This week, prolific writer and counterculture icon Hunter S. Thompson’s widow Anita Thompson announced that she was able to save a stash of Hunter’s cannabis from when he was alive, and that she will be using the plant matter to create a new strain of cannabis that will carry his legacy. According to Anita, she will be extracting the DNA from the old plants and using that to clone a new strain. She made a Facebook post earlier this week which stated, “I have found a legal method to extract the DNA from Hunter’s personal marijuana and hashish that I saved for 12-15 years. I am in the process of making the strains available to those who would like to enjoy the authentic Gonzo strains in legal states. Although the “drug lord” phrase is silly as it doesn’t match my personality, I am looking forward to making the authentic strains available in legal states to support the Farm and the scholarships.” Thomspon explained to the Aspen Times that Colorado will be one of the first markets that she explores with the new “Gonzo” strain. “Since it became legal I get approached probably once a month by cannabis growers, dispensaries. I’ve had probably 10 meetings in the last three years and I always ended up saying ‘No’ because it’s the same story every time: somebody wants to slap Hunter’s name on their strain,” Thompson said. Thomspon also said that she was not interested in just purchasing an already existing strain from an established cannabis brand, she wanted something that would be authentic and would have a legitimate connection to Hunter. “If I put Hunter’s name on somebody else’s strain I can never go back and say, ‘No, this is the authentic one,’” she said.
In addition to the cannabis strain, Anita Thompson also plans on releasing “Gonzo” branded merchandise that she hopes will carry on her late husband’s legacy. “For 10 years we were always careful to steer the conversation back to Hunter’s work. Because it was never guaranteed that Hunter’s work would be appreciated into this generation. I was always steering toward his work and away from his lifestyle, but now I feel like I can talk more openly about his lifestyle. I’m proud to do it now,” she explained. With this new strain, Thompson will join a growing number of celebrities who have their own marijuana brands, including Tommy Chong, Riff Raff, and Snoop Dogg.
