He started playing the violin at the tender age of five, before progressing to the role of lead guitarist for his band Santana. Now, Carlos Santana is stepping into green territory. By this, we are of course talking about cannabis. 

The 72-year-old American-Mexican musician has announced that he is collaborating with Left Coast Ventures to produce cannabis and CBD hemp products under a premium brand name. 

Santana – who has scooped 10 Grammy awards and three Latin Grammy awards – has long-expressed his love for the herb. He says that the partnership is inspired by his rich roots in Latin America, where the term ‘marijuana’ originated. 

“Cannabis is a window or a door to different awareness of consciousness,” said Santana, who intends on indulging fans and consumers with what he considers to be historical tried-and-tested remedies. “It gives you the choice to perceive through a different filter of awakening and healing, the misperception of distance as an illusion, which keeps you from being centered in your essence-core. It helps you arrive at knowing, accepting and owning a quality of life that is being with joy!”

Mexican guitarist’s cannabis brand will promote the plant’s wellness benefits

Santana is well-known and loved for presenting music lovers with an amalgamation of sound; blending jazz, blues and rock into a harmonious feast for the ears. He will continue to pour his passion for Latin culture and heritage into the brand with Left Coast Ventures. The plant’s wellness benefits, as well as its ability to enhance spiritual consciousness, will be spotlighted in the cannabis and hemp CBD product range.

“We are excited to launch cannabis and hemp CBD brands that deeply respect Latin heritage and celebrate the unique light of every individual,” said the firm’s CEO, Brett Cummings. “It’s a true honor to work with a dynamic legendary musician like Santana who has influenced millions through his music and shares our values and passion to legitimize the future of cannabis.”

Left Coast Ventures is no stranger to celebrity collaborations. The investment firm, which represents a group of global investors, has previously joined forces with the Bob Marley estate to develop Marley Natural, as well as Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead to launch Mind Your Head.

“Left Coast came to me and I’m very honored and humbled to be on the same frequency as Bob Marley and Mickey Hart. I want to promote the frequency of healing though medicinal cannabis,” Santana told Variety.

Santana’s cannabis brand will be available in summer

A range of premium flower products and pre-rolled joints will be distributed throughout select dispensaries in California this summer. This is the anticipated launch date for Santana’s cannabis brand, whereas the hemp CBD brand will be introduced in the fall of 2020. Unlike cannabis – which can grow with high percentages of the psychoactive compound THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) – CBD (cannabidiol) is a non-psychoactive constituent of cannabis and hemp. 

Santana’s cannabis brand will utilize CBD that has been extracted from hemp; a species of the Cannabis Sativa genus that was legalized for production following the Farm Bill’s passing in December 2018. Once the hemp CBD brand is available, consumers can browse a range of topicals and formulations influenced by Santana’s family traditions.