Tommy Chong

Our Favorite Token Stoner

His namesake brand is one of the first multi-story, celebrity, cannabis brands, debuting in the medical California market, then expanding out to every medical and recreational state in the country. Chong often partners with innovative manufacturers, an example being Higher Celebrations who, in 2019, developed a unique cannabis product called the BirthJay, a pre-rolled joint birthday candle. With an attention to detail and quality, Tommy is determined to bring you the very best products available on the market. OFM had the pleasure of talking more with Chong about his partnership with Higher Tommy Chong Celebrations, starting a dispensary line with by Denny Patterson Marin, and the advice he would offer to those who want to get started in the cannabis industry.

There are very few who do not know who Tommy Chong is. You are currently partnering with High Celebrations

to promote the BirthJay?

Known for his cannabis-themed Cheech & Chong comedy albums and movies with Cheech Marin, as well as playing Yes! The BirthJay! Isn’t it great? I could have used it today.

Leo on Fox’s That ‘70s Show, Chong curated a completely It was my little granddaughter’s seventh birthday. Even unique brand of comedy directed at the counterculture though she wouldn’t partake, I sure would. Let her blow movement of the early 1970s. He is a legendary staple in out the candle, and I will take the jay. cannabis culture. Now, he is turning his attention to selling When you first heard about the BirthJay, what were the product that helped make his claim to fame. your initial thoughts?

It is such a cool idea. I just love them, and they are so much fun. Because I am the pot go-to guy, I am receiving all sorts of gimmicks and stuff to try. I love getting pot gifts. Just love it. I am so spoiled, man. You are one of the biggest cannabis activists in the entertainment industry. Why is

cannabis so important to you, and how has it changed your life?

It is important to me because the healthiest people on the planet use it regularly. I am not talking about your average Joe. I am talking about people like Arnold Schwarzenegger. His only—you can’t even call it a drug—his only substance of choice was pot, and probably still is. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, prolonged his career seven years from when he should have retired. He used pot, and he used it to help with his migraines. More important, Montel Williams, the announcer and talk show host—he would be in a wheelchair if it were not for cannabis. He has MS so bad, and when you have MS, there is no cure. You just live with it and die with it. The people who use marijuana, they function. It is role models like that who make me feel vindicated and invigorated. When you are helping people, there are a lot of good things that go along with that feeling. You are not only helping people, but there is a sort of satisfaction. It is a nice feeling, and you sleep very well at night. It is like a blessing for me because I was not even recognized as an activist until I went to jail. Talking with the news and stations, they find out I am not that Up in Smoke stoner that I play in the movies, or Leo from That ‘70s Show. They find out that I am a dad, a grandpa, a great-grandpa. I just want to spread the good news about cannabis to those who need it. People have come to me saying,, ‘Well, I have never touched it and never will.’ No problem! More for me!

Do you think the country is on its way to fully legalizing recreational and medicinal cannabis?

Absolutely! We got Joe Biden in there. We got Kamala Harris; we got Cory Booker. It is the only decent thing to do.

Do you have any music or acting projects in the works?

Yes! With our pot shops, we are going to be doing a big Cheech & Chong revival. We will be working on a stage show, we got a documentary ready to go, and we got some other offers to do another Cheech & Chong-style movie. We are poised, as they say. To read the full interview, visit outfrontmagazine.com.

Michael Scherr is an entertainerturned-entrepreneur with 12 years of experience in the cannabis industry, where he has established expertise in branding, packaging, cannabis, gifting, and product development. Scherr spent the past three years further developing his understanding of the complex, inner workings of the cannabis industry before launching Aria Brands, of which Scheer is the acting CEO. Aria Brands is a holding company with two wholly owned subsidiaries, including Higher Celebrations International, a novelty gifting product line for adults, and Arbor Grove, a hemp-derived-CBD consumer product line for simplified and mindful living. Making In May 2019, Higher Celebrations launched BirthJays, the world’s first pre-rolled joint birthday candle, with the simple goal of making adult birthday parties more fun. After a chaotic year with the COVID-19 pandemic, we all need some joy in our lives. The Michael ScherrStrides in the World of BirthJay has been a hot seller within the cannabis market, and Scherr has even partnered up with iconic legends like Snoop Dogg and Cannabis Tommy Chong, who are not only known for smoking the green, but advocating for its use. OFM caught up with Scherr to talk more about the BirthJay, why he is passionate about cannabis, and his work with by Denny Patterson local, Denver dispensaries.

What can you tell us about BirthJays?

Cannabis is one of my passions, and I have been in this space on and off for many years. I came up with the idea for a celebratory joint. Like, what if I put a candle on a joint? Before going into the industry, I spent most of my life on stage entertaining, traveling the world on cruise lines, and making music globally. When I decided to leave the stage and cut my hair, I still have entertainer in my mind and body. So, all my products come out as extensions of me. I am a punny person, and Higher Celebrations is my company, so I thought about giftable cannabis. BirthJays was the first thing I came up with because, of course, everybody has a birthday. I did a bunch of research, and it took me years to learn how to make injection-molded pieces and blister molds. The little piece for the top of the candlesticks took me months of engineering because it was too tight, and if it was too loose, it fell right off. I had to build a little moat in there to catch the wax because otherwise it will drip onto your joint. I made this product because my goal is to create joy and bring happiness to events. We have single BirthJays that are sold either empty at head shops or filled in some dispensaries here in Colorado. We also have the fivepacks that are now branded with Tommy Chong because he is working with us.

Can you talk more about the work you do with local, Denver dispensaries?

I do a mix of things. It is much easier to sell a product empty, and several dispensaries do sell them empty so people can pick what they want to use, but there are about 20 to 30 dispensaries that do carry BirthJays. We also have a filling partner. So, I will go in and connect with them, see how they are selling, and talk with the budtenders. Budtenders are oftentimes making lower wages, and they are the gatekeepers. We know it is not the easiest or the most rewarding job, but they hold a key in letting people know which products are good. I definitely want to do more with dispensaries this year and kind of focus on our sales and marketing efforts.

What have you gained by working in the cannabis industry?

Family, network, education, growth, and selfconfidence. When we go to some of these industry shows, it is nice to see familiar faces, people I met four to six years ago. I am glad more folks are entering. Competition is healthy, but I also want people to destigmatize cannabis by having more people want to get in the industry. There is a yoga retreat I go to with 30-plus people I have known for a handful of years, and it is like a reunion where we get to spend a few days decompressing. Working in this industry is hard, and you do not make a lot of money. You have the government against you, people’s parents are against you, and there is an upside potential where a lot of profit can happen, but a lot of folks, including myself, have not seen that. It is nice to have a camaraderie of people who have been in the game and doing it for many years from different angles. I have met some awesome folks in this space. To read the full interview, visit outfrontmagazine.com.

Susan Boynton, Agent 9200 W Cross Dr Ste 122 Littleton, CO 80123 Bus: 303-948-2905 susan.boynton.lcfc@statefarm.com

It’s our differences that make us great.

No matter what you value, I’m here to help protect it with respect and professionalism. Here to help life go right.® CALL ME TODAY.