High Achievers: Black Celebs Redefining The Cannabis Industry With Purpose
As an avid cannabis lover, I truly appreciate the magic of the flower.
I also believe it's crucial to create a space for Black women to fully participate in the cannabis industry. We need to empower Black women to not only consume cannabis but also to thrive as entrepreneurs. As the only demographic stigmatized for cannabis use, this inclusivity is essential.
According to FlowHub, cannabis will add $115.2 billion to the economy in 2024. Despite this growth, Black women remain significantly underrepresented in cannabis leadership roles. Data from MJBizDaily reveals that men own 80% of cannabis businesses. Furthermore, Black people constitute only 2% of cannabis company ownership nationwide.
With that said, we thought it was only right that we curate a list of Black celebrity-owned cannabis brands you can support. For many of these folks, the brands are designed to bridge cannabis culture with storytelling, creating space for underrepresented voices in the industry. They strive to use cannabis to cultivate creativity and promote equity within an industry that has disproportionately affected Black communities.
1.Lena Waithe
Lena Waithe launched First Draft, her first cannabis partnership and collaboration with entrepreneur Chris Ball’s Ball Family Farms. She told ESSENCE, “He’s so passionate about it—he invited me to his plant and I saw him in his element. And he said, ‘If we’re going to do business, you’ve got to get to know me.'” Soon after forming a friendship, the pair decided to collaborate on First Draft. This hybrid cannabis strain, released in Los Angeles stores last year, offers a fruity experience described as promoting calm, bliss, and creativity.
2.Method Man
Method Man created TICAL (Taking Into Consideration All Lives) as a cannabis brand rooted in social justice. Recognizing the racial disparities in the cannabis industry, TICAL partners with Black-owned dispensaries and highlights quality products while advocating for equity. His efforts aim to dismantle stigma and create opportunities for communities of color.
3.Jay-Z
Jay-Z debuted Monogram in 2020, presenting a luxury cannabis line under the parent company The Parent Company, where he serves as Chief Visionary Officer. Focused on high-end products, Monogram offers artisanal cannabis curated by experts. Despite its premium positioning, the brand has faced financial challenges in a volatile market, reflecting the difficulties of scaling even with a superstar founder. Amid reports of a $575 million loss breaking early this month, it has since been reported that Jay-Z is no longer tied to the luxury weed line.
4.The Game
The Game co-founded Trees by Game, a cannabis lifestyle brand offering a range of premium products from flowers to concentrates. Known for blending his West Coast roots and entrepreneurial drive, The Game positions his brand as an authentic voice in the cannabis space. His involvement underscores the intersection of hip-hop and cannabis culture.
5.Jaleel White
Known for his role as Steve Urkel, Jaleel White ventured into cannabis with ItsPurpl, a collaboration with 710 Labs. Specializing in Purple Urkle strains, his brand merges nostalgia with premium-quality cannabis, catering to aficionados and new consumers alike. ItsPurpl reflects White’s commitment to authenticity and innovation.
6.Al Harrington
Former NBA player Al Harrington founded Viola, a cannabis company named after his grandmother. Viola champions Black ownership in the cannabis industry while producing premium products. Harrington also prioritizes social equity, advocating for criminal justice reform and creating pathways for minority entrepreneurs.
7.Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg co-created Whoopi & Maya, a cannabis line focused on alleviating menstrual pain and other conditions affecting women’s health. Although the company has since ceased operations, Goldberg’s venture was groundbreaking in addressing women’s needs in a male-dominated cannabis market, highlighting the plant’s medicinal benefits.
The EGOT winner and co-host of The View, is expanding her cannabis business. Under the WhoopFam umbrella, she has a new brand and is revamping Whoopi & Maya. Emma & Clyde, named for Goldberg's late mother and brother, was initially launched in 2022 with a limited Arizona run. The brand is now expanding to select stores in California, Arizona, and Ohio. It offers a range of products for both medical and recreational users, including edibles, pre-rolls, flowers, and accessories.
8.Lil Wayne
GKUA Ultra Premium, launched by Lil Wayne, focuses on high-end cannabis. The brand is a cultural extension of his creativity and artistry, blending music and cannabis culture. He told Forbes, “I used to just want to get high, now I smoke to get inspired. With GKUA, I'm sharing a feeling that I love." The rapper’s Co-founder Beau Golob added, “The combination of our incredible products, market knowledge and commitment to quality, paired with the unmatched fanbase of Lil Wayne, the ultimate cannabis connoisseur, creates an unprecedented opportunity to create a cannabis brand that values creativity and the artistic pursuit.”
9.Ricky Williams
The former NFL star created Highsman, a cannabis lifestyle brand featuring strains tailored to sports themes like Pre-Game and Post-Game. Williams emphasizes wellness, integrating cannabis into mental and physical health practices.Highsman decided to merge with Frozen Fields and Abundant Labs. Ricky told Forbes, “To remain competitive and drive continued growth, we began exploring M&A opportunities about a year ago, seeking to integrate our brand into a scalable backend. After numerous discussions with potential acquirers and partners, we concluded that merging with Frozen Fields and Abundant Labs presented the strongest path forward.”
10.Damian Marley
As part of Evidence, Marley turned a former prison in California into a cannabis cultivation facility, highlighting his focus on social justice and high-quality cannabis. Locals pushed back against plans for a weed-growing facility in their area. “Educating a community that was conservative was not easy,” Dan Dalton, co-founder shared with Forbes. “It was hard to convey that our cannabis wouldn’t hit their streets and drive crime. What we grow gets into trucks and leaves the town; the facility has no signage. And all this tax revenue is here for the town now. The first year we provided 100 jobs.”
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Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
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Roscoe Dash joined xoMan host Kiara Walker to share the journey of his personal and spiritual evolution—from the party anthems that made him famous to a deeper life rooted in faith, family, and purpose. This episode offers an honest look at how the artist has grown beyond early fame, addressing fatherhood, masculinity, creativity, and healing.
Dash opened up about the internal transformation that has guided him away from chasing the spotlight and toward seeking peace. “Faith and fear can’t occupy the same space,” he said, underscoring his shift toward a more spiritually grounded life. Throughout the interview, he emphasized the importance of self-reflection:
“The most important conversations to me, honestly, outside of the ones you have with God, is the ones you have with yourself in the mirror.”
Dash is focused on the man he’s become. “I’m not the accolades I’ve achieved—I’m the person who achieved them,” he added, pointing to a broader understanding of identity and worth. A large part of that growth has come through fatherhood, especially raising daughters, which he said has deepened his understanding of love. “Love is unconditional and love loves to love no matter what,” he shared.
He also spoke candidly about the pressures of fame and its impact on creativity. “Chasing fame can kill your creativity as a musician,” he warns. Instead, his advice to other artists is simple but clear: “Keep your focus on your art form, whatever that may be, and stay passionate.”
The conversation also touches on gender dynamics and emotional safety in relationships. “Safe men make soft women. If she feels safe, she’ll melt like butter,” he said, challenging traditional notions of masculinity. Roscoe also offers wisdom on discernment and spiritual testing: “Sometimes the devil will give you what looks better than your blessing.”
Ultimately, Dash has learned to embrace peace over chaos. “All I can do is control what I can control. And that's how I respond to things and what I'm giving out,” he said. It’s a thoughtful, soulful side of Roscoe Dash that many may not expect—but one that leaves a lasting impression.
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube