Whoopi Goldberg announces weed startup for women dealing with painful periods

Comedian and actress Whoopi Goldberg is the latest celebrity to weigh in on the medical marijuana business. She is now the co-founder of a new startup, which is aimed at providing relief for women who suffer from painful menstruation symptoms.

Goldberg has partnered with cannabis business old timer Maya Elisabeth, for the initiative, which hopes to provide women with alternative forms of cannabis products, instead of the traditional methods of marijuana intake, like smoking it through an often clumsily rolled joint or even a pipe.

Goldberg told Vanity Fair: "This, you can put it in your purse. You can put the rub on your lower stomach and lower back at work, and then when you get home you can get in the tub for a soak or make tea, and it allows you to continue to work throughout the day." Explaining her motivation for such an unconventional business venture, she said, "I have grown granddaughters who have severe cramps, so I said this is what I want to work on."

The startup, named Maya & Whoopi will offer products such as topical creams and rubs, tinctures, edibles and a bath soak, all of which are infused with cannabis. Some of the company's products will reportedly be infused with cannabidiol (CBD), which is known to lack the spaced-out or euphoric effects usually associated with marijuana.

However, two of the products, the tincture and the cacao, are psychoactive, which means they may lead to a marijuana high among users, the CNN reported. The bath soak and rubs, both of which are meant to merely relax the user, come without this affect.

Goldberg is yet to release prices for any of the products. However, Californians can expect the products to go on sale in April at select dispensaries.