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In 1996, California became the first U.S. state to legalize medical cannabis. In the years since, a number of other states have followed suit, but it wasn’t until 2012, when Colorado and Washington became the first states to fully legalize the drug for recreational use, that cannabis would start to show its viability as an above-board business prospect. In the eight years since, legal marijuana has become big business, raking in <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/irisdorbian/2019/09/24/new-cannabis-report-predicts-legal-sales-to-reach-nearly-30-billion-by-2025/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=tommy-chong-goes-legal-2713626#2136220c1121" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">towering profits for dispensary owners</a> and providing a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewdepietro/2018/05/04/how-much-money-states-make-cannabis-sales/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=tommy-chong-goes-legal-2713626#4406388f1811" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">tax windfall for states</a>. And like any other successful business model, recreational cannabis was quickly adopted by the franchise industry.&nbsp;Franchises like <a href="https://www.unityrd.com/franchise-opportunities?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=tommy-chong-goes-legal-2713626" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">ONE Cannabis</a> have staked out an enviable position in the emerging segment, rapidly expanding throughout legal states. But there is still a sense among franchise entrepreneurs that the waters are largely untested — that varying regulations and lingering negative perceptions surrounding the product make cannabis a risky proposition. Those doubts are perhaps supported by the fact that the industry has yet to see a mainstream brand find runaway success in the segment. Prospective franchisors and franchisees may just be waiting to see someone else do it first.&nbsp;Cheech and Chong Dispensaries, a new chain of cannabis dispensaries backed by the legendary comedy duo and weed-culture icons, is not yet a franchise, but the brand has plans to grow fast. In June, Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin <a href="https://cannabizdigital.com/tommy-chong-and-cheech-marin-make-multi-state-dispensary-deal-with-five-point-holdings/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=tommy-chong-goes-legal-2713626" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">announced a deal with mixed-use developer Eighth Icon Holdings Inc.</a> to open units in California, Nevada, Arizona, Illinois and Washington. And according to Tommy Chong, that’s just the beginning.&nbsp;Given the strength of the Cheech and Chong brand and the chain’s aggressive early growth strategy, Cheech and Chong Dispensaries may just be the mainstream breakthrough the industry has been waiting for.1851 spoke with Tommy Chong about getting into the dispensary business, managing the Cheech and Chong brand and what the business world has to offer a 50-plus-year comedy veteran.<h4>1851 Franchise: Cannabis dispensaries are obviously a natural fit for the Cheech and Chong brand, but how did this particular deal with Eighth Icon Holdings come about?</h4>Tommy Chong: We were pitched a few offers early on. As soon as states started legalizing, everyone jumped all over it, and we were ready to get involved, but we didn’t feel the pressure to do it right away. This business is nothing new to us. If anything, we invented a lot of the culture around it, so we were ready to wait for the right opportunity.&nbsp;My son — who is my manager now — he and his friends brought this opportunity to us, and when the offer came in, it was perfect. We know the people, we know their history, and they are starting fresh with us — they aren’t tied into any conglomerate or anything like that.&nbsp;<h4>1851: Was there ever any doubt about using the Cheech and Chong brand for this venture?</h4>Chong: Cheech and I both have our own private brands. He has Cheech’s Private Stash, and I’ve got Chong’s products, but nothing is more famous than Cheech and Chong. So that was the way to go. And it was time. Especially now, with the lockdown, we’re sitting here trying to figure out ways to make a living without leaving the house. So promoting this venture is perfect.&nbsp;What’s funny is marijuana dispensaries have only been legal for a few years, but now they are considered essential businesses. So we’re doing good now, and we expect to be doing good later.The bottom line is that we did movies, we did records and all sorts of other things, but nothing is as exciting as meeting people, and the stores will give us a chance to do that —&nbsp;they will give us a chance to invite more people into our world. [The dispensaries] won’t look like some kind of drug store, they will look like a Cheech and Chong hangout; it will look your bedroom when you were a kid — you’ve got secret places and the right music and the right pictures on the wall — it’s going to be an experience.<h4>1851: Aside from licensing out the brand, what kind of personal involvement will you have in the business?</h4>Chong: We’ll do appearances, and we’ve got some suggestions for the design, so we’re staying pretty involved with everything. My son grew up with Cheech and Chong. He was born in ‘74, and Cheech and I were doing records in ‘71, so he’s lived his whole life with the brand. He’s going to be steering the ship, but Cheech and I are going to be like Santa Claus —&nbsp;maybe Cheech will be the elf and I’ll be Santa.<h4>1851: What has it been like managing the Cheech and Chong brand over the years? Do you remember when Cheech and Chong started to feel like more than just a comedy duo?</h4>Chong: That goes way back. When Cheech and I broke up, he went to do a series with Don Johnson and I spent a few years thinking about what I wanted to do. I went back to standup, but I got lonely, so I brought my wife in —&nbsp;she was my new Cheech. We started playing clubs and people would bring us bongs they made. My wife told me we had to start making our own, and at that point, my son was looking for something to do, so we got him into the bong businesses, and he started the Chong Bong company. When I was doing standup, I would sign the t-shirts that the club would sell, and the clubs loved that. When my wife joined, she told me we have to start selling our own t-shirts, so we’d go pick up a bunch of blank t-shirts and she’d help me design them. Then, when Cheech and I got back together, we started selling Cheech and Chong shirts.<h4>1851: What do you like about the business world? What does it fulfill for you that acting and comedy don’t?</h4>Chong: You’re always looking to build something that some huge company is going to look at and say, “Here’s $100 million — we’ll take over and you can be an advisor.” And that’s what will probably end up happening with Cheech and Chong dispensaries. When weed became legal, a lot of people told me, “Be careful. These big corporations are going to come in and take over the business.” And I said, “Great. Let’s be a big corporation.” I don’t want to be a mom-and-pop, I want to play with the big boys.These days, I do cameos in movies and TV shows — that’s like my day job —&nbsp;but I love business. I have no problem letting real pros come in and take over.<h4>1851: The initial licensing deal is for five states. Are there plans to expand after that?</h4>Chong: Oh, absolutely. You know, it’s like harvesting: You go for the big buds first, and that’s what those five states are. Once we get going there, we’ll move on, and not just to big cities, we’ll go where we’re needed. We’ve done the research, and we know where there’s demand.<h4>1851: Cheech and Chong have had such a defining influence on weed culture. Do you worry about that culture changing now that marijuana is becoming legal?</h4>Chong: Weed has been around forever. Back in the early days, it was witch doctors who had this knowledge, but now everyone has access. That doesn’t mean everyone will use it. Everybody can grow if they want, but not everybody will. Growers will grow, sellers will sell, and users will use. There’s room for everyone. So in that sense, I don’t think anything is really changing.

Tommy Chong Goes Legal

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A new deal with Eighth Icon Holdings Inc. will introduce the first Cheech and Chong-branded cannabis dispensaries to five states. 

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Tommy Chong Goes Legal

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