced in 2015, Nelson's products arrived in stores in Colorado and Washington in 2016. A line of infused chocolates created by his wife Annie was added in 2017 and Willie's Remedy hemp coffee earlier this year.
Celebrity: Bob Marley
Brand: Marley Natural
Funded by Privateer Holdings, Marley Natural announced in 2014 and launched in Los Angeles in 2016. Its product line is currently available in California and Washington.
Celebrity: Whoopi Goldberg
Brand: Whoopi & Maya
The brand was founded in 2016 by Goldberg, infusion specialist Maya Elisabeth, former High Times publisher Rick Cusick and NORML board member Evan Nison and lauched with a line of non-smoking products aimed at women in 2017. Its product line is currently available in California and Colorado.
Celebrity: Tommy Chong
Brand: Chong's Choice
The stoner comic and actor was also among the first celebs to launch his own cannabis brand, starting in one shop in Colorado in 2015 and then branching out to Washington in 2016. Its product line is now available in six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, Oregon and Washington.
Celebrity: B-Real
Brand: Dr. Greenthumb's
The Cypress Hill frontman won a dispensary license in California in 2015 and opened three years later in Sylmer and a second store in Sacramento on June 30.
Celebrity: Wiz Khalifa
Brand: Khalifa Kush Enterprises Oil
The rapper has had his own Khalifa Kush strain available in RiverRock stores in Colorado since 2016, but on June 25, he made a bigger deal with Supreme Cannabis to provide his KKE Oil to Canadian consumers.
Celebrity: Montel Williams
Brand: Montel by Select
In 2016, the former TV talk-show host announced he'd started his own cannabis company, LenitivLabs. Williams is currently selling 50 mg. hemp extract capsules.
Celebrity: 311
Brand: Grassroots Uplifter
Following the release of its Grassroots Uplifter Cart in 2016, the SoCal band now offer the v2 successor to the original. It's available at five Los Angeles stores and one in Nevada.
Celebrity: Jim Belushi
Brand: Belushi's Farm
After Oregon legalized marijuana in 2014, the actor and former Saturday Night Live cast member purchased 83 acres in Eagle Point and began growing strains under the Belushi's Private Vault name. Six strains are currently available at 14 Oregon shops.
Celebrity: Cheech Marin
Brand: Cheech's Private Stash
Like his comedy partner Tommy Chong, Marin's now in the cannabiz, selling four custom strains in three states: California, Colorado and Nevada. He launched in Nevada in 2018 after partnering with Redwood Cultivation.
Celebrity: Mickey Hart
Brand: Mind Your Head
The Grateful Dead and Dead & Company drummer and Left Coast Ventures offer one-third gram "magic mini" pre-rolls of the legendary Chemdog strain. Announced in May, they're already available at 10 NorCal shops.
Celebrity: Brendan Hill
Brand: Paper & Leaf
Blues Traveler's drummer has owned and operated this pot shop located on Washington State's Bainbridge Island since 2017.
Celebrity: Rebelution
Brand: Rebelution
The SoCal reggae band teamed up with FlavaRx in 2017 to produce all-natural cannabis oil cartridges. They're currently available in California, Colorado and Washington.
Celebrity: Julian Marley
Brand: Juju Royal Ultra Premium
Bob Marley's third-youngest son (and a performer in his own right) launched a vape pen in 2015. The company now sells CBD products online.
Celebrity: Al Harrington
Brand: Viola Extracts
The former NBA player founded the concentrates company in Colorado and has since expanded to California, Michigan and Oregon. He played for the Denver Nuggets from 2010-2012.
Celebrity: Umphrey's McGee
Brands: Day Nurse and Night Nurse
The popular jamband teamed with Batch Signature Extracts this year to create two disposable vape pens, a sativa (Day Nurse) and an indica (Night Nurse). They're available at numerous Lightshade retail outlets in and around Denver.
Celebrity: Jason Gann
Brand: Wilfred Cannabis Pre-Rolls
The creator and star of the hit TV series Wilfred has his own line of pre-rolls featuring Wilfred on the packaging. For five seasons on FX, the Australian-born Gann portrayed the pot-smoking, talking dog. Now his brand is avaialble in indica, sativa and hydrid varieties in joint boxes (seven .5 gram pre-rolls per box) at six California retail outlets. Woof!
Celebrity: Berner
Brand: Cookies
The San Francisco rapper and protege of B-Real opened the Cookies dispensary in Maywood (near Los Angeles) last year. According to Wikipedia, "He's associated with the 'Cookie Family' of marijuana geneticists, who produce strains common in California, such as 'Girl Scout Cookies' and 'Sunset Sherbet.'"
Celebrity: Terrell Davis
Brand: Defy
The former NFL running back and Hall of Famer and his Defy team created this "performance drink" that includes 20 mg of hemp extract for athletes that are looking to perform, rest, recover and maintain after a tough workout. It's available in three flavors and is sold online. Davis played for the Denver Broncos from 1995-2001.
Celebrity: Paul Pierce
Brand: Vesper
The Top 50 all-time NBA player is co-founder and CEO of this portable vaporizer company. The Vesper One comes in three colors, but doesn't include a "pod" or 510 cartridge. It's sold online.
Celebrity: Sigur Rós
Brand: Sigurberry CBD Gumdrops
The Icelandic rock band and Lord Jones have "come together to bring you CBD gumdrops inspired by the flavors of foraged Icelandic berries: wild blackberries, strawberries and blueberries," according to the company's website. Each gumdrop contains 20 mg of the "finest broad spectrum CBD extract." Boxes of nine of these delectable sweets are sold online.
Celebrity: CJ Wallace
Brand: Think BIG
The actor and son of rap legend Notorious B.I.G. has linked up with California cultivator Lowell Smokes on the Frank White Creative Blend, an eighth-ounce pack that contains seven pre-rolls and wooden matches. It's available at more than 30 weed shops in California.
Celebrity: Gary Payton
Brand: CannaSports
The former NBA point guard and Hall of Famer created a unique line of vape batteries that look like his various jerseys with the No. 20 on them. They're available online. The company also has six different oil cartridges with fun strain names like Courtside Colada, Alley Scoop Vanilla and Sonic Skittlez.
Celebrity: Mike Tyson
Brand: Tyson Ranch
The former heavyweight champion has emerged in the cannabiz with a number of flowers and concentrates that are available at several California shops.
More Celebs with Brands, Products and Investments in the Works:
This article was posted on July 12. It was updated on August 2.
