Cousteau’s name conjures images of heart-pounding adventures, groundbreaking ocean research and unrelenting conservation efforts. Three generations have dedicated themselves to this endeavor, starting with Jacques Cousteau’s pioneering work in scuba-diving and undersea exploration.
Philippe Cousteau Jr. is Jacques Cousteau’s grandson and it’s only fitting that he chose to continue the pioneering work of his grandfather and father. Philippe is 43 years old and despite the fact that the Earth’s oceans are on the verge of disaster, he remains committed to finding solutions for global environmental and social problems. He’s spent decades spearheading ocean activism efforts—from lecturing at the United Nations to showcasing mysteries of an underwater universe on the television screens of millions.
At one of those media affairs, Philippe was introduced to his future wife Ashlan Gore. She is a journalist with years of experience and a host on the air. News. News.
“I remember thinking, ‘Why am I not talking about people like him, rather than discussing the Kardashians getting a new haircut?'” “I laugh,” she says. The duo clicked—personally, in the form of a 2013 wedding, and professionally, with each galvanizing the other to ameliorate the planet for generations to come.
Every project progressed beyond ocean sustainability and more Augean realms for restoration. Conservation research, speeches and television shows followed. By 2019, however, the two realized that their combined efforts on a single significant platform were not being utilized.
Ashlan says, “We realized the importance of the wellness brand and the role they play in improving the world.
Seaweed and algae, as Philippe, an oceanographer by profession knows so well promote physical as well as ecological wellbeing. Philippe says that seaweed is one of the world’s most nutritious foods. It’s an anti-inflammatory food that helps to reduce anxiety. Omega-3s in algae can help with mood stabilization and brain health. The algae is great for your skin. It moisturizes, and builds collagen. “Even if it doesn’t matter to you about its eco-friendliness, this stuff is just bloody good.”
Seaweed’s eco-friendly and restorative properties are important to Philippe & Ashlan. Seaweed is a powerful weapon for conservationists in a world where half of the coral reefs on the planet are dying or dead.
Philippe explains that “seaweed de-acidifies the oceans.” The seaweed sequesters the carbon dioxide, produces oxygen, serves as a nursery and supports many oceanic creatures. It also creates jobs.
The wheels of Philippe were in motion, but as they began to explore wellness options, the retail industry was shattered by a pandemic. As a result, shops, gyms and salons closed down their doors, as did bars and restaurants.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat from California, outlined the essential businesses which would continue to operate. Cannabis dispensaries were among those businesses. During what is likely to be remembered as one of the most physically and emotionally taxing periods in recent memory, SeaWeed Naturals came into being. The impact brand was created to promote healthy living and combat anxiety. It offers seaweed-cannabis products that combine the benefits of both cannabis and marine botanicals.
“We did not enter cannabis because cannabis was the hero, but we were able to use a heroine ingredient that is in the form of
Philippe says. Cannabis, like seaweed, is a land plant. Sungrown cannabis sequesters the carbon and is good for soil health. “These are land and ocean ingredients which are made for each other.”
There were many cosmetics containing seaweed, so there was plenty of evidence that the ingredient could also be used in other non-traditional ways. The seaweed and cannabis formula wasn’t without some trial-and-error. Ashlan explains that they had enough extra creams, gummies and other products to share. “Our friends loved that.”
SeaWeed Naturals begins the ingredient fusion at Atlantic Sea Farms, in Maine. Farmers there are cultivating non-GMO, restorative, seaweeds as part of an incremental shift, which is breathing new life into an age old business that has been decimated due to climate change.
The area’s lobster population has been moving northwards into Canadian waters due to acidification and warming waters. This is leaving a financial void where once there was a reliable source of income. “Some of the Maine fishermen say that in 20 years there won’t be a lobster fishery anymore—at least not at the scale it exists now,” Phillipe says. “It’s scary. This is a way to provide an alternative source of income for these people.”
Atlantic Sea Farms starts each cycle with a training session to ensure farmers understand the best practices for harvesting seaweed. Farmers grow ocean plants (some can grow as much as a foot per day) and then exchange them at the end each season. Atlantic Sea Farms staff dry seaweed and chop, grind, and powder it to prepare it for cannabis.
Ashlan says that it’s still relatively recent. Seaweed has been grown for centuries, but the purchase of seaweed was a relatively recent phenomenon. Our brand was created to drive the demand for seaweed that is grown in a restorative manner and also support the local economies.
SeaWeed Naturals then sources its sungrown cannabis in California from select farms, some of which are family farms that struggle to compete against large companies that want to deliver the lowest-priced bulk product to customers.
SeaWeed Naturals is steadfast in its commitment to redirecting business away from the commoditized industries and towards farmers that respect their plants.
Philippe offers this advice: “Think about lettuce grown in a field with pesticides, herbicides or something you would want to eat yourself.” There’s a big difference between the quality and value. We are here to help these farmers. Not the large companies who have taken over all these warehouses. “From a value perspective, this is important for us.”
Ashlan and Philippe are inspired by values rooted in conservation, as were generations before them who sought out the exceptional for the good of our planet. This generational authenticity forged trust with a growing consumer base. Thanks to the familiarity of seaweed among mainstream consumers, the brand hopes to become a bridge for canna-curious people to accept THC.
SeaWeed Naturals are available in California. The duo hopes to gradually expand into other states. Still, what awaits over an unexplored horizon—be it in the cannabis business or conservation—may never be known with any concrete certainty. Yet, when was the last time that Cousteau let fear of the unknown stop him?
Philippe’s observation is that putting energy into a product which can improve the world and the lives of the people who inhabit it, while also improving our planet, makes the journey worthwhile. We always wanted to be a part of the solution.
Jacques Cousteau wouldn’t want it any other.
This story was originally published in issue 49 of the print edition of Cannabis Now. Read it now on the Cannabis Now iTunes app.