![The iconic Canadian band Tragically Hip has teamed up with Up Cannabis to grow and sell pot. [Image: Kim Pardi - Wikimedia Commons]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2018/7/10/660x290/b_502x220x82/the-iconic-canadian-band-tragically-hip-has-teamed-up-with-up-cannabis-to-grow-and-sell-pot-image-kim-pardi-wikimedia-commons_2050733.jpg "The iconic Canadian band Tragically Hip has teamed up with Up Cannabis to grow and sell pot. [Image: Kim Pardi - Wikimedia Commons]")
One of Canada's most popular bands, Tragically Hip is swinging into a new line of business, the business of marijuana. According to A Journal of Musical Things, Tragically Hip was asked about joining in on this venture before their lead singer, Gord Downie, passed away from brain cancer last October. To help announce their new investment, they had a party at their new farm in Creemore with some friends, influencers, and a few media outlets.
Up Cannabis
Up Cannabis is the Marijuana business division from Newstrike. Newstrike came to them last year and proposed the idea of Tragically Hip coming onboard with Newstrike's marijuana division.
This deal was struck last May, Gord Downie co-signed the agreement with Newstrike, and Tragically Hip was officially in the marijuana business. A Journal of Musical Things stated that Tragically Hip are brand ambassadors for marijuana.
This is the first time that the band has been in the public eye since Gord Downie's passing last October, and the first time they openly talked about marijuana in the past three years, according to A Journal of Musical Things. As reported by the Toronto Sun, the band agreed to join Up Cannabis because their work ethic mirrored their own. Tragically Hip also talked about how Up Cannabis is taking their time and making sure that everything runs smoothly so that this venture can be a success for all parties involved.
Song names for good times
This week the band released five strand names for some of the marijuana they are growing. The names they have chosen are from some of their song names, including Eldorado, Gems, 50MC, Grace, and Morning Moon. According to The Toronto Sun, Tragically Hip broke down their strains from the most potent strain to the least potent strain.
Eldorado is the most potent strain that they have, and the least potent is Morning Moon with a more manageable amount of THC to deal with -- especially if you're new to smoking pot.
The band mentioned that Gord Downie, unfortunately, was too sick when talks were going on between Up Cannabis and Tragically Hip last year. The rest of the band knew how much Gord Downie wanted to continue on with this venture, so the group decided to put some revenue aside for his family.
Rob Baker noted: "It’s the kind of thing we discussed previously. Long before there was talk of legalization, there was talk of legalization. One day it’s going to come. There’s been talk of this since the Senate recommended it in ‘72. It’s been going on a long time. So we knew the day was coming. It was inevitable. And I think we always thought, ‘(When) prohibition ends there’s a great opportunity to be on the ground floor of something.’”
