Courtesy of West Grown
Jim Belushi has made a name for himself as an actor, comedian and now as a cannabis farmer. In 2015, he started planting cannabis on his land in Oregon, rolled up his sleeves and immersed himself in the process of creating his growing operation Belushi’s Farm. Furthermore, Jim has channeled his passion for the plant into advocacy and has done extensive work within the cannabis community.
Since the beginning of his journey, Jim now has a reputable cannabis brand that features strains from his farm, is a board member for The Last Prisoner Project, and has an upcoming, Blues Brothers-themed collaboration with Bhang and its line of cannabis-infused chocolate.
With this exciting news came an opportunity to talk with Jim about his involvement in the cannabis community and what we can expect from this new collaboration with Bhang.
We’d love to hear more about your involvement with the cannabis community. Tell us about your work with Last Prisoner Project.
Steve DeAngelo and Mary Bailey threw the first annual Last Prisoner Project benefit dinner in Los Angeles, and at the last minute, they lost their venue. Steve called and asked if they could do it at my house, and I said yes. I was a guest in my own house, and I was able to watch and listen to the most inspiring collaboration to help others.
I stood up, and I said to Steve, “How can I get into this; how can I help?”
It’s humiliating to the men and women who are incarcerated from the failed War on Drugs, and it also collapses the fabric of their families. It’s time to get these nonviolent cannabis prisoners out. There are millions of dollars being made in our industry today, and these men and women really are the ones who laid the groundwork for our industry, and they’re in jail.
Are there other causes or organizations that you work with as well?
Causes that support veterans are the nearest and dearest to my heart. These men and women sacrificed their minds, bodies and souls for us. There are eight suicides a day by veterans who suffer from countless ailments, many of them created by PTSD from their military experiences.
Unfortunately, the VA still supplies their patients opiates for their problems, and it’s not working. So, I’m involved with anything that will bring awareness to the VA to allow cannabis to be used as one of the many healing elements in the lives of veterans.
One veteran I met in the parking lot of a dispensary explained to me that he had been prescribed 300 opiates per month for his triple PTSD symptoms and was able to get off of them through his use of cannabis. He said that one of my strains allowed him to talk to his spouse, have relationships with his kids and allowed him to sleep again. He teared up and hugged me.
I said, “Hey man, I didn’t make this.” He replied, “No, but you’re a steward.” I hope that, in any little way we can, we can steward these men and women who are suffering in prison and who are recovering from serving our country. Gotta have mercy.
As someone who advocates for cannabis consumption, do you consume yourself?
My cannabis consumption consists of micro-dosing. I take one little hit from my Cherry Pie with low THC and high terpenes, and the entourage effect makes me feel chilled out while still conversationally savvy. I also consume Bhang edibles. I use about 2.5 mg of chocolate to set me up with a nice sleep pattern.
That’s the extent of it. I’m not a big user. It really is to mitigate my PTSD. I’m not a veteran, and I haven’t been in prison, but I’ve had a lot of things in my life mess me up, where I’ve lost total control, and have unnecessary anxiety and fear from time to time, so I find this regimen really works for me.
On the topic of Bhang, tell us more about the Bhang x The Blues Brother collaboration. What interested you in partnering with them?
Jamie Pearson, the CEO of Bhang, is one of the smartest and most interesting people I’ve ever met in this industry. Instantly, we met eye to eye on the pathways of healing with cannabis. Coincidentally, I had been using Bhang for my sleep aid.
Jamie loves The Blues Brothers. We started talking and laughing and came up with two wonderful ideas for a Blues Brothers cannabis product taken right from the movie.
When Jake and Elwood go to the diner to get Matt Guitar Murphy, the famous Aretha Franklin scene when she belts out “Think,” Jake orders a whole fried chicken and a Coke and Elwood orders dry white toast, so we collaborated on two candy bars that would taste like toast and fried chicken.
They’re fun, delicious, and I’m excited to release these two items to the public. I think you’ll love them as much as I do.
The Blues Brothers is an iconic film—what is your mission with reviving the film first through your own brand of prerolls, and now with this Bhang collaboration?
The Blues Brothers film was entered into the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress in 2020. This shows how iconic the film has become. You have to understand that at the time the movie came out in 1980, there were no music videos, and this was a whole movie of music videos.
Many blues artists were suffering from poverty. This movie revived many careers. It was about diversity without trying to be, about celebration of joy, music, culture, comedy and, of course, A Mission From God, which plays on so many levels.
We are on “A Mission From God” to help pave the road to healing within the cannabis community and with veterans. Everybody takes medicine of some kind, whether it’s through cannabis, prescription drugs or alcohol. I believe cannabis is the safest approach to healing while maintaining a sense of balance and management of oneself.
Yes, there is a nostalgic quality to this brand, but the image of Jake and Elwood Blues and this music that they’ve created, this movie that has entertained millions. It’s held up for 40 years. I want to keep their context alive in something that’s new with adult-use cannabis.
It fits. I’m very selective about who I am going to collaborate with, and Jamie at Bhang lines up with my mission every step of the way. I feel confident that this collaboration represents that original “Mission From God” that set the Blues Brothers in motion: a focus on fun, joy, and healing.
Bhang’s first-time collaboration with the legendary Blues Brothers leads to the rebirth of an iconic classic through cannabis infused chocolate. With bold, rich flavor and a little bit of mystery behind their mission, Bhang x The Blues Brothers are bringing in a whole new meaning behind the experience of getting high.
Inspired by two brothers who are on a mission to fight for what matters most to them, this collaboration aims to harness what makes you feel deeply rooted to your core and community: to open your mind to the experiences that shape you, discover the things in life that define you, and do what you’re set out to do.
Where will your mission take you?
Fried Chicken and Cola Dark Chocolate
Dive into the flavors of this unique, cannabis-infused vegan dark chocolate. Our master chocolatier covered crispy corn flakes in a bittersweet blend of 58 percent cacao dark chocolate to delight your taste buds with the perfect melody of salty and sweet.
White Toast White Chocolate
Crunch your way through Bhang’s cannabis-infused white chocolate bar embedded with crispy rice puffs. Our delicious blend of creamy white chocolate and caramelized rice puffs makes for a unique sensory experience. Jim’s collaboration with Bhang x The Blues Brothers is available now in California.
To purchase, find a dispensary near you here.
Featured image and video courtesy of West Grown.
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