It only makes sense that a Cousteau would launch a brand of seaweed-enriched wellness products to save the oceans. What if this brand added real weed to the mix? That’s what two Cousteaus, couple Ashlan and Philippe Cousteau, grandson of explorer, scientist and conservationist Jacques Cousteau, did with SeaWeed Naturals.
Their products combine seaweed with cannabis to harness the benefits of land and sea plants. The launch line includes eight products. Some of them, like Comfort Body Oil and Lip Balm, contain hemp-derived CBD, while others, like Comfort Tincture and Body Comfort Balm, come in both CBD and THC versions.
High Tide daytime gummies and Low Tide nighttime gummies contain 10 milligrams of sativa and indica per gum, respectively. In a charming homage to the ocean, the erasers are shaped like a starfish.
Seaweed Naturals THC Candies
Products are currently only available in California at select dispensaries and for statewide delivery through the SeaWeed Naturals website via the Grassdoor delivery service.
“We spent a lot of time thinking about this,” admits Philippe. “We saw a gap in the cannabis market, which is very early, very young and unsophisticated in many ways. In the traditional wellness cosmetics space, algae is pretty well established. People are used to it, but nobody does it in the cannabis business. It was really exciting from a business point of view. »
The goal is to soon expand the distribution of SeaWeed Naturals from California to other states, including Massachusetts, Colorado, Washington and Oregon, and to develop CBD products that can be sold throughout the country into more traditional beauty and wellness retail environments.
A personal relationship with cannabis
Cousteau’s heirs believe in the power of THC for a myriad of issues. Older family members and friends with chronic muscle and nerve pain have tried many remedies, but nothing worked except THC-enriched creams and balms.
On a personal level, Ashlan suffered from insomnia due to postpartum depression until a friend gave her some THC candy.
“Not being able to sleep was really overwhelming for me,” says Ashlan. “I tried the erasers, and it helped me. After a week or two, I felt like myself again because I was sleeping. I was able to feel normal again. »
Environmental protection is an integral part of SeaWeed Naturals. 5% of the company’s profits will be donated to ocean conservation and education.
“We wanted a business that was truly an impact business by design,” says Ashlan. “We wanted to make sure that we had a positive impact on the planet or at least a non-negative impact. Obviously, given our work with the oceans and Philippe’s family heritage, we wanted to make sure we put the ocean first. »
“We truly believe this brand can help change the world, because everything we do in our lives, from our books to our speeches, to our TV shows, to our documentaries. »
Jacques Cousteau and cannabis
The late Jacques Cousteau, on the other hand, was adamantly opposed to cannabis. Leafly reminds us that he compared, in the preface to a book by Gabriel Nahas (Keep Off the Grass: A Scientific Inquiry into the Biological Effects of Marijuana), a prominent prohibitionist of the 70s and 80s, the narcotic effects of cannabis suffered by deep-sea divers or freedivers who stay underwater a little too long.
“The adverse biological effects associated with the habit of marijuana are of the most serious nature,” Cousteau wrote at the time. “If we are concerned about external pollutants threatening our environment, we should be equally concerned about internal pollutants – like marijuana products. »
But who knows? If Jacques Cousteau had lived long enough to witness the various legalizations, he might have filled his famous pipe with something other than tobacco?
