BOSTON – When Massachusetts voted to legalize the recreational use of marijuana during the 2016 election, many industry insiders expected it to be a source of massive revenue and true economic growth within the state. But after Cultivate opened in Leicester, Massachusetts, proving how profitable and popular the industry could be, vastly outpacing the expectations of many, it has become the hot bandwagon to jump on. And for good reason, too.

Many Massachusetts icons have jumped in on the growing CBD industry in the state. Former Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce announced a business venture of his own earlier in 2019. Additionally, within the past month, former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski got into the industry himself by endorsing CBD for athletes, saying it has helped him feel pain-free.

Now, actor-producer-entrepreneur-model-rapper-Boston-native Mark Wahlberg is also wading into a CBD-based venture. AQUAhydrate, a water company that has prominent backers like Wahlberg and Sean Combs  behind the scenes, was announced this week to be merging with The Alkaline Water Company. In a part of the statement from Alkaline, it was said that the company plans to use the merger as an impetus for selling more products that are infused with CBD, seeing it as a lucrative opportunity.

In his statement, Wahlberg spoke glowingly about the connections and similarities between the two companies and how he is looking forward to entering the cannabis industry head first.

Frankly, with news stories like this becoming more and more frequent, anyone currently incarcerated for marijuana possession in the past should be freed. How are people even still serving a sentence for weed when celebrities are making tons of money from CBD products?

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