SOON, COLORADO MARIJUANA USERS will have the opportunity to get high with legendary author and journalist Hunter S. Thompson. Or his legacy, at least, as the writer’s widow Anita Thompson announced that a clone of his personal cannabis strain will be the newest product made available under the “Gonzo” brand, which she obtained legal rights to in June along with much of Thompson’s legacy. “I am in the process of making the strain available to those who would like to enjoy authentic Gonzo strains in legal states,” Thompson said via Facebook. The move is something that Colorado’s cannabis industry has had its eye on since legalization first came into effect on January 1, 2014.
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Coming Soon to Colorado: Hunter Thompson's Private Weed Strain
by
Tim Wenger
Nov 30, 2016
Cloning the exact product that Hunter smoked seemed much more appealing to Thompson than simply sticking his name on an existing strain already being produced in commercial grow houses. “Since it became legal I get approached probably once a month by cannabis growers, dispensaries,” the Aspen Times quoted Thompson as saying. “I always ended up saying no because it’s the same story every time: somebody wants to slap Hunter’s name on their strain. If I put Hunter’s name on somebody else’s strain I can never go back and say ‘No, this is the authentic one.’”
Thompson appears to be approaching the venture with a bit of Hunter’s legendary wit and humor, as she reportedly told the New York Times that she is “looking forward to being a drug lord.” Via legal methods, Thompson has found a way to extract DNA from marijuana she has saved since before Hunter’s death in February of 2005.
Since gaining the rights to Hunter’s likeness, Thompson now boasts ownership of her late husband’s legendary Owl Farm home in Woody Creek, Colorado, which she intends to turn into a museum as well as a retreat for writers and musicians. “By the end of 2017, the first groups of guests will be invited to visit the private museum,” Thompson said in a Facebook post. Hunter’s ashes were famously scattered by cannon across open land on the Owl Farm property, which Thompson hopes to protect from future development via conservation easements.
Additionally, the basement of Owl Farm will house a small recording studio. “The non-traditional writer’s residence program will also be open for select musicians. Several band members may stay for periods of time to write and record.” Profits from the sale of the recreational strain will be used for renovations and upkeep. While the strain is not yet available in Colorado stores, Thompson says she is “looking forward to making the authentic strains available in legal states to support the Farm and the scholarships.”
Once the strain is available in stores, Hunter S. Thompson will join celebrities including Snoop Dogg, Tommy Chong, and Willie Nelson, who have already made an imprint on a market growing rapidly across the country.