Regina Leader-Post

Bieber breaks into cannabis space with Palms partnershi­p

- TIFFANY KARY

Justin Bieber is entering the marijuana market with pre-rolled joints that he's calling “Peaches,” the name of a song from his most recent album.

The Canadian singer is working with a Los Angeles-based company, Palms, on the products.

Palms specialize­s in pre-rolled cannabis products, with its seven-joint packs selling for US$32 at locations in Nevada and California, according to its website.

“I'm a fan of Palms and what they are doing by making cannabis approachab­le and helping to de-stigmatize it — especially for the many people who find it helpful for their mental health,” Bieber said in an emailed statement. A spokeswoma­n declined to share financial terms of the collaborat­ion.

Scientists are studying the effects of cannabis on mental health.

A 2020 paper from researcher­s at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatri­c Institute said a popular belief that marijuana can help with depression is leading more patients to try it, but that some studies have concluded it can worsen outcomes.

“Among the most common health claims made in online advertisin­g for recreation­al cannabis dispensari­es is depression treatment,” the researcher­s said. “These messages may be increasing in frequency, while media messaging about marijuana has become more positive over time and includes less informatio­n about risks.”

Bieber, 27, has been open about how the pressures of child stardom and drug use contribute­d to his own mental health challenges. In a Youtube documentar­y series last year, he said he tried marijuana when he was 12 or 13 and eventually grew to feel dependent on it.

A portion of sales from his cannabis products will support groups including Veterans Walk and Talk,

a group of veterans that advocates for cannabis as medicine, and the Last Prisoners Project, a nonprofit that aims to free people convicted of marijuana possession.

 ?? ?? Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber

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