“There’s four or five iconic marijuana figures

“There’s four or five iconic marijuana figures that are going to create some type of brand in this industry that are going to be very successful,” McAllister said. “There’s going to be a couple different legacy brands, between the Marley family, the Chong endorsement, the Jimi Hendrix family, the Snoop Dogg group.”

http://mmjbusinessdaily.com/marijuana-compani...lebrities/

....Activity Ramps Up for Tommy Chong’s Cannabusiness Interests
March 30, 2015

https://mmjbusinessdaily.com/activity-ramps-u...interests/

Tommy Chong is expanding his marijuana empire.

According to a press release, Bud Genius will take over managing licensing and production of Chong products in California.

The deal covers assurance, quality control, overseeing distribution, building customer loyalty programs, and more. The product line includes numerous accessories, such as branded bongs and hemp-infused beverages.

Also on Monday, California-based Bud Genius announced that it had signed a letter of intent to acquire Evergreen Licensing, Chong’s exclusive licensor of his brand.

The long-time cannabis comedian already has a business agreement with a Colorado-based dispensary, along with several other marijuana-related enterprises.

And it seems that Chong wants to keep expanding. Bud Genius CEO Angel Stanz said in the release that Chong is “personally committed to building the Tommy Chong brand into one of the premier brands in the industry.”

Chong is just one of several celebrities to begin capitalizing on the growing trend of marijuana reforms underway across the U.S. Most recently, legendary country singer Willie Nelson announced that he was founding his own brand of cannabis and is looking to start opening stores in rec states, such as Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington.

Other big names who are getting in on the Green Rush include rapper Snoop Dogg and the estate of reggae star Bob Marley.