Whoopi Goldberg is about to have company amongst the ranks of famous vaporizer pen enthusiasts—sort of—as the upcoming “Entourage” film is set to feature a subplot concerning comic relief sidekick Turtle, played by Jerry Ferrara, investing in a successful startup that distributes the popular devices.
“Entourage,” set for release in June, is a continuation of the hit HBO series that ran from 2004-2011 and followed the adventures of a hip and hard partying Hollywood heartthrob, played by Adrien Grenier, and his gang of cronies. The film was written and directed by series creator Doug Ellin and stars the aforementioned Ferrara and Grenier as well as Kevin Conolly, Kevin Dillon and Jeremy Piven. Also slated are cameos from an enormous array of stars including Mark Wahlberg, Liam Neeson and quarterback Tom Brady.
The consumption of cannabis in massive quantities was a regular feature during the show’s initial run, especially by Ferrara’s character Turtle, whose stoned antics were frequently played for laughs. The character was also known for his love of expensive clothes and sneakers, as well as entrepreneurial pursuits—for a time Turtle managed an aspiring rapper and later promoted a high-end tequila.
Moving into the burgeoning vape pen business makes sense for the character and the film, which will presumably continue the series’ zeal for depicting the intermingling of a life of luxury and debauchery. While it is unknown how large a part this subplot has to play in the film, one can only imagine the possibilities … Liam Neeson, stressed to his breaking point after starring in a string of violent thrillers, unwinds poolside, debonairly vaping while Tom Brady sips a smoothie and fantasizes about retirement, when he’ll finally have the chance to relax and explore the marijuana market without disappointing fans on game day.
Similar to an e-cigarette, vape pens transform a concentrated liquid into smokeable vapor. Vape pens are often promoted as a healthy alternative, as they spare the lungs from exposure to tar or other irritants, although they are capable of providing smokers with a much stronger concentration of THC than traditional smoking methods, and scientists have yet to fully research their long-term health effects.
The inclusion of this storyline in “Entourage” should make for an interesting moment in the evolution of the vaporizer industry, which is growing steadily even though it could be flooded by the proliferation of fly-by-night operations.
Should the film depict vaping as an enjoyable pastime for glamorous members of the Hollywood elite it might create a boom in the vape sector. However, if Turtle’s fictional business venture goes as poorly as did his forays into music management and tequila promotion, vape pen providers might find themselves in need of a fictional film character that actually succeeds in the legal marijuana industry.
