2 Chainz Accuses Marijuana Retailers of $1.5 Million Scam
American rapper Tauheed Epps, better known by his stage name 2 Chainz, claims that marijuana retailers scammed him out of $1.5 million (approximately 138.6 million rubles). The artist is now taking legal action against the sellers.
2 Chainz Takes Legal Action Against Pineapple Express Hollywood
An investment company representing 2 Chainz invested $1.5 million in the cannabis store Pineapple Express Hollywood, which was scheduled to open in Los Angeles by April 2021. However, the store only began operating in February 2022. After the marijuana retailers failed to fulfill their obligations, Tauheed demanded his money back within 30 days at 110% of the original amount, expecting to receive $15,000 more (about 1.4 million rubles).
Despite this, Pineapple Express Hollywood staff violated the contract terms and did not return the money owed. As a result, Epps contacted the store’s co-founder, Vincent Zadeh, who told him he had no intention of honoring the agreement. With no other options, the rapper filed a lawsuit seeking to force the store’s management to return his investment.
Matthew Feinstein, co-founder of Pineapple Express Hollywood, called Tauheed’s accusations groundless and stated that his company owes the artist nothing. Based on this statement, the cannabis retailers appear confident they will win the legal battle against 2 Chainz.
Pineapple Express Hollywood Temporarily Shuts Down
In February of this year, Pineapple Express Hollywood celebrated its second anniversary. On the eve of the celebration, company representatives announced ambitious plans to expand their cannabis retail network to nine locations. However, these plans fell through, and shortly afterward, the only operating store was reportedly closed temporarily.
The reason for the shutdown was a series of lawsuits filed against the company. It turned out that 2 Chainz was not the only one with claims against the management. The store also evaded taxes and owed the government $1.69 million (about 156 million rubles). Nevertheless, Feinstein hopes to resolve the financial issues and reopen the store in September.
Other Celebrity Losses in the Cannabis Industry
Interestingly, according to court documents, 2 Chainz learned about Pineapple Express from Snoop Dogg’s manager, Damien Roderick. Like Tauheed, Snoop Dogg also suffered losses in the cannabis industry. Through his venture capital firm Casa Verde, Snoop Dogg invested £8 million (about 948.2 million rubles) in the British cannabis company Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies. The company’s shares plummeted by 98%, resulting in losses of around £6.1 million (about 723 million rubles) for Snoop Dogg.