The people have been begging for it and, finally, Seth Rogen is growing pot. Well, at least pot Canadians can buy…legally.
The Vancouver-born actor and director announced that he and fellow screenwriter Evan Goldberg have co-founded a cannabis brand called Houseplant.
Teaming up with an Ontario LP
According to a post on Instagram, the brand has been in the works since 2013.
As for the herb, it will be brought to you by one of Canada’s largest federally licensed cannabis producers, Canopy Growth Corporation.
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‘We have been getting to know the Houseplant team for quite a while now and continue to be impressed by their understanding of the cannabis consumer, attention to detail, and drive towards their vision,’ Canopy president Mark Zekulin said in a statement.
Joining the likes of Snoop Dogg, Tommy Chong, Kevin Smith, and Willie Nelson, Rogen is the latest celebrity stoner icon to invest in weed.
Since federally legalizing adult-use cannabis last year, the Canadian government has implemented strict rules preventing cannabis companies from using celebrity endorsements. In a release, Houseplant says Canopy acquired 25 percent of the brand and have been careful to keep Rogen and Goldberg away from direct endorsement and promotion of cannabis-related events.
As both founders are staying on as business heads, Houseplant is cautious to present either as a spokesperson for the brand.
To tease the announcement, Rogen unlocked a private account only he was following on Instagram Tuesday (March 26) night. The actor posted a clip of a matchbox that looked like an old VHS video cassette box with a caption prompting fans to follow the then-locked page—sending it public a mere few hours later.
Houseplant’s social media shows a few snaps of nugs, plants, packaging, and early branding concepts—all revealing tidbits of information about a project Rogen says he and Goldberg have been working on “quietly for years”.
‘We could not be more passionate about this company and are dedicated to doing everything the right way. It is extremely important to us to treat cannabis with the reverence it deserves.” he wrote in an email release.
Launching with three products
The account also gives followers a sneak peek of three products—Sativa, Indica, and Hybrid dried flower.
The sativa is teased as a high tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) strain, with “long, densely packed trichomes extend from the buds onto the leaves, giving it a true ‘sugar leaf’ appearance. This plant has dark, hardy leaves and a big, earthy scent.”
Indica is a high THC and low-cannabidiol (CBD) strain, boasting pungent earthy, floral, and musky notes.
Hybrid will have a blended nose of blueberry, herbal, cheese aromas.
Targeting a “cannabis curious” crowd
While its co-founder is of the few remaining public figures to embrace classic stoner stereotypes, Houseplant isn’t all billowing bong rips and giant cross joints. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
A few clicks into the official website and a 1980s-inspired infomercial narrated by Rogen pops into focus and breaks down the fundamental (and I mean fundamental) differences between the three common “categories” of cannabis: sativa, indica, and hybrid.
Down to the strain names and graphic design, Houseplant has taken all measures to ensure there will be no confusion about the desired effects of the products. Each of the three flowers is named after its growth profile—Sativa, Indica, and Hybrid—and has its own colour block.
Even the direction of the lines on the packaging indicating the purported characteristics of the flower, which Houseplant calls the “colour line system”. The sativa’s lines, for example, run vertical to indicate it’s suited for a consumer who wants to be “up and ready to go”. Indica, on the other hand, has horizontal lines on the label for someone looking to “lie down”, and the hybrid flower has diagonal lines to imply the effects will land somewhere in the middle.
The website also has a series of educational videos tailored to a very novice consumer—including understanding portion control, different consumption methods, and how to roll a joint.
Retro brand vision
Houseplant is all about the throwback.
From the VHS-inspired matchbox in Rogen’s first Instagram post to the infomercial-style video production, it’s clear Houseplant is flying a flag for the 70s and 80s.
It’s not often an era reflected upon with stylistic nostalgia, but it was an influential period for weed activism. Back then, the likes of Dennis Peron and Jack Herer were driving the legalization movement across North America, and public figures like Cheech and Chong were redefining cultural boundaries with their permastoned comedy. While nothing about Houseplant directly pays homage to the dawn of the mobilized hippie, it’s always cool to see a company pulling from the archives for inspiration.
For select influencers and fans, Houseplant has released a series of exclusive vinyls specifically curated to each strain. Even the packaging for flower comes in the form of a cardboard video cassette box.
Houseplant’s Sativa strain will be available in flower through legal B.C. channels as early as next month, followed by the Indica and Hybrid products. Prerolls and softgels will also become available as the company expands nationally.
