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This story originally appeared on The Fresh Toast.
As cannabis becomes a go-to source for a myriad of health benefits, celebrity endorsements are normalizing the herb more than ever.
Legally speaking, cannabis has slowly been making progress, shifting our cultural perspective so much so that it seems like celebrities openly embracing the drug should be the norm. It isn’t. Despite the fact that cannabis is more mainstream than ever, there are still people in the world who have trouble understanding it, which makes endorsing a product a sticky situation for any celebrity worried about ruining their image.
But attaching their name to cannabis was a no-brainer for these 8 celebrities.
Chelsea Handler
Coming off of the most recent tour for her second book, Chelsea Handler has spoken up about the perks of therapy, meditation and weed, and how these three things have helped her cut down on her drinking and to stay more calm and present. “Now you can microdose. Microdosing is taking minimal amounts so you’re not overdosing on that THC feeling. Everybody’s coming out with different versions to treat people. I take a gummy every night to sleep,” she told Health in February.This year, she partnered with cannabis brand Sweet Flower, curating their Evolution Kit. Handler included her favorite cannabis products, which include pre-rolls from Aster Farms, chocolate covered blueberries from Kiva Confections and CANN’s cannabis infused social tonics.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Oscar winning actress and Goop CEO Gwyneth Paltrow has also made investments in the cannabis industry, specifically products geared towards people who want to explore sober drinks. “There’s a whole sober-curious movement that’s going on and the cannabis-curious movement that’s going on, this is kind of at the intersection of those things in a way,” she explained.
Paltrow is referring to her partnership with cannabis-infused beverage maker CANN. “We’re very clearly and definitively moving in the direction of cannabis being legalized, and I think it should be,” said Paltrow. “I’m actually not a big personal user of it. But I do think that there are amazing medicinal qualities to it and it is really helpful for a lot of people.”
Back in 2017, Paltrow spoke highly about marijuana and it’s medicinal benefits.
Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen and longtime writing partner Evan Goldberg came up with Houseplant, a recreational Canadian marijuana company. “Houseplant is a passion we’ve brought to life through drive and dedication,” Rogen said in a press release. “Every decision we’ve made for the business reflects the years of education, first-hand experience and respect we have for cannabis.”
The result of years of experience and dedication, Houseplant is backed in collaboration with the Ontario-based grower Canopy Growth. Rogen explained that Houseplant is not only about creating high quality products, but it’s also about helping consumers understand cannabis on a deeper level.
Margaret Cho
Comedian, actress and fashion designer Margaret Cho is a big fan of cannabis. “It stimulates everything—your creativity, your hunger,” she said on TruTV, back in November 2015. When it comes to the business side of things, Cho has designed her own strain of cannabis, a riff of OG Kush called Margaret Cho-G. It stems from the San Francisco Bay Area and it has powerfully relaxing effects with a side of the giggles.
Martha Stewart
Perhaps one of the most controversial and successful weed celebrities, Martha Stewart has been involved with cannabis in many ways, whether on her cooking show with Snoop Dogg or launching a brand of CBD products. In September, the queen of lifestyle branding partnered with Canopy Growth to launch her own line of CBD products, simply called Martha Stewart CBD. The products are geared towards people who are curious about cannabis, but maybe not ready to make the full jump.
Jay-Z
Last week, it was announced that Jay-Z had been named chief visionary officer of two cannabis brands, Caliva and Left Coast Ventures, which focus on cannabis and hemp. (In July 2019, Jay-Z joined the California-based Caliva as chief brand strategist.) The goal of the new venture, according to a press release, is to “redefine the industry with a mission to both consolidate the California cannabis market and create an impactful global company.”
As CVO, Jay-Z will guide brand strategy and Social Equity Ventures, which is a fund that will invest in Black and minority owned cannabis businesses as well as contributing to progressive criminal justice initiatives. “Although we know we can’t fully redeem the injustices created by the ‘war on drugs’, we can help shape a brighter and inclusive future,” said Jay-Z in a statement. “The brands we build will pave a new path forward for a legacy rooted in equity, access, and justice. We’re creating something people can trust and we’re investing in our future, our people, and our communities.”
Kristen Bell
Actress Kristen Bell has long been a proponent of CBD products, but her partnership with Lord Jones marks the first time she’s launched her own brand. Happy Dance is a line made up of three relaxing products: a bath bomb, a body butter and a coconut melt. In an interview with Allure, Bell explains that she’s been a fan of Lord Jones for a long time, and that she reached out to them after trying out their CBD lotion. When making Happy Dance she wanted to create a line of high quality CBD products that were available to all sorts of people, with the prices starting at $15. It’s not exactly cheap, but compared to the competition, it’s not a bad price.
Megan Rapinoe
Last year, Megan Rapinoe partnered with Mendi, a Portland-based CBD brand developed with female athletes in mind. Rachel Rapinoe, one of the co-founders of the brand and Megan’s sister, said: “No other CBD brand has signed an athlete as recognizable as Rapinoe and who are still playing. She wants a robust role to help us grow from an underdog to a global CBD sports brand.”
Mendi’s mission is to provide athletes with different and healthy options for recovery and sleep aid, all using natural elements. Since THC still holds some stigma for athletes, Mendi provides powerful products that are CBD based.
