Possessing your own cannabis brand has become a popular indicator of celebrity in recent years.
Nowadays, it seems as though every famous person has a side business, a product or series of items designed to further their brand’s appeal outside of their regular sources of income.
In the past, celebrities have dabbled in food or fashion, but in recent years, having a personal cannabis brand has become a trendy indicator of fame.
A number of famous people, including Mike Tyson, Martha Stewart, and Bella Thorne, are marketing their own cannabis companies, and many more are attempting to launch cannabis-related enterprises.
Heck, the famous people don’t even need to be alive. Jerry Garcia’s estate and George Harrison’s estate both hold permits for cannabis goods and accessories.
Even a delivery business called Camp Nova in California that specialized in the marijuana brands of famous people and influencers exists.
Given that recreational marijuana is now legal in 19 states and the District of Columbia while medical marijuana is permitted in 37 states and Washington, D.C., this is a promising time for celebrities looking to enter the sativa market.
If anything, Dan Wilson, editor of Visit Hollyweed, a news site about California cannabis, told HuffPost, “it improves a celeb’s image to participate in a burgeoning sector with significant cultural roots.”
Musicians are the celebrity group most likely to gain from a cannabis association, according to Wilson, “since marijuana and music have had a natural affinity for decades.”
“Celebrities who wish to use cannabis need to have a relationship with marijuana story,” says the author.
Klint Briney, a sports and entertainment agent, believes that retired professional players can profit from a marijuana reputation.
“I mean, who doesn’t understand agony like, like, Serena Williams or Peyton Manning? More Americans suffer from pain than from diabetes, heart disease, and cancer combined, according to Briney’s statement to HuffPost.
According to Sydney Banta of the cannabis marketing company Highopes, those working in the culinary industry will probably be the ones driving the expansion of celebrity brands.
Consumables and beverages are sectors that have just just begun to be explored, according to Banta, who spoke to HuffPost. Everybody eats and drinks, even those who don’t smoke. In other words, I’d wager you’d find a completely new segment of cannabis-curious consumers if Rachel Ray launched a line of cannabis delights.
According to Food52.com, comedian Cheech Marin is one celebrity who is utilizing the cannabis-friendly restaurant idea Muncheechos. Muncheechos specializes in stoner-friendly cuisine.
But one thing that hasn’t been done too much yet is selecting particular cannabis strains to complement a celebrity’s public persona.
In 2020, a journalist for Pacific San Diego said that Mike Tyson’s former cannabis company, Tyson Ranch, gave users a buzz that made them talkative but didn’t “carry a punch.”
Additionally, the high associated with comedian Tommy Chong’s brand was not the anticipated “giggle weed” but rather was more cerebral.
However, according to Patrick Toste, creative director of Highopes, celebrity-inspired strains can be profitable if used wisely.
According to him, using this strategy “ensures that customers perceive the celebrity’s connection and partnership with the business as real rather than as a blatant cash grab.” Additionally, it can be a terrific approach to draw in, seize, and turn that celebrity’s fans and followers into cannabis brand buyers.
“I’d bet you’d find a completely new sector of cannabis-curious consumers,” said the wagerer. “If Rachel Ray launched a line of cannabis delights.”
HighHopes.co’s Sydney Banta
Wilson asserted that it is “not realistic to be so limited as to only offer one ‘experience’ for your cannabis brand,” nevertheless. He stated that it was more typical for a celebrity to create a carefully selected collection of strains and tell fans, “I tried a number of strains and these were my favorite; these are the ones I like and I think you’ll like too.”
Nevertheless, he claimed that celebrities may adopt the strategy of associating themselves with a certain strain provided they were deliberate and careful about it.
For instance, by choosing a strain based on an encounter that fits their persona and then consistently providing that strain, he said. “To do that, they need a reliable grow operation.”
Lil’ Kim’s new cannabis brand, Aphrodisiak, was created in collaboration with the LA-based cannabis company superbad, according to Carlos Dew of superbad. They worked on several strains, but the first one, Hardcore, was specifically created to match Lil’ Kim’s seductive persona.
It was difficult to win over the legendary hip-hop artist. Lil Kim tried five different strains before settling on Hardcore, according to Dew.
No, Dew responded, “She didn’t try them all at once.” No, you can’t.
Obviously, having a cannabis link can increase a celebrity’s wealth, but not every celebrity should enter the cannabis industry with the expectation of earning a fortune, according to Wilson.
According to Wilson, “celebrities who wish to use cannabis need to have a story about their relationship with marijuana.” “Ideally, they have discussed marijuana freely in the work or art for which they are known or have supported legalization as a public figure. Without this relationship, it comes across as purely opportunistic.
That is consistent with the opinions of Bella Thorne, a former Disney Channel actress and owner of the Forbidden Flowers business. She takes seriously her status as a cannabis celebrity.
In 2021, she told HuffPost, “Cannabis is really essential to me and is a part of my lifestyle. “There are many moving parts, so it just takes a while to get everything fully operational. I also had to do a lot of research on where I wanted to cultivate the marijuana, how I wanted the buds to taste, what I wanted the brand to stand for, and how I wanted the packaging to look.
