Celebrity Names Are Turning Marijuana Into Cash Crop

DENVER (CBS4) - The marijuana industry is getting a few helping hands from celebrities endorsing legalization and pursuing entrepreneurship.

Nearly half of Americans say they have tried pot, according to a poll by Pew Research Center. Its wider acceptance and legalization in some states is encouraging companies and celebrities to cash in on the business.

"Marley Natural," a company run by the Marley family, is developing new strains, accessories, even hemp-infused body lotion, as reported by CBS News.

In 2004 Melissa Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer. She says marijuana saved her life.

"It helped with the psychological effects of being on chemo and trying to understand what's happening to you," Etheridge tells CBS News. Etheridge took her marijuana advocacy one step further and helped create a weed-infused wine. She says the cannabis in her wine is not dangerous in moderation because it doesn't have the psychoactive effect. It is currently only available to medical marijuana patients in California, but she hopes it will expand to restaurants and to the general public.

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Etheridge, Snoop Dogg, Bethenny Frankel, and Willie Nelson are just a few of the stars attaching their names to products like marijuana-infused wine, "Skinnygirl marijuana," and even baby wipes.

"Once more people see that it's not the 'crazy gateway drug that's going to lead me down the path' then the social stigma will go away. I know the younger generation, certainly," Etheridge tells CBS News.

One investment group estimates the legal marijuana market could grow to $11 billion over the next four years.