Gorilla Glue To Weed Grower: Dude, Quit Using Our Name

Ron Strider

Well-Known Member
Call it "Buddha," "indo,'' "loud,'' - just don't call your weed Gorilla Glue.

If you do, you risk a lawsuit from Sharonville-based Gorilla Glue Co., which is suing a Las Vegas-based marijuana grower for trademark infringement.

The defendant, GG Strains, produces a highly potent, hybrid marijuana strain knows as Gorilla Glue #4, which is popular on dispensary shelves in many of the more than two dozen states that have legalized marijuana in some form.

But the name is so similar to the famous adhesive maker's brand that you don't have to be "Half Baked'' - the title of perhaps the quintessential stoner flick of the 1990s - to draw an unwanted connection between the two companies, according to the lawsuit, filed in March in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati.

"Gorilla Glue has been using this trademark for about two decades and has invested a lot in building the brand. This is a family-owned company that owes it to its stakeholders, including its employees and customers, to protect those investments,'' read a statement from the plaintiff's attorney, Thomas Hankinson of the Cincinnati-based law firm, Keating Muething & Klekamp.

The main focus of the lawsuit is to bar GG Strains from further use of the Gorilla Glue trademark on any of its products or services, according to Hankinson.

But the lawsuit also seeks unspecified monetary damages, including "any and all profits arising from or related to Defendant's unlawful actions.''

An email sent Tuesday to GG Strains was not immediately returned for comment, but the company defended its use of the Gorilla Glue brand in a June press release.

"We're fighting to set a precedent, the cannabis industry is full of cultural references, we don't want it to go back to the days of Reefer Madness. There are plenty of other corporations waiting in the wings to see if they get the green light from the courts on this case," read a statement from GG Strains' founders Joesy Whales and Lone Watty. "It could have massive consequences for the industry. We have to draw a line in the sand, and we need to hold this line together or we'll regret it before this industry has the clout to stand up for itself,"

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News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Gorilla Glue to weed grower: Dude, quit using our name
Author: Randy Tucker
Contact: Contact Us
Photo Credit: Gorilla Glue Co
Website: Cincinnati Enquirer | cincinnati.com
 
Guess we'll have to hit up Krazy Glue and see if they're a little more chill? Or we could start calling it Monkey Adhesive, or possibly Primate Paste!.. I would be honored if I were them as it's synonymous with being some good strong top of the line stuff.
 
Yeah a case like this could set a huge precedent. Just imagine how many corporations and trolls will try to trademark the name of a cannabis strain and then sue for "any and all profit" associated with that name.

I can understand in this case of a family owned/run business that's been operating for 2 decades not approving of the name of a cannabis strain that's only been around a few years, but I really don't think people will confuse the two. And if some kids want to run off to their local hardware store to buy some Gorilla Glue adhesive to smoke, well, they'll still likely get high and could be in the running for the Darwin Awards.
 
Yeah a case like this could set a huge precedent. Just imagine how many corporations and trolls will try to trademark the name of a cannabis strain and then sue for "any and all profit" associated with that name.

And that is exactly what will happen as cannabis businesses legitimize. Ultimately, a trademark is a trademark and the courts will usually side with the trademark owner.
 
Is this real? I saw an article about a month or 2 ago, I can't remember the source, but saying the same thing but the article was purely comical and for entertainment. After that article came out, then I saw the information regurgitated across many news sources but claimed as true...

I'm just curious if this is another article that was generated from the "fake" entertainment based one....

If its true.. well I can't say that I don't agree with the glue company. I'd be pissed too if I spent years branding a product only to have a weed strain's name take popularity on internet marketing and SEO based searches. I've always thought that some cannabis strain names are purely poor taste... people should use better judgement when choosing future cultivar names.

Same with many cannabis product names and packages... where literally you have a brand like "weedos" which is pretty much an exact copy of the cheetos brand... but slightly altered to favor the cannabis crowd... I mean I get the "joke" of things like this.. but I thought cannabis was supposed to help creativity... I see a lot of rip offs...
 
This is so dumb cause if anything the actual glue has become more popular within the cannabis culture. I know if I need real glue I'll get gorilla glue
 
This is so dumb cause if anything the actual glue has become more popular within the cannabis culture. I know if I need real glue I'll get gorilla glue

Be careful with it. It expands & oozes . . .;)
 
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