7 Big Weed Brand Ambassadors

By: Matt Mernagh

This week’s acquisition by Privateer Holdings Inc for the name Bob Marley to create Marley Natural may eliminate the thinking great marijuana sells itself, but it may not.

Before cannabis legalization, his estate was valued at approximately $130 million USD. Only time will tell if the purchase was sweet or bittersweet for Privateer.

If the ganja is great people are going to buy it regardless of how it is branded, but people are persuaded all the time by branding something is great when its not.

Is this going to happen to cannabis?

As a professional marijuana reviewer, I do admit to getting a bit more excited by some strain names than others. I’ve never smoked Alaska Thunder Fuck, but really, really want too.

I’m not alone, potheads ask me about different strains they’ve heard of, but haven’t toked all the time.

Marijuana seed breeders tell me winning a cannabis cup is worth about a million or more in seed sales. To use wrestling lingo, winning puts that brand over in the eyes of consumers and growers.

Ideally Bob Marley Natural isn’t going to be bunk like Jamaican cannabis.

Thankfully producers can’t rely solely on the reggae legend’s name to sell subpar pot product because Marley Natural isn’t going to be the only cannabis name in the ganja game.

Here are 7 Big Weed Brand Ambassadors

Whoopi Goldberg

How many people are waking n baking to The View already? Probably a good 13.7 percent! With Whoopi Goldberg getting behind vaping and marijuana legalization her value is immeasurable. Over ten percent of The View viewership is vaping or toking or bong ripping because it’s estimated 13.7 percent of Americans inhale annually. Whoopi Goldberg hits a great marijuana market and I’d put big money on her.

Sarah Silverman

Incredibly no vape pen company approached comedian Sarah Silverman after her epic Oscar red carpet appearance to make a commercial. In case you forgot, Silverman whipped out her vape pen and told the interviewer she doesn’t leave home without it. Her marijuana marketing appeal is huge – prolly not $50 million huge – but I’d buy Silverman Sillies (a sativa blend great for giggles) long before I bust out Marley Natural.

Dr. Dre

The billion dollar rapper could privately finance his own branded entry into the marijuana marketplace. He’s got marketing chops! Dr. Dre is hugely over in the Gen X market and has the same branding value as Marley. In fact, I’d argue Dr. Dre has a more powerful brand than Bob Marley in this demographic. We may never get a follow up to the Chronic, but we may get Dr. Dre’s Chronic. After inhaling we’ll forget all about Dre.

Willie Nelson

Let’s not overlook the senior market and who best to serve up branded buds than Willie Nelson. The man is a living legend, honest, and when it comes to cannabis I’d trust Willie’s Weed to be dynamite. His net worth is estimated at $215 million (much more than Bob’s), but he still wears braids and jeans. Nelson’s weed would be down to earth, homey, and sluggish. Not to mention it’s medical value!

Lady Gaga

Not a long term marketing investment, but who could deny the marketability of Lady Gaga. Picking up Lady Gaga Ganja is surely going to result in an id check. Attached to a fantastic trippy, weird, spacy stone, Lady Gaga Ganja may actually outlive the lady’s other activities.

Miley Cyrus

See Lady Gaga, but change name to Marijuana Miley’s or Miley’s Marijuana.

Michael Phelps

Admittedly he has denied his cannabis use, but photos of Olympian sized bong rips exist. Phelps’s brand has diminished, however attaching it to legal cannabis and pitching it to people who work out is ganja genius. A good fitness routine should include cannabis. I know mine is!

Ricky Williams

The man has gone through a tremendous amount of personal persecution for medicating with marijuana. He was never meant for the NFL, but the Ricky Williams strain would be great for Sunday afternoon football sessions. Best, the number of people able to go to work Monday morning refreshed because they inhaled cannabis instead of booze while watching football is unknown productivity factor…add suspended NFL players who smoked pot to be pitchmen.

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