Hollywood's Smoking Hot Trend: Weed for Health

by Kathryn Romeyn

Courtesy of Azione PR

Raw dark-chocolate morsels, which contain 2 mg of CBD oil, by meal-delivery company Sakara Life

With a recent vote to legalize recreational marijuana use and "Hollyweed" vandalism of the Hollywood sign, cannabis also is at the forefront of a growing health movement in Los Angeles.

Hollywood's affinity for marijuana may go back decades, but with the November vote to legalize recreational use — and the Jan. 1 vandalizing of the Hollywood sign to read "Hollyweed" — it has hit a fever pitch.

The town's 420 entrepreneurs abound (Melissa Etheridge makes a wine tincture; Wiz Khalifa and Margaret Cho have their own strains; Whoopi Goldberg markets a bath soak to reduce menstrual cramps) while stoners even enjoy their own yoga sessions at Culver City studio Goda Yoga ($15 per class). "On any given day in this city, it's safe to say that the next hit song or screenplay is being written with a little help from this plant," says Adam Steinberg, co-founder of craft cannabis brand Flow Kana, who in addition to well-known pothead Seth Rogen cites reported industry users Richard Branson, Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman.

But the real news is hot new wellness ingredient CBD, a cannabidiol from hemp that's low in psychoactive THC and, studies suggest, reduces inflammation and the effects of PTSD. Torii Labs' Giles Hayward says its Re-Leaf hemp-oil tonic lessens anxiety and pain ($45/box; ToriiLabs.com).

Aceso sells calming oral sprays and powders to put in drinks (from $10; MyAceso.com). L.A. insomniacs soon will be able to mix into their nightcaps Seattle-based Prohibition Gold's Zzzshotz, with a sleep-inducing 10 mg of THC and 5 mg of CBD per serving. Chocoholics can try raw dark-chocolate morsels by meal-delivery company Sakara Life (used by Gwyneth Paltrow), which contain 2 mg of CBD oil to ease anxiety and PMS.

Brand-new CBD Clinic creams ($49 to $69; IndieGogo.com to purchase) are nonprescription and contain hemp extract for topical pain and inflammation relief. And actors and athletes swear by Hmbldt's vaping pens ($100; Hmbldt.com to find a dispensary) for stress relief and better sleep.

"I'm a dad now," says Veep star Reid Scott. "A dose of Hmbldt Calm after the boy is asleep, and Daddy's chill."