Seattle-based Privateer Holdings, the investment firm behind the popular Leafly smartphone app and online cannabis strain database, is partnering with the family of Bob Marley to create the world’s first international brand for marijuana and marijuana-related products.
As early as next year, Marley Natural plans to offer “heirloom Jamaican cannabis strains inspired by those Bob Marley enjoyed,” as well as tinctures, lotions, and other marijuana accessories. Obviously, the products will only be made available in regions that have legalized and regulated cannabis use.
“We are joining Privateer Holdings because they understand and respect our father’s legacy,” said Marley’s son, Rohan Marley, in a news release announcing the global brand.
“My dad would be so happy to see people understanding the healing power of the herb,” added Cedella Marley, Bob’s daughter. “He viewed the herb as something spiritual that could awaken our well-being, deepen our reflection, connect us to nature and liberate our creativity. Marley Natural is an authentic way to honor his legacy by adding his voice to the conversation about cannabis and helping end the social harms caused by prohibition.”
Rita Marley, mother to Rohan and Cedella, believes that her humble husband would wholeheartedly approve of the business venture being launched under his name. “This is what we dreamed of,” she said, referencing the growing acceptance and legality of Marley’s beloved herb.
The Marley family has already been marketing Bob Marley’s musical legacy for years. These ventures have included unique brands of coffee, musical equipment, as well as rolling papers and t-shirts targeting the cannabis community. Not until Marley Natural, however, has the family actually committed to joining the cannabis industry and becoming ganjapreneurs themselves.
Brendan Kennedy, the CEO of Privateer Holdings, calls the new brand a “partnership of two cannabis pioneers.” He plans to run the Marley Natural brand out of New York City, so it’s clear that any direct handling of cannabis by the company is going to be many years out at the earliest. Marley Natural, however, can still license out its brand to state-approved marijuana producers in those regions that have legalized such activities.
“This is what the end of prohibition looks like,” Kennedy explained. “Bob Marley started to push for legalization more than 50 years ago. We’re going to help him finish it.”
Sources:
http://www.marleynatural.com/press/
Photo Credit: monosnaps