Jim Belushi - Move Forward and Heightened Your Life.

Jim Belushi

MOVE FORWARD AND HEIGHTEN YOUR LIFE

This month's cover is none other than Jim Belushi; the Blues Brother, the performer, the director, the producer, the writer, the actor, the farmer, and more. Chronic was lucky enough to get in touch with him to discuss his current cannabis endeavors, Belushi’s Farm, Growing Belushi, and his partnership with Oklahoma’s own Glazed Edibles.

Jim Belushi is the owner of Belushi’s Farm, located at the Rogue River riverfront in Southern Oregon’s Banana Belt. When asked how he chose this location for his farm he explained that he never had another choice in mind.

I’m an improvisationally trained actor and we are taught to explore and so you just do things that are in front of you and you react to them. Then you heighten them. It’s a complicated concept for improv... I was invited by my friend to the Rogue River in the spring and fall and they had the most beautiful property. [Our] families just had the greatest time, it’s such a spiritual place. It felt so beautiful there... I went into the river one time, naked, and I came out and it was like a baptism. I turned to the guy and I said, “Do you know of any properties around here?” Later on, he came to me and was like, “I know of one and you’re either gonna love it or hate it.” I say, “Let me see.” [The property] was this dilapidated, Elks picnic ground. No house, it was just like a stage, which I loved! It’s right along the river, like 200 feet. It took me a few years to get it... but then I bought it. That place was meant to be mine and I just kept heightening it. Built a house, made a big yard, built a stage, put up a wood fence... Then I got to know my neighbors, Becca and Charlie. Becca I just fell in love with, she was just the greatest woman ever. She had an 80-acre farm behind me and unfortunately, she came down with a sickness and passed away. She wanted me to have the property. So I bought it from her and now Charlie lives there. So then all of a sudden I had 80 acres of farm and cannabis became legal in Oregon so I thought, “The new agriculture!”

Tyler Maddox

From there, he contacted Dan Aykroyd who put him in touch with Captain Jack who came to the farm along with another of Belushi’s friends, Jeffery Iverson, and they started to grow the first 48 plants on the farm. After that, “it just kept getting heightened.” The farm now has four Gro- Tech greenhouses with the best technology, the best Rogue soil, Advanced Nutrients, dehumidifiers, brand new highquality LED lights from Fohse, and a total control brain that operates everything. “We are growing the best cannabis since we started.”

Belushi said, “We keep getting better and better. I am just loving life. I’m loving the medicine of it, the spirituality that comes along with it. I love the stories, and I love the people I’ve met…cannabis has been a huge help to their health. All the people in the community, it’s really been a blessing. Once I dove in that river and made that decision, my life took a beautiful turn.”

Belushi has met many people through cannabis, one of those people is Johnny Wheels, a wonderful singer and harmonica player. Johnny Wheels had a terrible swimming accident and is paralyzed from the waist down. The two met because Belushi’s Farm has a Chocolate Hashberry strain that stops the spasms in Johnny’s legs.

“I met him at a dispensary visit and now we are great friends, we jam together, he has come to the farm, he was on Growing Belushi. And that’s just one out of dozens and dozens of people who have been brought into my life.”

Belushi’s Farm isn’t just any regular farm, the locals who have used the grounds since the ‘40s are still able to use the land. There have been multiple marriages held therefrom during and before Belushi’s Farm arrived.

The Elks have a picnic event that is still held on the grounds every year, and so does the Cattlemen’s Association. But, Belushi’s favorite events are “the harvest parties. We got the band there, Dan Aykroydcomes, we sing on the stage, Johnny Wheels comes. We invite people from dispensaries and local businesses. We have a peaceful, joyous time. The Cattlemen's Association comes and they bring a big grill and they cook for the party! There is a real community feel there.”

As the farm progresses through its 5th year, Belushi still feels that every day is a new experience. “It’s new every day, baby. I just explore and heighten. I had no idea that this would happen, I just live in the moment.

We get the things we need to get, improve where we need to improve and learn what we need to learn about this medicine. I know WAY too much information. I mean I know that we keep the soil at 64 degrees in order for the micronutrients to transfer. I prune, cut, trim... I’m farming, baby!”

The farm offers a wide range of strains and brands: Chasing Magic (Jim’s Secret Stash), The Blues Brothers, Captain Jack’s Gulzar Afghanica, and more. Belushi’s personal favorite strain is their Cherry Pie.

It is a 19% THC and 3% terpenes, and it leans toward a Sativa. I’m a lightweight, so I just take like one or two hits and I feel good. I’m articulate, I’m charming, I’m funny. I used to call it “The Marriage Counselor.

When you’re in a pickle with your partner, you take one hit of Cherry Pie, and suddenly you’re on the other side,” he explained. The farm does have some strains that are more potent with a higher THC percentage than Cherry Pie, and one of them is the Black Diamond OG. Belushi said, “it’s really killing it, and so is our Chocolate Hashberry. Captain Jack’s has a low THC count but it has a 5% terpene count, the majority of it is myrcene. I’ll tell you, I went to a Grateful Dead concert and I took a hit and the girl I was with, I didn’t even know who she was suddenly. It was so potent, that I felt like, “I know you, but I feel like I don’t know you.” [laughs] I mean, I do not smoke Captain Jack’s strain anymore.” [laughs] (If you’re into a strain like that, Select is making some vape pens with Captain Jack’s.)

The farm is also the location where Growing Belushi is filmed. So far they have two seasons available and are waiting on a pick up for the third. During season two, the farm went through some troubling times. Belushi began talking about these difficulties from the production standpoint:

We didn’t have a lot of money. We had to do it with a budget in mind. The most difficult thing is that there are so many stories to tell. It was hard to choose which ones to put in the show because of time restraints. It was difficult to get the greenhouses done before the show was done filming. But the most difficult thing was what happened at the end of the 3rd episode (If you want to avoid a spoiler, skip to the next paragraph!) My barn burnt down. That was a heartbreak. I was grateful nobody got hurt but there was a lot of love in that barn. But we rebuilt! That’s season 3!

Tyler Maddox

On Growing Belushi, you can tell that Belushi is loving the life he lives. He gets to wake up every day, go with the flow, and do what he loves with the people he loves. The best part is that’s what he’s been doing his whole life. “I’ve been improvising since 1976 and most projects you can adlib on. This project is totally improvised, made up on the spot, camera rolling. It’s just beautiful because you can really see how you are. The relationships are authentic. Chris, my cousin, has never been in front of a camera before. What a star he turned out to be, he is so funny! It’s just been so fun.”

Tyler Maddox

Belushi continued and explained the purpose of the show is all about giving an authentic look at how it is to grow medicine in your backyard.

Tyler Maddox

My thing is I want to bring competence to the cannabis industry. I wanna create confidence in the new users, in the curious, to show ‘look, this is how it’s done.’ What you ingest is going to be clean. Look at it in a real way, as a business, and as a medicine. Instead of what Reefer Madness said about it.

Tyler Maddox

Thankfully, there are organizations today to try and change these issues, one of them is the Last Prisoner Project and Belushi works as an advisor for it. He got involved with the project due to Steve DeAngelo and Mary Bailey, losing their event venue so Belushi said they could use his yard. During the event, he was blown away by the people and their dedication to freeing the over 40,000 men and women who are incarcerated due to cannabis-related charges.

I am on the advisory board, we did a Blues Brothers concert, and we raised money for the project. I mean, I met a lot of men and women whose stories are so sad about how they got into prison. The War on Drugs, that war failed. This war on drugs has always been a failure. It’s the time! It’s time to let these people out! Free them! Then everybody in this industry should hire them. Because they were the ones that were the true pioneers of cannabis. They are the ones who took the arrows in the back, for us. So we can enjoy what we are doing. We oughta bring joy back to them and we gotta help heal their families because when you go to prison it collapses your family.

Belushi is right, especially since there are so many people that reach for cannabis as their medicine of choice. When people can make millions of dollars off of cannabis, there shouldn’t be anyone in jail for it in states that have legalized it.

Not only is Belushi working with The Last Prisoner Project, but he also has some cool partners in the business sector. One of those partners is Glazed Edibles. Glazed Edibles are Oklahoma-owned and run. The edibles are created with Belgium artisanal chocolates and infused with high-grade Oklahoma cannabis extract.

They use full-spectrum strain-specific BHP oil. They began working together because Belushi was visiting Tulsa on a business trip. He was meeting up with Ox Distribution who he is now working with as well. He said, “They are really great people, I feel so good with them holding my brand in their hands.” As for Glazed Edibles, that was just a happy coincidence. Belushi explained that a friend of his brought him to meet their cousin who makes chocolate edibles. “ I went down there and she had a beautiful store and the two Katies are beautiful people. Their product - I’ve never tasted anything like that. I thought, “Wow we should partner up since I’m looking to do a chocolate line!”

Tyler Maddox

And we did! It was very easy. They were so lovely.” (Mr. Belushi says ‘Hi’ to the two Katies’! He loves y’all!) Belushi and Glazed Edibles are currently making some Chasing Magic Bon Bons and Chocolate Joints. The Bon Bons are incredible looking. I have personally never seen an edible that looked so pretty, I almost didn’t want to eat it. They come in the flavors Blueberry Cheesecake, Chocolate Cake, Carrot Cake, Key Lime Pie, Lemon Meringue & Strawberry Cream.

Tyler Maddox

The joints come in milk and dark chocolate. Belushi said he favors the milk chocolate joints since he was raised on Hershey’s. Be sure to keep an eye out for both products, they are delicious!

Tyler Maddox

As for what he’s got for his future, Jim Belushi has a movie coming out this fall called Gigi & Nate. Be sure to keep an eye out for the trailer! Hopefully, Growing Belushi will be picked up for season three and we can see all-new stories from Belushi’s Farm.

Tyler Maddox

Lastly, you can find some of the Belushi brands in stores around Tulsa and Oklahoma City (always check WeedMaps for places nearest you). Pick some up and keep living life and heightening it, just like Belushi.

Tyler Maddox