Whoopi Goldberg Talks Cannabis: The Planet’s ‘Greatest Medicine… Pain Reliever And Source Of Joy’
“Cannabis is probably the greatest medicine on the planet that everybody can have,” says Whoopi Goldberg as she phones in from her home, her cat comfortably nestled on her lap. The actress, comedian, and entrepreneur speaks passionately about her long-standing relationship with cannabis, reflecting on its dual benefits as both a pain reliever and a source of joy. “For people like me, it was always used to stop the [menstrual] cramps – and the side hustle of that is that it was fun, it made you laugh and stuff,” she adds.
Goldberg is an advocate of medicine that feels good. Why should medicating feel uncomfortable? Why does it have to feel like a hard pill to swallow – literally? “We know that’s wrong. And people say, ‘Well, that’s just anecdotal.’ But it’s not anecdotal. Everybody you talk to would tell you that medicine doesn’t have to be horrifying. Especially when it’s herbal, when it’s growing out of the ground and doesn’t need an additive, which means it can stay reasonably priced for people to go pick it up,” she voices.
All In The Family
Goldberg’s relationship with cannabis is deeply personal and family-driven. Her latest venture, Emma & Clyde, encapsulates this connection. “Emma & Clyde is named after my family because my mother used cannabis for medicinal purposes. And my brother liked the recreational. They are two people that represent weed as it stands in the real world,” she explains. This brand, under the WhoopFam umbrella, aims to provide high-quality products for both medicinal and recreational users.
Whoopi and her mother, Emma – Courtesy of WhoopFam
Her journey with the plant began long before it became a business venture. “I’m not sure when everybody in my family got on board. I didn’t realize that my mother had been utilizing it for herself until after she passed away,” Goldberg reveals, adding a poignant layer to her advocacy.
She also reflects on her early experiences with cannabis, recounting how she and her brother would smoke in the days when the plant was still taboo. “My brother and I used to smoke in the days when it was just something that you could do under the tree in the backyard when nobody could see you. And I know that he would love this idea that you can go and get what you need medicinally. You can go and get what you need recreationally,” she recounts. This early exposure laid the groundwork for her later advocacy and business ventures, which are not just focused on creating products but also on challenging societal norms and pushing for broader acceptance and legalization of cannabis.
Whoopi and her brother, Clyde
“Medicine should be in the hands of people,” she asserts. Her mission is clear: to demystify cannabis and make it a readily available option for those who need it.
Keeping things within her close circle of friends and family, Goldberg has once again decided to partner with Maya Elisabeth, co-creator of the original Whoopi & Maya brand. The choice …