World-renowned American rapper and entrepreneur Snoop Dogg was at Montreal’s 7th annual C2 conference today to talk the business of pot, remarking how far the world has come in its acceptance of marijuana use.
“We’re not in the closet anymore, we’re in the living room”, he said.
Snoop runs a company called Casa Verde Capital that invests in cannabis-related companies. He has also funded several Canadian firms involved in the marijuana business, including Trellis and Canopy Growth Foundation.
With the substance set to be legalized recreationally in Canada in a matter of weeks, Snoop Dogg and business partner Ted Chung discussed the business opportunities set to open up in the country when legal pot becomes a reality.
Chung praised the Liberal federal government for its plan to legalize cannabis for recreational purposes, a policy the party first adopted when it was in opposition in 2013. He said, “there’s an economic opportunity…and an opportunity for social good,” in legalizing cannabis for recreational purposes.
At one point, Snoop Dogg exclaimed, “I love you, Canada!” After applause, he added, “If I could leave America and become a dual-citizen, I’d love to become a Canadian.”
Snoop added that, “I feel like Canada’s more advanced, in terms of thinking,” as opposed to the United States’ much more decentralized approach to cannabis reform, which has seen different states adopt dramatically different laws.
Chung remarked that Canadian public policy seemed to be drive “more by a deeper purpose of social good” than in the United States. He emphasized that he felt that difference was present not just in drug policy, but in education, immigration policy, and healthcare.
Snoop and Chung, who have been working together in cannabis-related business endeavours for two decades, emphasized the importance of diversity in their business ventures.
“It’s important to keep in mind where the culture and the history [of cannabis] comes from,” Chung said, referencing its long cultural association with ethnic minority communities. “We’ve always wanted to make sure that we’re representing that wherever we go.”
They also encouraged other cannabis entrepreneurs to keep diversity in mind, too, a nod to recent criticism of the often heavily white workforces at such companies.
“I don’t wanna just be the one who sits back and makes money off of it”, Snoop said. He added that with many, especially black and indigenous people, incarcerated for minor pot offences, further reform is needed as the use of cannabis gains wider social acceptance. “I understand that we [people of colour] were profiled, and we were jailed in the first place…I want to be the voice for reform.”
In reference to his viral collaboration with Martha Stewart that began several years, ago Snoop said, “[Stewart]’s my homegirl, man.“ In 2015, the two began cohosting a cooking show ‘Martha and Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party’. “We’ve got a real special relationship, like your favourite auntie, you know?” He said with a smile.
He added, “You can’t judge a book by its cover, you’ve got to open the book and read the book.”
Snoop also predicted that with increasing social acceptance of marijuana use and legalization, cannabis will soon become a big industry.
“I think it’s going to be up there with the big tech companies, and the Fortune 500, because it’s not a secret anymore.” He said, adding, “I believe it’s going to grow, especially when you look at [the realm of] health.”
As opposed to when he’s consumed alcohol, he remarked, “I’ve never had an argument or a fight, when I smoke a joint with somebody” he said, to applause.