By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
Photo of Snoop Dogg by Eva Rinaldi
The weed-loving rapper Snoop Dogg has just signed a deal for branded cannabis product with the Canadian producer Atlas Global Brands.
“Snoop Dogg is one of the most iconic figures in cannabis culture and it’s an honour to collaborate with him,” said Atlas Global CEO Bernie Yeung. “Consumers love Snoop, and our collective goal is to deliver premium products in all cannabis categories that will consistently exceed consumer expectations.”
Atlas is a federally licensed producer of cannabis operating in Canada, where the drug is legal, and Israel, where the drug is allowed for medical use only. Atlas also has operations or distribution agreements in six other countries around the world.
Atlas listed its shares on the Canadian Stock Exchange in January after merging with other cannabis companies and going public in what is known in Canada as a Reverse Takeover, or RTO. That deal has allowed Atlas to expand both in Canada, and in other countries where it has operations or distribution deals.
The company has now announced it closed a five year Name, Image and Likeness licensing agreement with Calvin Broadus Jr., better known to his millions of fans as Snoop Dogg. The agreement grants Atlas Global the exclusive right “to use the artist’s name, likeness, logos, trademarks or other approved intellectual property to produce, package, manufacture, distribute, sell, advertise, promote and market cannabis flowers, pre-rolls, concentrates, oils and edibles, and personal vaporizers for medical purposes in Germany, Israel, and Australia and recreational purposes in Canada.”
“I chose Atlas to represent and launch my new brands for their innovation and global reach. I am excited to work with their team to select my favourite strains for my brands and fans,” said Snoop Dogg. “You know they will be amazing because they will be personally approved by me.”
Licensing deals in the cannabis industry are still relatively rare, as many countries have rules that restrict or in some cases prohibit companies from marketing cannabis through the use of Name, Image and Likeness deals with celebrities.
However, Snoop Dogg is one of several celebrities who actively invest in or work in the cannabis industry, including Martha Stewart, who got into the cannabis business after supposedly being exposed to Dogg’s copious amounts of ‘second-hand smoke’.
Dogg unveiled his line Leafs by Snoop in Colorado in 2015, and his media company Merry Jane has a CBD ecommerce platform. He also co-founded Casa Verde Capital, an investment fund that has managed to build a portfolio that is now worth at least $200 million. Most recently Snoop Dogg announced his Death Row Records music label was launching its own cannabis brand.
Other celebrities involved in the cannabis business include Jim Belushi, Canadian stoner Seth Rogan, Jerry Garcia’s daughter Trixie, music producer Jay-Z, country singer Willie Nelson, stoner comedy pioneer Tommy Chong, and the Bob Marley estate.
Atlas says it will selectively source, package, and distribute directly in Canada and through approved distribution partners internationally. All Snoop Dogg branded cannabis products will be launched only in legalized cannabis markets. Atlas currently distributes to eight countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Israel, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom.