Damian Marley is extending the Marley legacy and brand in new and creative ways with a series of cannabis-related ventures. According to a new article in Billboard, the youngest son of reggae superstar Bob Marley is eschewing the more traditional celebrity licensing deal, and instead is creating and investing in a series of pot-themed business ideas.
Among these are Stony Hill, a dispensary in Denver; and a proprietary strain of weed called Speak Life. But the most notable, ambitious, and thematically fitting of Marley's plans is the project of turning a former California state prison into a cannabis cultivation facility.
The project, which is being done in partnership with Ocean Growth Extracts, will grow medical marijuana, and produce oil extracts as well. Ocean Grown is run by the siblings of Marley's manager Dan Dalton.
Marley and his partners purchased the former Claremont Custody Center in Coalinga, CA for $4.1 million. They plan to generate 100 jobs and about $1 million in tax revenue for the hard-hit region, which has been ravaged by drought and low oil prices.
"Many people sacrificed so much for the herb over the years who got locked up," Marley told Billboard. "If this [venture] helps people and it's used for medicinal purposes and inspires people, it's a success."
California is a booming market for marijuana. The state is voting in November on whether to legalize recreational use for adults, and the measure is expected to pass. Seven other states have marijuana measures on the ballot this election as well.
