Jim Belushi Continues his Cannabis Passion Project

Strange, but true: the continued cultural normalization of cannabis accelerates throughout the world with medical cannabis on the cusp of legalization in Mississippi, the breakneck speed of decriminalization in Thailand and the second season of Growing Belushi. Yet in the meantime, the United States cannot pass federal reform to match where the rest of the country already stands on the matter. However, if you’re not familiar with the Discovery Network’s latest attempt to target the North American cannabis consumer, you’ll know that the point of this reality show is not to drag the viewer down with the ongoing drama of the industry. Rather, it’s to showcase the hammy antics of former Saturday Night Live regular/TV star Jim Belushi as he secures a footprint in the cannabis industry with the flower he grows on his 90-acre ranch in Oregon’s Rogue River Valley. Over the course of the show’s two seasons, Jim continually bumps up against the tragic legacies of his father and brother, all while scraping against the occasional grief he receives from his current family over his new profession. However, there’s never an obstacle that Jim or the producers can’t twist into a cornball stunt of some kind, and the second season extends that formula well into its first two episodes.

1st Season Recap: After the viewer is introduced to the main characters — Jim, General Manager (and Jim’s cousin) Chris, two stoner Gen Z farmhands named Ben and Alex, Jim’s children Jamie and Jared, and Dan Ackroyd — we’re also told about the farm’s strains: Cherry Pie, Black Dog OG, Nilla Wafer, Lemon Chiffon, Bubble Mint and Chocolate Hashberry. The farm’s prized strain is called Captain Jack, named after its originator, who brought the seeds back from Afghanistan in the 1970s. Captain Jack has a long history with the Belushis, being the original cannabis dealer to the original SNL cast in the 1970s, and he works on Jim’s farm as a consultant. However, Jim leaves the grow lights on one night and singes most of Captain Jack’s plants to a crisp, earning Jack’s wrath and burning bridges with vendors throughout Oregon as a result.

However, Jim gets a second wind after his daughter suggests he use the Blues Brothers brand to market the cannabis on his farm. After a charity performance as the Blues Brothers, Dan tells Jim he can have the IP if he can source three legendary strains from Colombia: Punto Rojo, Mango Biche, and Santa Marta Gold. Chris and Jim head down to Colombia, and after some setbacks — not to mention a brief tour of Pablo Escobar’s former haunts — Chris gets the seeds to all three from an eccentric expatriate introduced to the two by Harborside co-founder/cannabis industry pioneer Steve DeAngelo. The season ends at harvest time, when Dan and John Belushi’s widow Judy arrive at the party to give Jim rights to the Blues Brothers name and likeness.

THE SECOND SEASON

As the second season starts with a botched reveille on the farm, Jim learns, as many have in cannabis, that nothing struggles like success. No, there’s nary a word about cartel growers in the Oregon region, COVID-19, forest fires or an illegal market that continues to roil the industry throughout the West Coast; Jim’s televised problems have more to do with scaling. Episode one begins with Jim running out of product, as 300 pounds of flower have gotten moldy by bumping up against the moisture on the rooves of the hoop houses where it was grown. Even worse, it turns out that the Columbian plants required a grow cycle twice as long as Jim’s other plants, stretching their harvest into December. These plants suffered a wintry death, making for a very sad Dan Ackroyd when he sees the withered remnants for himself.

After a visit from consultants from cannabis supply chain Grow Generation, Jim realizes he has to tear down his current operation and invest heavily on four brand-new growhouses. This will allow for higher yields, greater THC levels and a more suitable indoor home for landrace strains like the Colombian strains grown for the farm’s Blues Brothers brand. It’s still a lot of money upfront, however, and in several filmed asides, Jim stresses about the price tag.

This season, Growing Belushi brings in additional star power. Larry Joe Campbell, Jim’s former co-star on According to Jim, pops up occasionally as a guest who has overstayed his welcome. And a bet between Jim and Chris over who can grow the best cannabis is judged by Advanced Nutrients founder “BigMike” Straumietis and Grow Generation Vice President Jeremy Corrao. The second episode, however, is structured around a visit by perennial Food Network TV host/restauranteur Guy Fieri to the farm, and the dueling efforts of Chris and Jim to impress him with their infused Blues Brothers-branded ice cream.

Less time is spent this season on the legacy of Jim’s brother John, whose larger-than-life persona and heartbreaking demise of a drug overdose at 33 may barely register with a younger audience born decades after his death. Also gone are the superfluous “Cannabis 101” segments that glossed over subjects like edibles and vaping. And you’ll experience significant cognitive dissonance in watching a show about adult-use cannabis in which none of its stars ever consumes it on-camera.

Belushi, however, makes it very clear in this show that he’s in this for the long haul, whether or not the cameras are rolling. And if there’s any reality to what he tells his children on the show, it will be a legacy they inherit as well. The biggest difference between him and other cannabis farmers is that he’s able to do it on national TV. And he probably won’t be the last, either.