Growing with the stars: These celebrities gave fans an inside look at their budding cannabis farms
The more states legalize cannabis, the more celebrities are dipping into the canna-biz. The star-studded industry has attracted VIP’s of all kinds, from the rapper Snoop Dogg to the comedian Seth Rogen, and even the queen herself, Beyoncé, recently announced that she is starting her own cannabis farm.
But while it may be trendy for stars to grow weed, cannabis enthusiasts don’t often get to see how the sausage gets made in these “high” profile farms (pun intended.) To help break the fourth wall, we searched tours of grow facilities connected to celebrity brands. Here are a few famous growers who gave their fans a peek behind the scenes.
Jim Belushi, Belushi’s Farm
In a 2020 CBS Sunday Morning report, actor Jim Belushi showed off his 93-acre cannabis farm situated along the Rogue River in Oregon. The farm produces three signature cannabis brands and was the subject of the Discovery TV reality show “Growing Belushi.”
Referring to the potential for cannabis to help people like his brother, John Belushi, who died from drug overdose in 1982, Jim said, “That’s what set me on this journey.”
Tommy Chong, Tommy Chong’s Cannabis
Yes, you can buy weed from one of the famous Cheech and Chong duo. But don’t worry, it’s not Chong’s “special occasion” joint. Actor Tommy Chong started his own cannabis business in 2016, and has been producing a line of cannabis products called Chong’s Choice at a cultivation facility in Southern California ever since.
In a 2016 interview with Complex, Chong showed fans each step of the cultivation process for Chong’s Choice, all while opening up about his experience going to jail for cannabis charges, and using it to cope with pain while he had cancer. “I’d get stoned… and then I’d forget that I was sick,” Chong told Complex.
Willie Nelson Partners, Willie’s Reserve
The cannabis and country music icon Willie Nelson has yet to bless us with a ranch tour himself, but Willie’s Reserve has released several videos spotlighting the many local cannabis farms that partner with the company in a YouTube series called “Willie’s Guide to Weed.”
In a tour of Huckleberry Hill Farms, a cannabis cultivation facility in northern California that’s home to the cannabis brand Huckleberries, grower Johnny Casali, said, “It’s important for people to know how much I believe in what we’re doing, and how much I’m willing to sacrifice… and I’m so proud to be working with Willie because I think he has some of the same feelings.”
Elissa Esher is Assistant Editor at GreenState. Her work has also appeared in The Boston Guardian, Brooklyn Paper, Religion Unplugged, and Iridescent Women. Send inquiries and tips to elli.esher@hearst.com.