Culture
Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura Promotes New Cannabis Brand Ahead Of 4/20 That He’d ‘Offer To You’ On Governor’s Mansion Visit
Jesse Ventura, the former wrestling star and governor of Minnesota, is promoting a line of “hand-selected” cannabis products under his new brand that he says he’d “offer to you if you were visiting me in the Governor’s mansion.”
Ventura first announced the launch of Jesse Ventura Farms, a hemp brand that’s being sold in partnership with the cannabis company Retro Bakery, last week. Now he’s encouraging people to pre-order to “ensure a truly legendary 4/20.”
“Yes, it’s true my Jesse Ventura Farms edibles are here and ready to make your 4/20 unforgettable, like only Gov. Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura can!” he said in a blog post on Monday.
“From feather boas in the ring to taking a seat in the MN Governor’s office, my career has taken so many incredible twists and turns,” he said. “Now, as I enter into what many would consider the twilight of their lives, I feel like I’m just getting started. I can’t tell you what a crazy momentous feeling it is to bring to you something I’ve spent so much of my adult life advocating for.”
The retired professional wrestler first previewed plans to enter the cannabis space with products featuring his likeness last August, several months after Minnesota enacted adult-use marijuana legalization.
“I’m proud to bring you an opening selection that’s as diverse as my career,” he said, highlighting his “Lake Street Collection” that pays homage to his upbringing in South Minneapolis, as well as his “Governor’s Select Collection” that’s described as “bold and powerful,” just like his “politics.”
“I worked hard with Retro Baker to carefully craft this collection with a precise amount of THC to give you precisely what you’re looking for, whether it’s a night out on the town or a post-workout cooldown,” Ventura said. “This is the collection I’d offer to you if you were visiting me in the Governor’s mansion.”
The former governor has long championed cannabis reform, and he was invited to the ceremonial bill signing when current Gov. Tim Walz (D) gave final approval to a much-anticipated legalization bill last May.
In a promotional video announcing the brand launch, Ventura said he’s a “huge supporter of the cannabis industry” and that marijuana “saved my family’s life.”
A registered Minnesota medical cannabis patient himself, Ventura said last year that he typically vapes marijuana, which he uses to treat non-specific neuropathy in the feet, a condition that causes numbness and an uncomfortable tingling sensation, as well as post-traumatic stress. He said that marijuana helps him sleep through that discomfort.
But his passion for reform came to the fore decades ago, when his wife developed a serious seizure disorder that was not responding to traditional pharmaceuticals that she was being prescribed. He has spoken publicly about how he decided to break the law, taking his wife to Colorado at a time before Minnesota even had a legal medical program and obtaining cannabis oil from a friend.
He said that after the former first lady started taking cannabis, she never experienced another seizure.
The former governor previously shared the story of his wife’s cannabis treatment last year in impassioned testimony during a Senate committee hearing on the legalization bill that’s now being implemented.
Meanwhile, Ventura isn’t the only former Minnesota elected official eyeing entry into the legal cannabis business. Former House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (D) announced last year that he plans to launch a line of THC-infused beverages.
While Ventura is sticking with federally legal hemp products, at least for the time being, Minnesota is gearing up to launch its adult-use marijuana market, though lawmakers have recently floated a variety of amendments to the law that’s being implemented.
Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.
