Bob Marley’s Estate Is Seeking $11.3M In Damages Over Unpaid Royalties From Cannabis Venture Marley Natural – AfroTech
Bob Marley’s estate is filing a lawsuit seeking millions in damages.
The legendary reggae singer passed away in 1981 at age 36 from cancer. According to Forbes, Marley was one of the highest-earning dead celebrities in 2025, earning $13 million through his estate’s licensing of products including audio equipment, coffee, fragrances, pillows, cannabis, and more.
In 2014, his estate, ran by his family, launched Marley Natural, a cannabis brand developed with Privateer Holdings. The venture was marketed as the “first global cannabis brand,” with products that included cannabis-infused lotions, creams, and accessories, according to BBC.
“My dad would be so happy to see people understanding the healing power of the herb,” Cedella Marley, Bob Marley’s daughter, said at the time, per the outlet.
Privateer Holdings’ CEO Brendan Kennedy commented:
“It was just a natural fit between Bob Marley and this product. You know if you were to look for the most famous human being who ever walked the face of the earth related to cannabis, it would be Bob Marley.”
Fast forward to 2026, and the Bob Marley estate has now filed a lawsuit against Tilray, which merged with Privateer Holdings in 2019, according to a press release, regarding Marley Natural. In 2021, Tilray and Aphria joined together, and the combined company, with a market cap of nearly $8.2 billion at the time, continued operating under the Tilray name to usher in “a new era in the global cannabis industry,” according to a separate press release.
For the Marley family, the restructuring marked a period when royalty payments became inconsistent. In 2023, they claim unpaid royalties had grown to an estimated $13 million. As a result, the family terminated the licensing agreement, accusing Tilray of an “elaborate scheme to defraud” them. Products from the cannabis brand are still sold in stores across the U.S. and Canada, per Finurah.
The family is now seeking approximately $11.3 million in damages in the lawsuit filed in Delaware Court of Chancery, reflecting what remains after a $1.7 million settlement with an associated entity, according to the outlet.
