Canopy Growth has added a high-profile partner in its pursuit of the CBD market: Martha Stewart.
The American business woman joins the licensed cannabis producer in an advisory role to help develop new products across categories, namely CBD.
In the months following legalization, CBD has emerged as an area of focus for many involved in the cannabis industry. Specifically, companies like Tilray and Greenhouse Juice have been pursuing CBD for its purported health and wellness benefits, without the intoxicating effects of THC.
The partnership between Canopy and Stewart is being done through Sequential Brands Group, a company that markets, and licenses a portfolio of consumer brands in the fashion and home categories. That includes the Martha Stewart brand, which has grown over the years to become one of the most recognizable brands in the home and cooking categories.
The partnership aims to combine Canopy’s experience in cannabis with Stewart’s track record of developing consumer products as it researches the effectiveness of cannabinoids – namely CBD – through clinical trials. Canopy Growth chairman and co-CEO Bruce Linton said in a release that working with Stewart would help to “sharpen” its CBD product offerings across categories.
Stewart said in the press release that she was particularly excited for the opportunity to create CBD-based products for pets, which will be the focus for her first collaboration with Canopy. Over the years, the TV personality has been a vocal advocate for pets and farm animals. While more definitive clinical research is just beginning following legalization, CBD is currently being explored as a low-risk treatment option for many of the same areas for pets as it is for humans, such as anxiety, chronic pain, seizures and recovery from cancer treatment.
The degree to which Stewart’s name and brand will be allowed to appear on CBD products is yet to be seen, as regulations around cannabis marketing in Canada limit the use of celebrity spokespeople. Canopy Growth has experience with this rule: after striking a deal to bring the Leafs By Snoop brand to the Canadian market, the company rebranded it to LBS before legalization in October, removing references from hip-hop star Snoop Dogg, who helped found the brand.
Snoop Dogg also provides a previous connection between Stewart and cannabis, with the two having co-hosted a cooking show together on U.S. television network VH1.
