Q&A: Jim Belushi

Entertainer, cannabis farmer, advocate

Hollywood actor Jim Belushi is the founder of Belushi’s Farm, a 93-acre cannabis estate located along the Rogue River. He grows a range of cannabis offerings — from Belushi’s Secret Stash to The Blues Brothers, to Captain Jack’s Gulzar Afghanica, a rare strain from the Hindu Kush region that became known in the ’70s as “The Smell of SNL.” He and his farm crew star in “Growing Belushi,” a reality TV series on Discovery.

Besides starring in movies and television, Belushi has also served as an executive producer, music composer, director, book author and Broadway star. His improv group, Jim Belushi and the Board of Comedy, performs around the country. With Dan Aykroyd, Belushi tours the globe as Brother Zee of the iconic Blues Brothers. Additionally, Belushi headlines his own music group, The Sacred Hearts, the official band for the House of Blues.

Belushi is working vigorously with scientists and the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission and Portland City Council to create an opioid trade program where veterans, the infirm, downtrodden and addicted can have a place for healing for low to no cost. He sits on the board of the Last Prisoner Project, a coalition dedicated to restorative justice in the cannabis industry.

He’s actively engaged in several projects benefiting the region around Belushi’s Farm and beyond. In Medford, he is helping reconstruct the historic Holly Theater to bring the 1930s Spanish Colonial movie palace back to life as Southern Oregon’s largest indoor concert venue. In Eagle Point, Belushi is assisting with the reconstruction of The Butte Creek Mill, destroyed in a 2016 electrical fire.

Word has it you enjoy wine. Any favorite wineries in your neck of the woods?

JB: Yes, my neighbor Jim Bayer’s Bayer Family Estate. They have a sparkling rosé frizzante that is absolutely delicious. He’s right next door to my farm, and uses the same soil, sun and Rogue River water as I do — the beautiful terroir of Southern Oregon. There’s also a very fine Oregon winery right in Medford, 17 miles from my farm, DANCIN Vineyards. It gets high scores for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and it gets high scores from me, too.

Just as terroir affects wine, I’d imagine it affects cannabis, too. Can you give an example of how your soil or climate affects the taste of cannabis?

JB: It’s all in the parallel in which you grow. We are in the same parallel as Napa and Burgundy and Bordeaux. It’s the perfect storm of 292 days of sun, the clean and fresh water of the Rogue River, and loam soil. All you’ve got to do is love the plants, and the nature of Southern Oregon creates the best terpenes for cannabis in the country. I believe that in the future, when cannabis is federally legalized, Oregon cannabis will be the country’s biggest seller because of the terroir.

Do you ever cook with cannabis? If so, what’s a dish that accentuates the flavors?

JB: No, I haven’t cooked with cannabis, but we’re going to explore that process in season two of “Growing Belushi.”

How does the cannabis business compare to the entertainment business?

JB: You know, business is business. The same principles — margins, profits, deltas, returns on investments. Creatively, it’s the same for me. I study my character profile’s psychological history for a long time to get to the deepest understanding of who I am about to play. I do the same with cannabis. I’ve been studying and growing for five years on this farm and now feel that I am ready to play the cannabis character. Confidence with knowledge of the character of the plant brings you confidence in performance, whether you’re acting, singing or cultivating cannabis. This beautiful, healthy pathway is to a healing plant. I’ve always been in the business of making people feel good, helping them release their endorphins through laughter... through comedy, the storytelling in drama, or sharing the great cannabis that our farm has to offer.

What do you like about living in Southern Oregon?

JB: I call Southern Oregon my home now. I love the weather. I love my river that’s 75 feet from my bedroom. But mostly, it’s the people — they’re grounded, genuine and have given me some of the best conversations I’ve had in my time.

Any exciting news to share about the farm?

JB: We are rebuilding the farm, adding two brand new GrowTech greenhouses that we purchased through GrowGeneration, along with our other two greenhouses. We will be producing four grow cycles a year per greenhouse. That’s a lot of cannabis. The exciting part? Well… I feel like Bill Murray or Elmer Fudd, chasing bigger squirrels, aphids, russet mites, deer. They all want a piece of this delicious plant. With these greenhouses, I can put my “hunting for pests” hat down.