High Country: Smoke Jim Belushi’s homegrown cannabis with ‘The Blues Brothers’ pre-rolls

For the many celebrity-backed cannabis brands now in business, there is only one (at least to my knowledge) where the star is actually involved from the ground up. Actor, comedian and musician Jim Belushi traded the stage for the farm in 2015, when he set out to grow his own cannabis along the Rogue River in Oregon.

Since then, Belushi’s Farm has expanded from a meager 43 plants into a sprawling and spiritual 93 acres that’s home to a range of product offerings like Belushi’s Secret Stash and Captain Jack’s Gulzar Afghanica — a rare strain from the Hindu Kush region that became known in the ’70s as “The Smell of SNL.” And now, the company marks its second out-of-state expansion (Belushi’s Farm launched in Illinois in August) with the debut of “The Blues Brothers” pre-rolls, exclusively available through The Green Solution (TGS) dispensaries across Colorado.

“Belushi’s Farm can’t wait to enter into the great cannabis state of Colorado,” Jim Belushi shared via email. “The Green Solution is the top cultivator in Colorado and their mission of healing falls right smack in line with the Blues Brothers’ belief in the power of cannabis: music, mischievousness and, as they say in the movie, ‘a mission from God.’”

Named after the band, legendary movie and “Saturday Night Live” characters made famous by Jim’s late brother, John Belushi, and Dan Aykroyd, The Blues Brothers pre-rolls were launched last year in Oregon. Available in Colorado beginning Oct. 24 in five Denver TGS locations and in the Aspen store in late November, The Blues Brothers pre-rolls come in packs of six .25-gram joints, five .7-gram joints or as a single one-gram joint.

“In addition to his comic and music talents, Jim Belushi has developed an exceptional cannabis product through Belushi’s Farm and we couldn’t be more excited about being the first to welcome them to Colorado,” said TGS co- founder and co-president, Kyle Speidell, in a press release. “Jim is a skilled cannabis producer and is involved in everything from farming to production. This isn’t just a celebrity-endorsed brand. He is also a passionate supporter of veterans’ causes, which, as a veteran-owned company, is something that aligns with (us).”

Jim’s refreshing, hands-on approach in cannabis is also documented on “Growing Belushi,” a three-part series released in August on the Discovery Channel (in partnership with Live Nation) that takes viewers behind the scenes on Belushi’s Farm and through his journey into the unparalleled effort it took to build a legal cannabis operation.

“We are currently in deep discussions with Discovery for a second season,” Belushi added. “I love manifesting a vision and now a new vision has emerged of how we set up the integrity, the ethics and the day-to-day business of cannabis. I want our audience to know and trust the men and women of our industry who are trying to lead and trying to make cannabis a pathway to healing. This is not a stoner’s show. I am hoping this show reflects all of our struggles and challenges in this industry, from growing to selling to the legality of the people who have benefited from the use of cannabis.”

Having suffered the loss of his brother, John, to a narcotics overdose, as well as having experienced his own path of healing with cannabis, Jim is an advocate for the positive medical and adult-use benefits, including pain management and improving quality of life. He is also dedicated to healing the harms of the War on Drugs, serving as an adviser to the Last Prisoner Project, a coalition of industry leaders, executives and artists fighting for the release of those incarcerated for cannabis.

As for his own cannabis ritual, Belushi revealed, “It changes depending on my responsibilities with work and family. I microdose for sleep and take a 2.5 or 5 milligram chocolate. Once in a while, whenI feel like my nerves are shattered and when I’m quick to react, I’ll take one little hit off of my Cherry Pie (strain), which I call ‘The Marriage Counselor.’ It’s a low-THC, high- terpene profile cultivar. It drops my shoulders … and drops my attitude, and I actually become charming — believe it or not! Everybody needs a little charm in their relationship, a little smile, a little sense of humor.”

Katie Shapiro can be reached at katie@katieshapiromedia.com and followed on Twitter @bykatieshapiro