Queen Whoopi Goldberg
On the left, Whoopi Goldberg in 1996, Source: John Matthew Smith & www.celebrityphotos.com on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. On the right, Whoopi Goldberg at the Talk for Word Peace event in Washington DC on July 9th, 2011, Source: Mark Taylor on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Can you imagine a world without an icon such as Whoopi Goldberg? It would definitely be a more dull place, a less happy place. From her memorable movie roles to her remarkable presence in TV and theater, Goldberg has warmed the hearts of millions watching her and enjoying her wit, humor and charisma. She is also one in a number of outstanding Black entrepreneurs to add her profile to the weed industry.
The famous actress and comedian was born in Manhattan as Caryn Elaine Johnson on November 13, 1955 and is now turning 67. Goldberg studied theater in New York during the 1970s before she moved to Berkley, California, where one of her early engagements was performing with the experimental theater group Street Hawkeyes.
In the early 1980s, she began working on The Spook Show, a one-woman character monologue series later renamed Whoopi Goldberg and played on Broadway. The same show caught the attention of Steven Spielberg, who then decided to cast Goldberg in the role of Celie in the 1985 film adaptation of Alice Walker's The Color Purple. The movie earned her a nomination for Best Actress at the Academy Awards. From then on, only more success followed for Goldberg, earning her all most prestige accolades, including an Emmy, Grammy, an Academy Award, and a Tony Award.
With open support for the therapeutic use of Cannabis, the American actress and TV personality also entered the budding cannabis sector back in 2016.
She has stated that Cannabis has helped her with headaches resulting from glaucoma. "My vape pen and I maintain a mostly private relationship," she said on one occasion.
Her first venture was the collaborative brand Whoopi & Maya, a company that oversaw the launch of medical cannabis products for women seeking relief from menstrual cramps. The line included bath soaks, body balms, and herbal tinctures.
Goldberg and her then business partner saw a huge market opportunity in an area few people wanted to address. But more than that, Whoopi said she was inspired to enter into business by "a lifetime of difficult periods and the fact that cannabis was literally the only thing that gave me relief."
"They wanted to include menstrual cramps in the list of things you can prescribe medical marijuana for," Goldberg said in an interview, "but the governor said that will never happen in New Jersey because our doctors only prescribe marijuana for 'real' pain. The fact that people think of women's health as a niche market — that he didn't think of menstrual cramps as 'real' pain — tells me that there's a lot of education to do on this subject."
Whoopi & Maya unfortunately had to shut down in 2020. Then, just 14 months later, Goldberg was back on feet with a new brand, this time named after her mother and brother, Emma & Clyde. The new Goldberg venture introduced a line of products that featured edibles, pre-rolls, flower (in a first for Whoopi), and accessories for medical and recreational users.
Besides Emma & Clyde, Goldberg has lent her support to the launch of Black Cannabis Magazine, where she was featured on the inaugural cover issued on April 20, 2021.
"It's an honor to grace the very first cover of Black Cannabis magazine," she said on the occasion of the first issue. "As a long-time cannabis advocate and entrepreneur, I'm happy to support the launch of a new publication focused on starting conversation and covering issues that educate, entertain and inspire people of color in the cannabis community," she said.
Many happy returns of the day queen Whoopi Goldberg!
S
Stephen Andrews
