Jim Belushi's Cannabis brand to make debut in New Mexico
Jim Belushi, the Hollywood actor turned cannabis farmer, is moving into New Mexico through a partnership with dispensary chain Seven Clover.
Belushi’s Farm, the actor’s Eagle Point, Oregon-based cannabis brand, was soft launched in Seven Clover stores June 28. A hard launch is scheduled for Aug. 14, with Belushi coming to Albuquerque to oversee it.
Only the brand’s cannabis strains and pre-rolls are available currently, said Johnny Lee Williams III, general manager at Seven Clover. However, that may change in the future, with gummies and cartridges being possibilities.
Bringing Belushi’s product to market has been a monthslong endeavor, Williams said. Seven Clover received the “slips,” or the part of the marijuana plant that allows it to be regrown, around six to eight months ago.
While the actual crop sold in Seven Clover dispensaries is grown in New Mexico due to state law prohibiting interstate transport of cannabis, the strains of cannabis grown are picked out by Belushi and his team, Williams said.
“They’re all Belushi approved,” Williams said. “We have to make sure we go through the big man before rolling it all out.”
Belushi has been a stark advocate for medical marijuana in recent years, saying in previous interviews the plant has allowed him to heal from tragedy and trauma he’s dealt with throughout his life.
He told Men's Health in 2021 he believes if his brother, fellow Blues Brother star John Belushi, had smoked medical marijuana, he would still be alive today. John Belushi died from a drug overdose in 1982.
Belushi currently stars in “Growing Belushi,” a reality show centered around the Oregon farm. Season 3 began in April on Paramount+.
Seven Clover intends to emphasize the medical goals of Belushi’s Farm. The makeup of the Belushi crop on offer, including the terpenes and cannabinoids within the plant, is centered around providing benefits like better sleep and controlling muscle spasms — instead of, according to Williams, focusing solely on the THC levels in the product.
“[Belushi’s] really big on the whole medical aspect of cannabis versus the recreational aspect,” Williams said. “That really aligned with Seven Clover, us being a legacy producer. We started in 2016, so we were able to bridge those gaps of communication with Belushi and provide the same medical mind forward.”
Belushi’s introduction to New Mexico makes him one of the few celebrity cannabis brands to enter the state market. Comedy duo Cheech and Chong launched their brand through dispensary chain PurLife in May.
Madelyn Melton, marketing director at Seven Clover, said big names coming to New Mexico is a positive sign for the industry.
“I think a lot of people haven’t taken the cannabis thing too seriously in New Mexico yet, it’s like everyone else already did it,” Melton said. “I think we’re excited to see these big names coming to New Mexico, kind of solidifying it’s here to stay.”
Williams said Seven Clover intends to sell Belushi’s Farm products to the wholesale market, opening the door for other vendors to carry them. A gram of Belushi’s Farm strains are priced at around $12 a gram and $42 for an eighth during the soft launch period.
