Whoopi Goldberg claims that cannabis is “probably the best medicine on the planet,” saying she used it medicinally in the past to relieve painful menstrual cramps and now markets her own brand of products.
The 68-year-old actor, who is launching her own line in July including edibles and pre-rolls, stressed that “medicine should be in the hands of people” and said using cannabis for medicinal purposes “is no longer taboo.”
In an interview with ForbesWhoopi explained why she believes medication doesn’t have to be inconvenient: “We know that’s wrong. And people say, ‘Well, that’s just anecdotal,’ but it’s not anecdotal.
“Anyone you talk to would tell you that medicine doesn’t have to be gruesome. Especially if it’s spicy, if it grows from the ground and doesn’t need any additives, which can keep it reasonably priced for people to pick it up.”
Whoopi’s brand is called Emma & Clyde, after her late mother and brother, both of whom used cannabis — her mother medicinally and her brother recreationally — and The View host described them as “two people who represent weed as it exists in the real world.”
Whoopi Goldberg claims that cannabis is ‘probably the best medicine on the planet’
Whoopi, pictured here smoking a cigarette in 2003, has used cannabis in the past to relieve her menstrual cramps
Referring to her own reasons for using cannabis, the Sister Act star explained: ‘For people like me, it was always used to [menstrual] cramps – and the fun part about it was that it was fun, you had to laugh about it and stuff.
‘They’re no longer taboo because we all know that women get their periods. We know that. So you can make it difficult, which they’ve done by creating something that helps women… But this [cannabis] ‘We know what works.’
The mother of one added that her main reason for using it was to ensure she could ‘stop the pain’, as products like Midol ‘weren’t working’ for her.
“Medicine should be in the hands of people,” Whoopi said, before describing it as an “honor” to launch her own brand – which will be available in stores from July 20.
However, this isn’t Whoopi’s first foray into this venture, as in 2016 she launched the cannabis brand Whoopi & Maya alongside Maya Elisabeth, but in February 2020 it was reported that the company had closed.
Over the years, Whoopi has been very open about her cannabis use, writing in The Cannabist in 2014 about her love for her kush-filled vape pen, which she said provided relief from headaches related to glaucoma.
And in a 2015 interview with High Times Magazine, Whoopi said she was an advocate for using medical marijuana for sick children.
‘When we talk about marijuana, I hear people say, ‘What about the children?’ Yes, what about the children?” said the actor.
The 68-year-old actor has revealed that her mother, Emma, used cannabis for medicinal purposes
Whoopi has spoken openly about smoking cannabis recreationally with her brother Clyde, who sadly passed away in 2015
Referring to families who gave their children cannabis, she added: ‘These parents are being treated like criminals – because, as a last resort and after much research, they decided that cannabis could help their child.
“They know they may face a prison sentence, but these are their children and they will do anything to bring peace with the convulsions or calm after chemotherapy.”
Recently, Whoopi spoke about a different kind of medicine when she shared why she decided to use Mounjaro to help her lose weight.
During an episode of The View earlier this week, Whoopi and the rest of the panel had a rather tense discussion about “magic” weight loss pills like Ozempic and Mounjaro and whether it’s “offensive” to ask someone if he or she is taking them.
Halfway through the conversation, Whoopi blurted out, “Yes, I brought Mounjaro. I did it, you know. I say it all the time because you can’t get down from almost 300 pounds without someone saying, “Okay, what happened?” Because you know I haven’t been to the gym! People know that!’
In March, Whoopi said live on radio that she started taking medication after gaining 136 kilos during the filming of the film Till in 2021.