The Daily Valet. - 4/15/21, Thursday

✔️ It's High Time

Thursday, April 15th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I got a lot of emails yesterday about Topo Chico. I see you and hear you Topo fam.

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

It’s High Time

Competition among the celebrity captains of cannabis

It used to be that celebrities launched clothing lines. Now, it’s all about stylish, modern cannabis brands.

Thanks to everyone from Lake Bell and John Legend to Jay-Z and Seth Rogen getting in on the cannabis game, pot culture has shifted away from the stigma of lazy, grungy dudes with sticky fingers toward business-savvy, productive (and showered) members of society.

“The perception around cannabis has shifted a lot since the 20th century. If you were to ask me and my peers how we’d define the good life today, weed would definitely be a part of it,” says Hype Williams, who shot the recent campaign for Jay-Z’s Monogram line.

In Hollywood terms, Rogen’s Houseplant launch was such a was a blockbuster, the website had to be temporarily shut down. A month later, the brand is now set to dramatically expand retail availability, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Next week, Actor Jaleel White, famous for his cultural touchstone role as Steve Urkel in Family Matters, enters the cannabis industry as well. The new line, called ItsPurpl, features variants of the popular cannabis strain Purple Urkle.

Driven by a surge in cannabis use during the pandemic, entrepreneurs and investors are gearing up for even greater growth as laws evolve and the economy reopens. So far, 36 states and the District of Columbia have approved medical use of marijuana—of them,15 states and D.C. have approved recreational use of pot.

↦ By the Numbers: Global cannabis sales exceeded $21 billion in 2020; and the BDSA forecasts it to be a $56 billion business by 2026.

Companies Speak Out Against Voting Restrictions

The latest and largest showing of corporate backlash to GOP-backed election bills

More than 100 U.S. companies including Apple, Amazon, General Motors, American Airlines and Starbucks have declared their opposition to voting curbs that a number of states are considering implementing.

The statement said voting is “the lifeblood of our democracy” and “we must ensure the right to vote for all of us.” It's a clear rebuke of the hostile tone coming from Republicans who insist the laws are needed for election security and companies should stay out of politics.

According to Reuters, the restrictions—outlined in voting rights bills already passed in Georgia and being weighed in, among others, Texas and Arizona—are specifically targeting Black people and other racial minorities.

But some Republican operatives, reports the Washington Post, believe the tensions will die down once the business community realizes it needs the GOP as it faces a Democratic White House proposing major new spending and potentially higher corporate tax rates.

↦ FYI: Several high-profile individuals, such as Warren Buffett, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ariana Grande signed the letter as well.

Eating Out Is In Our Near Future ...

And you can thank the Mayor of Flavortown

It's clear we're seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, and one of the things I'm looking most forward to is eating (and drinking) inside a restaurant. But the sad reality is that not all of our favorites have survived. The pandemic has devastated a lot of the restaurant industry.

Thankfully, the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund has raised more than $21 million for struggling restaurant staff since the beginning of the pandemic, reports CBS News.

The fund accepted 15,000 individual donations and distributed grants to 43,000 restaurant employees—50% of whom were people of color. Celebrity chef Guy Fieri was instrumental in the fundraising effort, securing major donations from big brands like Uber Eats, and Moët Hennessy.

According to the Wall Street Journal, every U.S. state is allowing at least some indoor dining again, though nearly half of Americans said they were still hesitant to eat at a restaurant as of early March.

Solar Farms Go Swimming

Floating farms are the future

Singapore has just completed the installation of one of the world's largest floating solar farms on sea water in the Straits of Johor.

With 13,312 panels on more than 30,000 floats, it's about the size of seven football fields. And it's capable of offsetting more than 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year—about the same as the annual greenhouse gas emissions from nearly 1,000 passenger vehicles.⠀

Solar power is now the cheapest source of electricity in history, according to a 2020 report by the International Energy Agency. But the one thing holding this clean energy powerhouse back is space.

But floating them over water has proved to not only open up new areas, it's been found to generate more electricity compared with rooftop or ground installations. This is due to the cooling effect of the water below. And solar panels above can be beneficial to bodies of water threatened by climate change. This sounds like a everyone benefits, right?

In Other News

↦ Officer Who Shot Daunte Wright Charged With 2nd-Degree Manslaughter

↦ If You Get a Bill for Your COVID-19 Vaccine, It’s a Mistake

↦ Can Clubhouse Keep the Party Going?

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Matchbox’s new Tesla Roadster

Chet Hanks (again)

The Slurpee capital of the world

Old School Shorts That Feel Modern

Corduroy shorts have never been cooler

There’s a lot going on when it comes to these shorts. Equally rugged and retro, corduroy shorts have an easygoing beach vibe because they were the chosen shorts of California surfers decades ago.

And while you might think a hardier fabric like corduroy wouldn't be suited for warm weather, there's something about it that works. Partly because the napped, fuzzy ribs have a way of softening and fading with each wear.

For summer 2021, brands of all stripes have come out with their ideal version. Some are vintage-inspired with patch pockets and shorter inseams, others are more relaxed and offer drawstring waists and a touch of stretch for ultimate movement. We rounded up a few of our favorites (two of which I've already bought, myself).

↦ Get: The best corduroy shorts for the summer.