" The real celebrItIes —
the true cannabIs warrIors — are the ordinary people who are willing to share their stories about how marijuana and CBD have changed their life for the better .”
As L . A . reeled from the tragic helicopter crash that killed basketball star Kobe Bryant , his daughter , and seven others , the company teamed up with Hollywood ’ s Smartweed dispensary to help the city mourn . They brought in a DJ to serenade players on a basketball court and offered a 44 percent discount at the shop . “ It was fantastic ,” he says . “ That ’ s our way of being able to do something back for the community , where it ’ s too difficult to just give them cannabis .” Legendary West Coast rapper Kurupt took a similar approach on a multi-state dispensary tour to promote the Moonrock cannabis line . Christopher “ Black Silver ” Rodgers , CEO of Sterling World Records & Bookings , remembers . “ We did a promo tour for the brand ,” he says , recalling frequent side-trips to donate useful items to youth across the country , above and beyond the normal product giveaways at the shows with Hayward rapper Spice 1 . “ They gave out school supplies , backpacks , so much stuff ! They were having it shipped to our hotel the day before .” Having come out of the Crenshaw neighborhood of South Los Angeles — just like Kurupt — Rodgers admired how he incorporated a social mission to the weed venture with Zodiac . “ It kind of came full circle that that was part of his branding ,” he says . And now , as he works with 50 Cent on a pending business venture , Rodgers says he ’ s been happy to see how Curtis James Jackson III is more cause-focused than you might think . “ He does a lot more charity work than he speaks about ,” he says . “ It really actually kind of surprised me .”
Where Do We Go from Here ?
Political consultant and weed entrepreneur Sandi Jackson is facing similar regulatory headwinds to what Californians had to deal with . When we first spoke with her , she ’ d been trying to secure dispensary licenses in Chicago and Washington D . C . And , as a longtime literacy advocate , she stressed the
Sandi Jackson
importance of promoting social change , too .
But for the moment , she ’ s still on the starting line with her weed dreams . Too often , for people in her shoes , she says , the stumbling blocks are at the government level . “ Right now , it ’ s a major problem in Illinois ,” says Jackson , who was previously married to Jesse Jackson Jr ., thinking about her experiences working with state lawmakers . “ A lot of them don ’ t know anything about the industry .” While there ’ s plenty of nutsand-bolts lobbying ahead , she says , influencers could use their platforms to tug on the heartstrings of officials , particularly when trying to create a level playing field for independents .
Referencing the recent $ 100 million injection into Snoop Dogg ’ s Casa Verde Capital , she suggests celebs in marijuana “ have a responsibility ” to ensure underserved populations are included “ in what can only be described as the largesse of the cannabis industry .” One way celebrities-in-cannabis could have a measurable impact is by creating business vehicles that would allow smaller players to come along for the ride . “ I ’ m not saying you have to share and distribute your wealth ,” she says . “ But please do share the knowledge and the opportunity to gain that knowledge .” Unfortunately , the anti-pot forces in Illinois have really dug in their heels , and she ’ s given up hope on that opportunity for the time being , she says . However , Jackson ’ s since partnered with a new team that , in addition to the D . C . play , is aiming for licenses in Oklahoma , Maryland , New York , and New Jersey . “ Of all the licenses granted ( in Illinois ), not a single one went to a minority owner ,” she said , hinting at a potential public messaging campaign that ’ s ripe for the picking in Chicago . “ The level of dysfunction and corruption is overwhelming . I still believe this is due to a lack of education on the part of the state legislature and a process that was driven by insiders who ended up with the lion ' s share of the licenses .” Cannabis and wellness advocate Carrie Hudson can definitely sympathize . Watching Joe Biden ’ s inauguration with Sammie , her Yorkie , by her side , she couldn ’ t help but reflect on the local efforts that can be credited for the new era of decriminalization . After all , she was intimately involved in the Missouri legalization drive from 2014-16 that focused on cause-marketing the good ol ’ fashioned way — gathering signatures and changing opinions one person at a time . While they didn ’ t quite make the ballot at that time , their early efforts led to the successful 2018 medical marijuana referendum . Since then , millions of dollars have been directed towards helping veterans . She ’ s stayed in touch with her fellow activists over the years . They ’ ve managed to win over a Republican state lawmaker , who ’ s been selling his colleagues on recreational cannabis . Although , the latest thing she ’ s heard is some proposals are calling for up to 45 percent in taxes , which would risk repeating California ’ s mistakes . Hudson first turned to marijuana as part of her fight with cancer . “ Someone — as a last resort — brought me the plant ,” she says . “ It helped me eat , it helped me sleep , it helped me with anxiety .” The nutritionist and yogi , a former account executive with Mary ’ s Medicinals in Colorado , believes celebrities can help reduce the stigma that still surrounds cannabis in much of the country . “ I love that we ’ re bringing awareness , and that celebrities are stepping forward with their following , and their messaging , to align with cannabis and helping people ,” she says . “ They have a platform that many of us — including myself — don ’ t have .” But she hopes celebs who take on cannabis cause-marketing will stay true to the spirit of the initial medical-marijuana campaigns . “ I would just ask out of respect for the people that have walked the path before us , that we honor them , and we honor that legacy , and we remember what this is about ,” she says . “ It ’ s about healing people ; it ’ s about truth ; it ’ s about education ; it ’ s about freeing people from prisons that shoulda never been there ; and it ’ s about knowing what ’ s in our medicine .”
The way Hudson sees it , the real celebrities — the true cannabis warriors — are the ordinary people who are willing to share their stories about how marijuana and CBD have changed their life for the better . “ Because that ’ s the heart of America ,” she says . “ And that ’ s why we ’ re doing this .”
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