LA Weekly: SLIPKNOT’S CLOWN TALKS ENTERING CANNABIS INDUSTRY
We recently chatted with M. Shawn Crahan, also known as Slipknot co-founder Clown, about his recent move into the cannabis industry in collaboration with Hollister Cannabis Co. and Heavy Grass.
The collaboration will feature special-edition HashBone packs with six half-gram pre-rolls.
While we have certainly covered many musicians taking a stab at cannabis here at L.A. Weekly, Crahan’s discography represents the heaviest of the pack.
Carl Saling, the co-founder, CEO and director of Hollister Biosciences noted, “We are very excited to be launching our HashBone collaboration with Clown. We couldn’t ask for a better partner and someone who is true to the plant. This partnership is our first step in combining hard rock/metal with cannabis in a truly authentic way. Additionally, we are happy that we get to bring Clown to market in tandem with our friends at Heavy Grass – leveraging their experience in music-inspired cannabis products will amplify our overall marketing efforts.”
Heavy Grass is also offering a once-in-a-lifetime Green Ticket experience. The winner of Clown’s Green Ticket will receive unlimited entrance for two into any Slipknot shows in the world for the next three years.
As Crahan joined us for our chat, the world continued to open. Just a few hours earlier, Slipknot was announced as the headliner for Rocklohoma in September. They’ll also host Knotfest Iowa and Knotfest Roadshow Tour in the months ahead. But our talk started with adding a bit of metal to the cannabis industry in a sea of rap, reggae and jam bands. We asked what it felt like to carry the flag?
“I appreciate what you just said because it really plays into a lot of what society is and the cultural aspects of it,” Crahan told L.A. Weekly. “I’m excited for some of the same aspects that you just said.”
While cannabis has its place in rock music, drugs and the genre tend to be a wildly polarizing topic. We asked Crahan if it ever felt like cannabis got lost in the middle between the straight edge crowd and heavy opiate users.
“I don’t know if it gets lost,” he replied. “Only for the simple fact that if we feel it gets lost, it’s probably because it’s just everyday stuff. Whereas the other ones are so over the top, and not necessary.”
Crahan was quick to argue that wanting to live a straight-edge lifestyle is great for people who are into it, and his own family has dealt with the struggles of substance abuse. So it’s certainly a personal take on that end.
“I think the flower gets ignored because it’s just so widely accepted more than anyone could ever imagine. It’s like everyday stuff for a lot of humans on the planet,” Crahan said.