Whoopi Goldberg Pushes To Make Line of Cannabis Products Widely Available

In March, Whoopi Goldberg announced her partnership with long-time “cannabusinesswoman” Maya Elisabeth. Their newly-formed medical cannabis company, Whoopi & Maya, offers women an alternative for treating menstrual discomfort. In April, their products became available to purchase. (See a list of stores on their website.) Unfortunately, for now they can only be sold in California where the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act passed last fall.

Goldberg wisely picked a partner who brings a lot to the table. Elisabeth founded Om Edibles in 2008 and has won seven High Times Cannabis Cup awards. She’s the expert herb “infuser,” and explains on their website why cannabis is such good medicine for menstrual discomfort: “Cannabis is helpful for all pain relief, because when you use it topically it mingles with your nerve endings where the pain is felt. It also affects the pain receptors in the brain, so it’s helpful for all pain in general. It elevates your mood and relaxes your mind so that your body can … feel comfortable and heal.”

Elisabeth can also answer why women crave chocolate during their periods. It’s partially because women lose so much blood, she explains, and because chocolate contains iron, and apparently a whole host of “micronutrients.” It releases serotonin and endorphins, too, which perks up anybody’s mood—any time of the month.

A recent profile by ATTN chronicled Goldberg’s efforts to make Whoopi & Maya’s products available in more states. “You can’t smoke them,” said Goldberg. “You can only rub them.” Although that isn’t entirely true. Some of their products can be eaten. In typical Goldberg style, she didn’t mince words, nor try to hide her frustration when she spoke to Vanity Fair in March.

“Hey, this niche is half the population on the earth. This seems to be people flippantly blowing you off, which is what you get whenever you start talking about cramps. They weren’t thinking how do you target this? I have grown granddaughters who have severe cramps, so I said this is what I want to work on.”

Whoopi & Maya’s cannabis-infused products include raw cacao with cannabinoids CBD or THC, a bath soak, tincture, and a topical rub.

The two canna-business owners also rely on the extensive knowledge of their herbalist Alexis Gandara, who can rattle off the beneficial properties of herbs such as Passionflower, Raspberry Leaf, Motherwort and a seemingly endless list of other natural ingredients used in the products. (Guess what Cramp Bark is for.)

The herb- and cannabis-loaded tinctures are meant to fix upset stomach, anxiety, insomnia and even soothe women who suffer from fibroids and endometriosis. According to their website, rubbing the salve acts more directly by entering through the skin. For high levels of pain, the salve can be applied repeatedly throughout the day.