Whoopi Goldberg To Launch Medical-Marijuana Company For Women

Robert Celt

New Member
Whoopi Goldberg is the latest celebrity "ganjapreneur" hoping to cash in on cannabis.

In partnership with the edibles maker Maya Elisabeth, Goldberg is launching a medical marijuana line of products specifically for women. The Whoopi & Maya line will include four marijuana-infused products: a balm, tincture, sipping chocolate and bath soak. The products are intended to reduce and relieve pain and cramps during menstruation.

When it comes to the marijuana industry, many celebrities have beaten Goldberg to the punch. This past February, Bob Marley's family released a collection of "Marley Natural" cannabis and lifestyle products inspired by the deceased marijuana enthusiast. Snoop Dogg also recently released his "Leafs by Snoop" cannabis product line.

However, Goldberg's is uniquely targeted at women and the problem of period pain. Goldberg, who openly acknowledges using marijuana, told Glamour that the marijuana industry has not been entirely accepting of her business plan.

I have a daughter and two granddaughters who inherited my horrific menstrual cramps... Being a pot smoker for years, I talked to a lot of men in the marijuana business about developing something for period relief, and they always came back with 'That's too niche a market.'... Half of the planet is not a niche market!

Goldberg's story is hardly surprising given the lack of women in the cannabis industry.

Fiscal incentives asides, Goldberg is a passionate supporter of medical marijuana and expanding its uses. In 2014, she wrote in The Cannabist about her mixed feelings regarding the passing of medical marijuana legislation in New York. "While I'm thrilled for my fellow New Yorkers who will be able to seek treatment via marijuana when N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plan goes into action sometime in 2016, I'm sorry to say the governor's plan doesn't include conditions like glaucoma, migraines or severe menstrual disorders – very real issues for people who suffer from them, myself included," Goldberg wrote.

So, will the Whoopi & Maya line be a hit in their "niche market"? It has a good shot. Nine out of ten women suffer from dysmenorrhea, otherwise known as period pain. A survey of 600 women found that 4 out of 10 women experienced pain so severe that they would not concentrate at work and 10% were routinely bedridden because of period pains. In short, period pain is too damn common. Furthermore, despite what Pineapple Express and others of its ilk would have you believe, women use marijuana nearly as frequently as men. According to a Gallup poll, 6% of women currently use marijuana vs. 8% of men.

So even though the Whoopi & Maya line may not have the cool factor of "Marley Natural" or "Leafs by Snoop," Goldberg has a good shot of making it big with her medicinal marijuana products, which will be available in California starting this April. Given that revenue from adult-use and medical cannabis sales are expected to reach $8.5 billion by 2017, there's plenty of room for Whoopi and other female ganjapreneurs.

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News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Whoopi Goldberg To Launch Medical-Marijuana Company For Women
Author: Hayley C. Cuccinello
Contact: Forbes
Photo Credit: Kevin Winter
Website: Forbes
 
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