Wu-Tang Clan’s Method Man got locked up for using cannabis, now he’s co-founder of a cannabis brand

Growing up, cannabis was an integral part of Method Man’s life. Far from being a taboo, it was an openly cherished factor in his life. People close to him openly used it in his community, including his family members and their friends.

“I don’t know what draws people, or rather urban poor areas, to marijuana smoke,” he told Forbes. “But I’ve been around it all my life. My mother smoked, my father smoked, their friends smoked, my uncles smoked.” 

According to him, his love for marijuana was a natural progression, adding that he fell in love with it when he felt “high” for the first time. He believes that the changing landscape of cannabis laws in the U.S. could not have come at a better time.

“There’s just something about it, you know? And I’ve tried other things since, and it just didn’t hit me the same,” he fondly recalled. “Now with the laws we have today, it’s proven that I wasn’t doing anything bad.”

The evolution of the cannabis laws has spurred some blacks into commercial cannabis production, including Method Man. He co-founded TICAL Cannabis, following in the footsteps of Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg among others.

“TICAL is so much more than just a cannabis brand, it’s a movement. It’s a group of guys dedicated to doing right by a loyal friend in Method Man, while also helping people have access to the medicine they need in states that it’s allowed to be legally sold in,” Nathanial “Nutta” Vereen, co-founder of TICAL Cannabis, said.

Method Man agrees with Vereen, stressing that TICAL Cannabis is not just a brand but a movement, a movement born out of the decriminalization of herbs in several states across America. It is also a “manifesto,” he said, asserting that “We are the American dream.”

“The brand is getting bigger and bigger. And the fact that a kid used to get locked up for this sh-t, he’s now a proprietor… a proprietor of the substance that was the bane of his existence. Which is great, man. I see big things for us.”

Wu-Tang Clan rapper Method Man sees TICAL as more than just a business but a continuation of his legacy, culture, and how he has evolved over the years.

“You have someone that genuinely knows what this culture and movement is about. And he’s pushing it forward with his own brand. Not trying to show people how it’s done, but to show people how we do it,” he told Forbes.

Like other celebrities who have turned to entrepreneurship, the journey has not been smooth sailing for Method Man. He has encountered several challenges, including a lack of black operators in specific markets.