Lina LecaroCannabis advocacy can take many forms, and no one's is more fabulous than Laganja Estranja's. The drag illusionist, dancer, TV personality and activist made a name for herself in L.A., performing at local clubs (she got her start in drag by winning a lip-sync competition at Dreamgirls in West Hollywood) and as a contestant repping Los Angeles on RuPaul's Drag Race (season 6). As her star continues to rise, the performer (whose real name is Jay Jackson) has maintained her steadfast activism for the marijuana lifestyle and has been a vocal supporter of cannabis' positive medicinal and recreational uses. She's been featured in High Times magazine and Dope magazine, the latter making her the first LGBTQ+ entertainer to appear on the cover of a cannabis magazine. As an influencer, Laganja has collaborated with several cannabis companies based in L.A. and beyond, with products ranging from preroll joints to fashion lines.
Laganja knows her weed, indeed. So we asked her to share a few of her favorite things for the stoniest time of the year.
Favorite bath product: OM Edibles Lavender Bath Salt
Nobody does bath salts like Maya from OM. A lot of times you'll see CBD bath bombs and they're fun, they're colorful, but what's great about Maya is her ingredients are sourced and they're good for the skin. So it's not just something that's just going to be pretty in the bath, it's something that's really going to be good for you. These really help restore the body and alleviate aches and pains. After a long night of performing in high heels, being able to take this salt bath with THC and CBD, I mean, it's a miracle.
Credit: Austin Young
Edibles: Fruit Slab and Kushy Punch
Fruit Slab is vegan and gluten-free and it's actually a healthy treat. A lot of times edibles are super sugary to camouflage the taste of cannabis. With Fruit Slab they incorporate the cannabis taste with the fruit. I can't officially announce it but I can tell you that I'm currently collaborating with Pride coming up, to release a special flavor. I'm super excited about it and it will be my first ever edible collaboration. I think their packaging is incredibly smart, very chic, very forward-thinking. And like I said, I really think the flavors they've developed are natural but so delicious.
Kushy Punch I like because they — for lack of a better term — get you really fucked up. They're very strong and provide an intense experience.
Favorite smoking accessory: SMOJO screens
I got to work with them, too. Super inexpensive ($2-$3). They're screens you put in our bowl piece. What's cool about this screen is, it's not one of those filmsy little screens. It's a metal shell.
Favorite vape pen: L.A. Kush's Purple Tangie
This is actually a newer product for me. I've been working in collaboration with L.A. Kush for a couple of months and they just recently released the Purple Tangie pen, which is sativa with a very strong tangerine flavor. It's a hybrid with Purple Kush indica. For a vape pen, I'm going to want to be able to smoke on it at all times of the day. So I like the hybrid with both sativa and indica. For me, what really makes this pen so special, besides the fact that it is incredibly hard-hitting and you really get a good rip off of it, is the flavor. It's unique and so tasty.
Favorite dispensary: L.A. Kush
At L.A. Kush, I really feel like the staff is really friendly and knowlegeable and the client relationships are really well developed there. Another thing I like about them is they're always changing, they're always renovating the space, always having new products. They're always up on that new new.
Credit: Courtesy Laganja Estranja
Favorite weed influencer: Adam Ill
My friend Adam carries his line of products at L.A. Kush, so I was introduced to the company by him. His is my favorite strain. The reason I find him so incrediblely endearing is, bro culture in cannibas is huge. He's a bro, and he hangs out with bros, but he's been incredibly open to me. As I struggled as a gay man who does drag in this community, Adam brought me in and showed people, “Hey, this guy is cool,” introducing me at events and connecting me. It didn't matter that I was gay. When I think of cannabis and someone who represents our culture, I think of someone like him. Someone who enjoys getting stoned but is extremely educated, is good at connecting other influencers with brands and, you know, really creating the community. That's what Adam does and has done for me.
Favorite rolling papers: Shine
Yesss. These are 24 karat gold rolling papers. They make blunt wraps rolled in gold. They come in like little cones, and you can just load your weed right in. Super easy. I love the flash. This is a product that makes you feel like a diva. It's over-the-top completely expensive and totally ridiculous. But when I want to smoke something special, this is the paper I go to.
Favorite wax company: Moxie
I discovered Moxie at the Higher Path. Their flavor profile is off the charts. I think it's a really clean product. The way it tastes, the color, the packaging — everything about it says organic to me. Their wax is a putty color and that's what you want. When you vaporize it, the residue is clean and it doesn't hurt my throat or my head. Every time I've used it, it's been a wonderful experience, an elevation that feels good.
Favorite fashion accessories: Blunted Objects
This is another company that I've actually gotten to collaborate with. Last year we released 18 karat gold–plated necklaces, very old-school tag-style. … So obviously I love them and appreciate they were not afraid to work with someone who represents the LGBTQ community. But the real reason is they're a really cool woman-owned and -run [company], and they make exquisite jewelry for the cannabis community. It's not just giant green pot leaves. It's not tacky. It's elegant and beautiful, and something a classy cannabis smoker would want to wear.
Credit: Courtesy Laganja Estranja
Favorite content site: The Weed Tube
It was just written up in Forbes magazine, which I'm so proud of them for. It was started by my friend Arend Richard, also known as “the Gay Stoner.” We've done a few videos together on YouTube. He was a huge YouTuber who got kicked off because the site changed its rules on cannabis content, so being the smart entrepreneur that he is, he created the Weed Tube. It is a site where content creators like myself can make cannabis content and make money, just like on YouTube.
The website has existed for about a year now and we're so excited because, for 4/20, we're actually launching the app for the website. So people can access it on their phone just like YouTube. It's a very big deal. To have this safe space for people in the cannabis community to come together, to talk about their differences and similarities, and educate others about the plant, it's really a blessing.
Laganja Estranja will appear at the Weed Tube app launch party at Avalon Hollywood, 1735 Vine St., Hollywood, on Friday, April 19 (the eve of the app's 4/20 launch), 7 to 9:30 p.m. It will be the first time the venue hosts a cannabis-related event. The event is sold out, but there are still tickets available for the after-party hosted by Made L.A. Price is — what else? — $4.20. Click here for tickets. She'll also be the Kaleidoscope Experience at the Globe Theater, Sat., April 20. Info here.
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