Who Wants to Be a Canna-Millionaire? How Celebrities Are Entering the Cannabis Business

Sporting a custom-made mohair cardigan from Japanese atelier Needles and trendy thick-rimmed glasses, famous actor, director, and screenwriter Seth Rogen smiles at his smartphone screen. “You could say this is the work of my life. I’ve never been this excited or eager about anything,” he says in a video posted to his Twitter channel, which has already been viewed by over 9 million followers. But he’s not talking about a new film project—instead, he’s announcing the launch of one of the most anticipated cannabis brands in the United States.

Rogen’s cannabis company, Houseplant, was founded in the U.S. with the help of his friend and business partner Evan Goldberg. The company, which started a few years ago shortly after national legalization in Rogen’s native Canada, is now officially expanding into the U.S.—specifically, into states that have legalized cannabis production and consumption.

Houseplant has already built a reputation in Canada as a reliable supplier of high-quality, premium cannabis products (with prices starting at about $60 for 3.5 grams of flower). In addition to cannabis and extracts, the store also sells a variety of accessories and merchandise, such as ashtrays designed by Rogen himself. According to the actor, the store only sells strains he personally uses or has tested and approved, which is a point of pride for the company.

Until recently, Houseplant operated exclusively in Canada, but at the beginning of the month, the company officially entered the U.S. market by opening a branch in California. Rogen notes that on the first day, the American website crashed due to overwhelming traffic, and all products sold out in less than a week. Given this explosive success, the company is now considering expanding into the other 17 states where cannabis is legal, and even possibly into Europe—specifically the UK—if legalization occurs there. Houseplant is also exploring the idea of opening physical stores, with plans for a flagship “cannabis boutique” in downtown Los Angeles and other major California cities.

Redefining Cannabis Retail

While many cannabis shops still embrace the classic “stoner” culture aesthetic—like that seen in Rogen’s own film “Pineapple Express”—he wants to radically change public perception. Rather than just opening a cannabis store, Rogen envisions a “cannabis lifestyle boutique” that shows cannabis and related products are enjoyed by all segments of society, including older adults and young urban professionals. He’s also focusing on selling related products, such as collectible vinyl records for smoking sessions and decorative ceramics he designed himself during the pandemic.

“Think about it: Alcohol brands have recently tried to make their venues look chic and accessible to all types of consumers. No one in that industry ever marketed their product as something only for hopeless alcoholics. So why should the cannabis industry, which is growing in revenue and prestige, keep playing into outdated stoner stereotypes?” Rogen said in an interview with Architectural Digest. “I have great respect for people like Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong for creating those images in pop culture, but most regular cannabis users, like myself, don’t fit those stereotypes in real life. If we want cannabis to be widely accepted, we need to move away from those old images and show that cannabis culture is for everyone.”

Rogen believes that by adopting a more stylish and functional design, the industry can attract a much broader clientele, including older adults and successful urban professionals who are put off by the “loser” image of stoner culture.

Other Celebrity Cannabis Ventures

Rogen isn’t alone in this approach. Many new cannabis entrepreneurs—including a number of celebrities—are betting on luxury and exclusivity. For example, California theater and indie film actor Nathan Cozzolino recently opened Rose Los Angeles, a cannabis confectionery in downtown LA. The shop has gained attention for its Rose Delights line, which offers gourmet Turkish sweets infused with THC and CBD extracts, crafted by top local pastry chefs.

“After much thought, I chose Turkish delights because they offer a wide variety of forms and flavors. Plus, I hadn’t seen anyone else making cannabis-infused Turkish sweets in LA,” Cozzolino said in an interview. Rose’s products stand out because they use only natural ingredients and the highest quality extracts, resulting in treats that taste like authentic Turkish delights rather than the typical overly sweet or artificial edibles. All ingredients are locally sourced, and the confections are made by some of the best chefs on the West Coast, including Michelin three-star chef Dominique Crenn. This approach makes Rose’s products truly exclusive, available only in limited batches at premium prices.

Changing the Image of Cannabis Culture

Another example of the evolving cannabis industry is Gossamer magazine, which targets discerning cannabis consumers interested in fashion and design. The brand was launched in May 2018 by former Huffington Post journalists Verena von Pfetten and David Weiner, nearly a decade after the idea first came up. At the time, von Pfetten was an executive at Condé Nast and a consultant for brands like Glossier and Asos. Although she had used cannabis since age 13 and supported reform, she initially rejected the idea, fearing it would be career suicide. “Back then, before legalization, starting a cannabis magazine would have gotten me blacklisted from the media industry,” she recalls. But as legalization spread and interest grew, she decided to take the leap in 2018.

Like other entrepreneurs, von Pfetten was inspired to radically transform the image of cannabis and its business, moving away from the stoner comedy stereotypes of the 1970s. “I realized I was buying into those stereotypes myself, even though I didn’t do that in other areas of my life,” she says. “I cared about my appearance, health, and home, but I still hid my love for cannabis and smoked from an old ‘rasta’ pipe I bought in college. It hit me that cannabis culture needed to change for the new era of legalization, to break old stereotypes and make it socially acceptable.”

That’s how Gossamer—a biannual magazine dedicated to “cannabis lifestyle,” high fashion, and art—was born. The publication is like a more glamorous version of High Times, aimed at a different demographic: stylish, affluent readers interested in both cannabis and culture. The magazine also covers activism, especially efforts to support amnesty and social reforms for those affected by past cannabis criminalization.

Social Responsibility in the New Cannabis Industry

Rogen’s Houseplant is also committed to social causes, working with activists and charities like BLM and Cage-Free Cannabis to support minorities entering the business and to help people seeking amnesty for past cannabis convictions. Alongside changing the image of cannabis and providing high-quality products, this social responsibility is a key part of the new generation of cannabis companies, helping them attract both customers and investors.