Gotto have Kaya Now,Gotto have Kaya now,for the rain is falling! Legendary words of Bob Marley dedicated to Marijuana,and guess what? Decades after his death in 1981, Marley’s iconic name and face will front something new: the first global brand of marijuana
On Tuesday, in an exclusive segment on NBC’s TODAY, the Marley family and a Seattle-based private equity firm announced the creation of Marley Natural, “a premium cannabis brand rooted in the life and legacy” of one of marijuana’s most devoted sons,Bob Marley.
The line will include pot-infused creams, accessories (like v
aporizers in the style of e-cigarettes) and strains of “heirloom Jamaican cannabis,” inspired by the herb that Marley enjoyed in extravagant, finger-sized joints.
aporizers in the style of e-cigarettes) and strains of “heirloom Jamaican cannabis,” inspired by the herb that Marley enjoyed in extravagant, finger-sized joints.
A true corporate brand is a major milestone in the ragamuffin world of legal cannabis, where most products still have juvenile names (like Alaskan Thunderf--k) and a sales machine that depends on bikini girls and graffiti markers.
By contrast Marley Natural will look like a modern consumer product, cleanly packaged and marketed with the help of the same agency that branded New Balance and Starbucks Coffee. The cannabis itself will be sold as “loose packed” buds, oils or concentrate, executives said. Sorry, folks, no pre-rolled joints.
“This is what the end of prohibition looks like,” said Brendan Kennedy, the CEO of Privateer Holdings, which owns Marley Natural and plans to run it out of a loft space on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. “Bob Marley started to push for legalization more than 50 years ago. We’re going to help him finish it.”
In recent years the Marley family has licensed brands of coffee, audio equipment and a grab-bag of lifestyle goods. Some of those items—like “king-sized” rolling papers and shirts that say “Smoke Like a Marley”—are an obvious nod to Bob’s pharmacological pursuits. But this is the family’s first move into actual marijuana.
To help ensure a big roll-out, Marley Natural products will be packaged and marketed with input from the same P.R. agency that played a key role in branding Starbucks Coffee and New Balance running shoes. A Marley Natural slogan, "Make way for the positive day," has already been introduced.
At least one of Bob Marley's quotes – "When you smoke the herb it reveals you to yourself" – is also being used in the marketing campaign for Marley Natural. Members of the deceased reggae singer-songwriter's family announced Marley Natural on Tuesday morning's edition of the TV show NBC Today.