Content
Skip to Main ContentAccessibility Help
The Current

Bob Marley's name invoked to sell corporate marijuana

A corporate deal between Privateer Holdings and the estate of Bob Marley that will allow its medical marijuana company to use the Marley brand, is seen as emblematic of the Corporatization of Cannabis. With Wall St. and Bay St. now deep into the weed ... the grass has never been greener....
CBC Radio ·
The Current25:00Marley Natural becomes the first ever corporate pot brand - November 24, 2014
A corporate deal between Privateer Holdings and the estate of Bob Marley that will allow its medical marijuana company to use the Marley brand, is seen as emblematic of the Corporatization of Cannabis. With Wall St. and Bay St. now deep into the weed ... the grass has never been greener.

bob-marley-insert.jpg

Cedella Marley, Bob Marley's daughter believes 'Marley Natural' is something her dad would have wanted. (Sigfrid Casals/Cover/Getty Images)

Herb is a plant, herbs are good for everything. why why these people want to do so much good for everyone, they call themselves government and this and that ... why them say we must not use the herb.Bob Marley

As with many Rastafarians, Bob Marley considered marijuana a healing herb, or "sacrament". When asked about his use of marijuana he said "When you smoke herb, herb reveal yourself to you."

Well, Bob Marley may finally be getting his wish. Last week, Privateer Holdings, a private U.S. equity firm that invests in the cannabis industry, acquired the rights to use the Bob Marley name and image on its global cannabis brand, "Marley Natural". The deal is for the next 30 years.

Courtney Betty says the deal between the Marley estate and Privateer Holdings is a good indication the cannabis business is here to stay. He is the President of Timeless Herbal Care, a Jamaican-based medical marijuana company.

Kevin Sabet is the Director of the Drug Policy Institute at the University of Florida. He is the co-founder of Project SAM, which stands for Smart Approaches to Marijuana. He also served as Senior Advisor at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy in the Obama administration.


We invited Privateer Holdings to speak to us but no one was available.


What do you think about this development in the marijuana business -- Do you have concerns about marijuana being commercialized to this extent?

Tweet us @thecurrentcbc. Or e-mail us through our website. Find us on Facebook.

This segment was produced by The Current's Lara O'Brien and Marc Apollonio.

More from this episode