Stevie Van Zandt is a founding member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, Silvio Dante of The Sopranos, a New York Times best selling author and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer — and he’s adding cannabis to his iconic credentials. Van Zandt is getting into the weed game with his eponymous line of pre-rolls under the name Little Steven’s Underground Apothecary.
The pre-rolls contain high-CBD, low-THC craft cannabis grown by Smash Hits cannabis — Canna Provisions proprietary craft cannabis flower. Van Zandt is certainly in good hands as the Director of Cultivation of Canna Provisions is non-other than legendary grower Chemdog.
Meg Sanders, Canna Provisions CEO, said, “Little Steven wanted to be sure to have an approachable, low-THC and high-CBD cannabis that is less about the recreational high, and more for people seeking the benefits of cannabis and cannabinoids like high-CBD cannabis on the body and mind.”
Little Steven’s Underground Apothecary Pre-Rolls | PHOTO CREDIT
According to the website, “this cannabis is meant to provide a powerful feeling of well being and enriching your endocannabinoid system with high-CBD and low-THC flower, so it’s less of a stoned-high and more a full body balancing effect with uplifting pep.”
Like so many others, the pandemic gave the guitar hero and a wake up call on the importance of personal well-being, promting him to create his Underground Apothecary, which offers a range of holistic teas, lollipops, candles and now pre-rolls.
“I have always demanded the very best from myself and of everyone around me, and my new wellness brand Little Steven’s Underground Apothecary is no different,” says Van Zandt. “Products like Smash Hits cannabis are like my other partners for the Apothecary – the best I can find in the world. So enjoy, be well, and stay focused on the only part of our destinies we totally control – what we choose to put in our bodies.”
“We need to help spread cannabis education, destigmatization, and stop unjust criminalization for a plant that not only does a lot of good, but has proven during COVID to be almost as essential as art to people’s well being and quality of life,” says Van Zandt.
To that end, ten percent of all profits from Van Zandt’s Little Steven’s Underground Apothecary will be given to the National Organization for Marijuana Legalization (NORML).
Canna Provisions, home of Little Steven’s Underground Apothecary | PHOTO CREDIT
Nearly 25 years after he was disqualified from the World Boxing Association Heavyweight Championship for biting his opponent’s ears, Mike Tyson’s Tyson 2.0 cannabis brand has just released ear-shaped edibles, Mike Bites.
The new ear-shaped edibles are complete with a missing chunk where Tyson removed a portion of Evander Holyfield’s cartilage in what became known as The Bite Fight. After Tyson bit off a chunk of Holyfield’s ear, the 1997 match resumed. However, after attempting to snack on Holyfield’s second ear, Tyson was disqualified and his boxing licence was withdrawn. The Nevada State Athletic Commission handed Tyson a a $3 million fine for his actions and he didn’t fight again for over a year.
Wiz Khalifa and his entertainment company Taylor Gang Ent. have collaborated with Stündenglass, the world’s first gravity-powered infuser, to introduce the iconic gold and black Taylor Gang x Stündenglass.
“I’m honored to have collaborated with long time friend Wiz Khalifa, who is as passionate about this product as I am. Our mutual admiration for Stündenglass made it a natural collaboration,” Stündenglass CEO Chris Folkerts said via a press release.
Taylor Gang x Stündenglass is an authentic collaboration developed after the multi-platinum-selling, Grammy-winning, Golden Globe-nominated Khalifa discovered Stündenglass and began enjoying it regularly as seen on his Instagram.
“I love my Stündenglass, and I’m pumped everyone gets to experience this with me now,” Khalifa.
The Taylor Gang x Stündenglass. PHOTO | Courtesy of Stündenglass
The infuser features a patented 360-degree gravity system that elicits a powerful and immersive experience. It generates kinetic motion activation via cascading water, opposing airflow technology and the natural force of gravity.
The Taylor Gang gravity bing comes in an exclusive black and gold colorway and features two glass globes on a metal base made of aircraft-grade aluminum, surgical grade stainless steel, and high-quality Teflon seals.
Taylor Gang includes artists Ty Dolla $ign, Juicy J, and Berner among others — the former of which has his own line Stündenglass collab with his Cookies brand.
“We’re very excited to launch the official Taylor Gang x Stündenglass. We use glass in our everyday lives, so it only made sense to team up and create an exclusive Taylor Gang collaboration for the fans,” Taylor Gang said.
With medicinal marijuana being legal in 37 states and recreational cannabis allowed in 18, we should be seeing commercials for companies, products, and services almost as frequently as commercials for sports betting, which is permitted in 30 states in some form.
However, mainstream cannabis advertising continues to be non-existent, as demonstrated in the recent news that NBC has rejected an ad by cannabis e-commerce and advertising platform Weedmaps from being shown during the Super Bowl LVI event his coming Sunday.
Weedmaps reportedly approached the network late last year about airing a Super Bowl commercial that would be “similar to a PSA,” according to reports. Execs volunteered to present some of their earlier educational-based programming, assuring NBC executives that it would not contain any direct-sell messages, which are still forbidden under federal law.
“The answer was a hard no — they wouldn’t even entertain the conversation,” Weedmaps Chief Operating Officer Juanjo Feijoo told Adweek. “We see ourselves as trying to be trailblazers in the industry and making new inroads where others haven’t gone before in cannabis advertising. So it was disappointing.”
The contentious ad personifies cannabis as Brock Ollie, a head of broccoli, the veggie emoji commonly used as a visual representation of cannabis in marketing. The 30-second ad takes viewers through a day in the life of Brock Ollie, whose superfood identity is in jeopardy as he is repeatedly misidentified as cannabis. The ad offers a lighthearted take on the industry’s issues, such as social media censorship and a lack of clear advertising standards, which limit cannabis-related commercials during nationally televised events like the Super Bowl.
“Despite three quarters of the country having legalized cannabis and the bipartisan enthusiasm we continue to see in support for change at the federal level, the industry continues to face roadblocks that inhibit competition in the legal market and stifle opportunities to educate,” Chris Beals, CEO of Weedmaps said. “There’s an irony in the fact that the biggest night for advertising will feature an array of consumer brands in regulated industries, from beverage alcohol to sports betting, yet legal cannabis retailers, brands and businesses have been boxed out.”
The game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams will be played Sunday in L.A.