Jim Belushi's Journey as Cannabis Farmer

Jim Belushi, who is turning 68 this June 15th, has, in the last couple of years, launched various cannabis products such as The Blues Brothers, Captain Jack's Gulzar Afghanica, and Chasing Magic (Jim's Secret Stash).

The famous actor turned cannabis farmer is also busy with his Discovery Channel series "Growing Belushi," which takes a behind-the-scenes look at Belushi's Southern Oregon farm. Season 2 of the show premiered last January after a successful debut in August 2020.

Even before the debut of "Growing Belushi," many in Oregon were familiar with the actor's new occupation.

Oregon has relatively liberal recreational marijuana laws, so the state is the perfect setting for Belushi's enterprise. Users of legal age may purchase seeds, immature marijuana plants, and other cannabis products from licensed retailers. Also, each household is allowed to grow up to four plants.

An earlier TV series, "Building Belushi," aired in 2015 and chronicled Belushi's progress as he set up his property on Oregon's Rogue River. 

"Growing Belushi" was a sort of an upgrade of that early show, documenting budding farm life challenges plus a trip to Colombia to acquire seeds of valuable, rare cannabis strains. The show's second season continues to document the ups and downs on Belushi's farm, with a significant focus on how to regrow crops affected by mold and pests.

In season 2, Belushi is worried that the marijuana plants he had named after the "Blues Brothers" struggle with mold. Episodes feature Dan Aykroyd's guest appearances and another Discovery channel star, Guy Fieri.

Belushi explains in an interview that the hoop where he is growing lacked proper ventilation. Excess moisture led to mold, which would affect about 300 pounds of flower. We also learn that aphids and russet mites attacked another batch of plants. Basically, much of his crops require regeneration.

All in all, the episodes show us that Belushi is a dedicated, caring farmer. He actually says in one of his interviews that farming cannabis has helped him "become a more empathetic, compassionate, thoughtful and gentler man."

He said: "It's kind of spiritually put me back in my body, put me back in my community."

The actor commented on the "Growing Belushi" series for Forbes. 
"I call it edutainment. Education because Discovery likes that educational process. And there's a lot of humor and charm in it. So, there's a lot of smiles, and a few good laughs and education," he said.

He added: "There's a lot of different storylines going on in this, but it's funny and very informative. I want the audience to really have confidence in regulation of cannabis. We show testing, we show our grows. We show how to trim it. We show how to dry it, cure it. We show when to use it."

The actor has also reflected on the challenges of farming and how it requires serious involvement and effort. 

"I learned a difference between it being a hobby and being a professional," he said. "You know, it's like acting. You can either be doing community theater or you can commit 100%, and go for it, and we went for it."

This is also what he says in his pre-release statement for the series this winter: "In this season of 'Growing Belushi,' you'll witness my evolution from hobby boutique cultivator to multi-state business operator. This year is not only about the expansion of our business, but our mission to spread awareness about the plant as a pathway to healing."

Asked about his plans for the future, Belushi is not shy to say that he would like to become the 'Antony Bourdain of Cannabis.' His idea is to travel to different territories where marijuana is legal to explore cannabis culture and commerce and gain more wisdom on cultivation.

All the best, Jim Belushi!