Melissa Etheridge Faces Legal Battle Over Failed Cannabis Venture: Former Partners Sue For Millions

Grammy-winning songwriter Melissa Etheridge is embroiled in a legal dispute with two former business partners from Northern California, who allege she abandoned their joint cannabis venture, leaving them in financial ruin.

What Happened: Etheridge Farms was launched in 2019 with the idea of providing cannabis products for middle-aged women.

"They're looking to cannabis, and I want Etheridge Farms to be right there to answer what they're looking for," Etheridge said at the time.

However, by 2024, former partners Josephine and D’Angelo Roberto claimed that Etheridge and her wife withdrew their support, effectively crippling the business. The Robertos filed a legal petition on July 9, alleging abandonment and financial ruin, reported Billboard.

“The Robertos trusted the Etheridges and invested their life's work into the businesses. Unfortunately, their hard work did not end in a success story, but rather betrayal and abandonment,” said the Robertos’ attorney Christopher Frost.

Etheridge’s involvement in cannabis was inspired by her battle with breast cancer in the 2000s. "I came out of chemotherapy saying, I want to be an advocate for this, I believe in this as medicine so deeply," she said.

Read Also: Two New Books Unveil The Healing Power Of Medical Cannabis

The partnership initially appeared promising until it didn't. The foursome secured the necessary licenses and a large facility in California where they intended to produce and distribute their products. The business plan foresaw the Robertos providing industry expertise and product development, while the Etheridges would use Melissa's celebrity to promote the brand and attract investors.

The Robertos say they invested all their resources into the business and that the Etheridges failed to do their part. They claim Etheridge did not promote the business as expected and eventually stopped providing financial support, including paying the facility’s rent, which led to eviction and loss their regulatory licenses.

Death Of A Son

In the midst of this conflict in May 2020, Etheridge announced that her 21-year-old son Beckett Cypher had died from causes related to opioid addiction. Months later, she launched the Etheridge Foundation to advocate for and support research into new treatments for opioid addiction.

The Robertos are now seeking damages of at least $3 million compensation for financial hardship caused by the alleged abandonment.

"The Robertos have not pursued this action and are not proceeding to arbitration for fame or fortune or as a vendetta," their lawyers say. "Rather, they simply seek compensation for the suffering they have had to endure and the financial ruin they have experienced due to the Etheridges abandoning them."

Now Read:

• Cannabis Is Flying Off The Shelves In These Five States, Earning Billions For Marijuana Companies

Photo: Shutterstock