Pineapple Express star Seth Rogen and screenwriter Evan Goldberg have teamed up with Canopy Growth Corp. to launch a Toronto-based Canadian cannabis brand called Houseplant.
The Vancouver-born actor and the Canadian screenwriter with whom Rogen collaborated on the stoner film co-founded the Toronto-based company along with B次元官网网址渙ther great friends and colleagues.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲e have been working on this quietly for years and seeing everything come together is a dream come true,B次元官网网址� Rogen said in an emailed statement.
B次元官网网址淲e could not be more passionate about this company and are dedicated to doing everything the right way. It is extremely important to us to treat cannabis with the reverence it deserves. What a tiame!B次元官网网址�
Houseplant said Canopy acquired 25 per cent of the business, and invested working capital, but would not disclose any further financial information.
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Rogen and Goldberg are the business leads of the company, while Canopy in its role as venture partner is providing the facilities, expertise and infrastructure to grow cannabis.
B次元官网网址淲e have been getting to know the Houseplant team for quite a while now and continue to be impressed by their understanding of the cannabis consumer, attention to detail, and drive towards their vision,B次元官网网址� Canopy president and co-chief executive Mark Zekulin said in a statement.
Rogen, who has also portrayed pothead characters in films such as Knocked Up and the 40-Year-Old-Virgin, is not the first celebrity associated with cannabis to dabble in the pot industry.
Tommy Chong, one half of the Cheech & Chong comedy duo, has a line of medicinal cannabis products called ChongB次元官网网址檚 Choice, available in certain states where legal. In late 2017, director and actor Kevin Smith and actor Jason Mewes B次元官网网址� better known as their stoner movie characters Jay and Silent Bob B次元官网网址� entered into a brand licensing agreement with Hamilton, Ont.-based cannabis company Beleave Inc. to develop strains. And in 2016, rapper Snoop Dogg struck a deal with Canopy to grant the licensed producer the exclusive right to use certain content and brands such as Leafs By Snoop.
However, since Canada legalized recreational cannabis last October, these companies are subject to strict rules governing promotion of the products. The Cannabis Act prohibits the promotion of cannabis, cannabis accessories or any service related to cannabis by means of a testimonial or endorsement or by means of the depiction of a person, character or animal, whether real or fictional. It is also prohibited to present cannabis or any of its brand elements in a manner that B次元官网网址渆vokes a positive or negative emotionB次元官网网址� about a B次元官网网址渨ay of life such as one that includes glamour, recreation, excitement, vitality, risk or daring.B次元官网网址�
Any promotion that could be seen as appealing to young people is also forbidden.
Houseplant noted that Rogen and Goldberg are not paid spokespeople, but founders and business owners who have been involved in its strategic development and decision making since the beginning.
B次元官网网址淪ince inception the Houseplant team has maintained a strong focus on abiding by the regulations which is why, not due to a lack of opportunity both pre and post legalization, Seth and Evan have not participated in any cannabis related event or promotion in Canada,B次元官网网址� the company said in an emailed statement.
B次元官网网址淭hey are founders and owners, not spokespeople for the brand and have been very careful not to confuse that.B次元官网网址�
HouseplantB次元官网网址檚 team in Toronto consists of a chief commercial officer and marketing manager while its strains will be grown at CanopyB次元官网网址檚 facilities in Smiths Falls, Ont., she added.
The first strain Houseplant Sativa will be on sale at legal retailers in B.C. starting next month, with hybrid and indica strains to follow. The company said pre-rolled joints and softgel products will also follow later in the year as the brand rolls out across Canada.
Houseplant said it does not have any current plans to launch in the U.S. B次元官网网址� where cannabis is legal for medical and recreational purposes in several states but is illegal federally B次元官网网址� but both its partner and the company have B次元官网网址済lobal aspirations.B次元官网网址�
The company said there are no current plans for any products branded with Pineapple Express.
Rogen and GoldbergB次元官网网址檚 partners in Houseplant also include the California-based United Talent Agency through its business ventures group.
The pair have spent five years preparing for the launch, said Goldberg.
B次元官网网址淲e are so proud to be launching in Canada, our homeB次元官网网址� WeB次元官网网址檙e excited to be able to share our passion for cannabis with Canadians in this way,B次元官网网址� he said in a statement.
Armina Ligaya, The Canadian Press
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