Bob Marley was – and still is – the king of reggae music. The iconic singer was also a huge proponent of marijuana. Some of his fans might be wondering why this form of product placement took so long, but the late Jamaican singer is finally getting his own brand of legalized retail marijuana.
The Perfect Match for Marijuana Marketing
Marley’s family is working with Privateer Holdings, a private equity firm specializing in marijuana products, to develop Marley Natural brand weed. In addition to marijuana creams and lotions, the line will also offer “heirloom Jamaican cannabis strains” that the singer reportedly smoked when he was alive.
Cedella Marley, the musician’s daughter, said in a statement that the Marley pot brand would serve as “an authentic way to honor his legacy” by adding his name to the discussion about making marijuana legal. “My dad would be so happy to see people understanding the healing power of the herb,” she said.
“He viewed the herb as something spiritual that could awaken our well-being, deepen our reflection, connect us to nature and liberate our creativity.”
The Fickle Business of Weed
Of course, money likely played a major factor in the launch of Marley’s marijuana label as well. There is already a $1.53 billion dollar domestic market for legal pot and Privateer Holdings CEO Brendan Kennedy believes that amount could surpass $10 billion within the next five years. With Marley now the biggest celebrity name associated with marijuana sales, his family could potentially reap massive monetary benefits.
Several rappers have attempted to cash in on the booming marijuana industry, though. Snoop Dogg endorses Kurupt’s Moon Rocks, which is a bud dipped in concentrated weed oil, and also sells his own brand of rolling papers. Notorious pothead Wiz Khalifa has his own strain of marijuana called Khalifa Kush, while Redman has served as a spokesman for Los Angeles-based cannabis company Caviar Gold.
Despite its legalization, there are still serious issues associated with marijuana sales. There are plenty of legal speed bumps to navigate when launching a marijuana business, as it’s still illegal at the federal level. Also, marijuana can’t be transported across state lines, so there are severe restrictions on distribution. Some companies have worked around this issue by licensing to growers in various states. Only a handful of states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, while 27 states have banned its medical use.
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