Drake wants to trademark the Canadian warning label for weed in the U.S., but he may be in for a fight with his native country.<\/p>\n
Through his Dream Crew company, Drake is seeking a trademark application for a red \u201cstop sign\u201d displaying a cannabis leaf and the letters THC, according to a document filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly referred to as THC, is a psychoactive component in cannabis.<\/p>\n
That image is the same one that Health Canada, the federal agency that oversees the cannabis industry, requires as a warning label on all recreational cannabis products that contain THC. The image included with the trademark filing, appears to be an exact replica. Drake intends to use the image for apparel, including suits, shoes and hats, according to the filing.<\/p>\n
The trademark is designated in Canada for pharmaceutical products that are classified as \u201cherbs for smoking,\u201d the document says. The trademark application also indicates that \u201cto the best of the signatory\u2019s knowledge,\u201d nobody else has the right to use \u201cthe mark in commerce either in identical form or in such near resemblance as to be likely, when used on or in connection with the goods\/services of such other persons, to cause confusion or mistake, or to deceive.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a statement provided to MarketWatch late Friday, Health Canada asserted its own rights over the image.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe standardized cannabis symbol is protected by Crown copyright and intended to be used for public health and safety purposes only and not for private commercial means,\u201d Eric Morrissette, chief of media relations for Health Canada, wrote in an email. \u201cIt can be an infringement of Crown copyright to reproduce the symbol for commercial purposes without permission to do so from the copyright owner.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cannabis Watch: Stay up to date on the cannabis industry with MarketWatch<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Graham, is one of the most successful rappers in the world, with seven platinum albums and more than 70 platinum singles, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. He is closely associated with his home country of Canada \u2014 the first industrialized nation to legalize recreational marijuana \u2014 after first receiving notoriety as an actor on the Canadian television series \u201cDegrassi: The Next Generation.\u201d<\/p>\n Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth Corp.
A Canopy Growth spokeswoman referred questions about the trademark to Drake\u2019s publicist, who declined to provide a statement.<\/p>\n U.S. shares of Canopy Growth closed up 12.5% Friday at $21.36. Canopy stock has fallen more than 20% this year, as the ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF
MarketWatch staff writer Jeremy C. Owens contributed to this article.<\/em> <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n [ad_2]
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\n CGC, +12.47%<\/span><\/a><\/span>
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\n WEED, +12.69%<\/span><\/a><\/span>
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\n \u00a0announced earlier this week that it is launching a cannabis wellness company with Drake<\/a>, and Dream Crew has filed several other trademarks in the U.S. related to cannabis and that partnership. The new company will be called More Life Growth Co., and will be based in Toronto. Financial details were not immediately available, and Canopy said it would release further details in the next several weeks.<\/p>\n
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\n MJ, +4.36%<\/span><\/a><\/span>
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\n \u00a0has fallen 21%. The benchmark S&P 500 index
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\n SPX, +0.26%<\/span><\/a><\/span>
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\n \u00a0 has gained 23% in 2019.<\/p>\n
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