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Justin Trudeau rolling papers prove a big hit

Inspired by the Conservatives attack plans, a marijuana activist in Toronto is doing a brisk trade in rolling papers embossed with Justin Trudeau's face.

Susan Delacourt
Parliament Hill
Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Zig-Zag cigarette papers bearing the likeness of Justin Trudeau are flying off the shelves at Vapour Central in Toronto. (Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star)

OTTAWA—A Toronto marijuana activist is doing a brisk trade in rolling papers stamped with Justin Trudeau’s face — and he has the Conservatives to thank for the idea.

Chris Goodwin, manager of Vapor Central in Toronto, has sold more than $500 worth of Trudeau-stamped rolling papers in a little more than a day since they hit the shelves in his marijuana-smoking lounge.

He says he got the idea from reading a story last week in the Star, featuring leaked Conservative plans to disrupt the Liberals’ convention in Montreal this weekend.

One of the gimmicky” tactics discussed by the Conservatives in the memo was a plan to ridicule Trudeau’s pro-legalization policies on marijuana by handing out Zig Zag brand rolling papers at the convention, embossed with Trudeau’s face.

But one person’s attack ad can be another person’s entrepreneurial inspiration — not to mention a financial windfall.

Goodwin said that the more he thought about the “low tactic,” the more it seemed like a good way to have a little political fun with marijuana. He played around with some images and created his own rolling papers, featuring a black-and-white portrait of Trudeau smoking a marijuana cigarette.

The product had an instant “cool factor,” Goodwin says, and more than 100 packs were sold within about 36 hours after they went up for sale for $3.95 each at Vapor Central on Monday morning. They’re also available for sale online at theherbcollective.com.

Several of Vapor Central’s patrons will also be delegates at this weekend’s convention in Montreal, and Goodwin says he’s sending some boxes with them for distribution there.

Goodwin says he’s not sure why the Conservatives figured that Trudeau rolling papers would make the Liberal leader look bad.

“Most people are saying this is a positive thing,” said Goodwin. “These are great collectors’ items.”