Rapper and COOKIES CEO Berner announced recently on Instagram he has been diagnosed with cancer. He later shared a post thanking his friends and followers for their support and words of comfort.
The cannabis mogul founded COOKIES cannabis brand with his partner Jai in 2008. Their strain of the same name has since become one of America’s most popular cultivars.
The image Berner originally posted to Instagram said, “Time to FIGHT” followed by a caption explaining his diagnosis.
Read the caption below.
I think what made cookies so special and my music career so special was always being transparent and sharing my journey with you guys . So I figured instead of fighting this alone , I wanted the people who got me where I’m at today to fight with me . 3 weeks ago they founded traces of cancer in a series of blood tests .
Today I went in for a procedure hoping to get off easy and found out I have a major fight ahead of me . If you know me , this has always been my biggest fear , but I am content with where I’m at and what I’m facing as well as every possible outcome .
The next month or so will be focused on addressing this as aggressively as possible as well as spending time with my family, finishing my album { Gotti } and planning out the next steps for cookies . As I am strong and want to have as much faith as possible, I also am being realistic. I want Cookies to live forever and i want my team to have a clear direction of what my vision is , lots of menu planning to do with my breeders and with my partners .
I want to focus on a Whole Foods plant based diet and make sure that there is ABSOLUTELY NO STRESS in my life . I love all of you guys so much and feel so blessed to have been able to accomplish half the things I did and really hope to be able to stick around and do a bunch more . With that being said , if you are a friend , there is no reason to text or call , just send that good energy my way and let me get my mind right . I will probably miss a few events and will be back as soon as my mind and body permits.
I really want to encourage everyone to pay attention to their body and health , if you have cancer in your family , there is blood tests you can take like i did to check for over 40 kinds of cancer , I’m so glad I did because knowing is half the battle . It’s time for the biggest challenge of my life and I’m ready ! Again thank your for everyone of you !
The reason I’m in such a good place mentally is because of you ! We built something so powerful, organic and genuine it still blows my mind . I’m extremely grateful to have such an amazing family and support system and team at cookies ! Love you guys , it’s time to FIGHT
Via Berner415 on Instagram
See his original post here:
The entrepreneur and entertainer is a driven businessman. He shared with Forbes he only sleeps 3 to 4 hours a night so he can focus on expanding his business.
“Time and dedication are important but the ultimate key to my success is being hands on. Friday, Saturday, Sunday… Whether it be 6 a.m. or midnight, I’m calling everybody,” Berner said.
His dedication has been foundational to the success of the brand, but he worries what would happen to his empire should he ever step down.
In an interview with Cannabis & Tech Today from February of this year, Berner discussed his tedious selection process for creating new menus.
“It’s a fun process, and a lot of good energy goes behind the selection of the strains that we have, the naming, and the packaging. It’s a full process. It worries me because I feel like when I pass away, when I go, who’s going to do this?” Fortunately, the rapper is just as passionate about health as he is about his business, so he will be more than ready to fight this battle.
When speaking with Cannabis & Tech Today about his CAPS line of cannabinoid and mushroom products, he emphasized his focus on wellness.
“It’s super important that we understand how much cannabis has done for people and how much plants, in general, have done for people. I just reversed my diabetes by drinking green juice as a supplemental meal, and just incorporating more veggies, and understanding that plants are here to help.”
His family, friends, and a legion of fans will be cheering him on and supporting him during this process.
Header image courtesy of COOKIES
