Whoopi Goldberg’s Cannabis Brand Shuts Down

Whoopi Goldberg’s women-focused cannabis company, Whoopi & Maya, has shut down, according to a statement posted on the company’s website. Goldberg started the company with Om Edibles founder Maya Elisabeth.

“In 2016, we launched with an urgent mission: to offer safe, natural relief for period pain through the miracle of medical cannabis. We proved there’s a market for this medicine and it’s been our joy to offer this miraculous relief to our treasured customers. It has been our privilege to serve the community. Though we’ve all come a long way, there’s far more to be achieved. This is simply the end of a single chapter in a larger story, one that we invite you to continue.” – February 4, 2020 announcement, WhoopiandMaya.com

Rick Cusick, a Whoopi & Maya board member who helped found the company, told CNN that the decision to shutter the business was due to personal issues between the founders and being forced to “jump through hoops” by California regulators.

“We were well on the way to [being cash-flow positive] but then we had to jump through hoops to change our packaging … and then change our packaging again,” he said, adding that “it became clear … that Whoopi and Maya wanted a divorce” but it was unclear how they could move forward with the company without either of the founders because both of them “were very integral” to its operations.

According to CNN, the company’s board and its investors will meet separately this week to discuss a possible future for the company’s products. Neither Goldberg nor Elisabeth have made any public statements about the closure.