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Known for making fans laugh by portraying the comical Steve Urkel on Family Matters for nine seasons, Jaleel White is now bringing a different kind of laugh to select consumers. The 44-year-old has entered the cannabis industry with a new line called ItsPurpl with a variant of strains, including the Purple Urkle.

“The thing that always stood out to me was there no clear brand leader for purple weed,” White told Forbes who partnered with 710 Labs. “It made no sense to me, that no company of significance had claimed this lane, so why not me?”

(Photo by Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

Set to launch on April 20, 2021, the brand will first sell on dispensary shelves in California with hopes to grow to more marketplaces in the future. The partnership formed after California native met the 710 Labs founder Brad Melshenker on a flight and bonded over their passion for cannabis. Although “710 has never been a brand that pursued celebrity deals or endorsements as our agenda has always been quality above all else,” their friendship over the years and organic conversations developed into a project.

“He was on a journey to find the real Purple Urkel from back in the early 2000’s,” said Melshenker. “Not only that, he wanted to find the most flavorful purple cultivars and had been collecting seeds with his friend Sean over the years just for this purpose.”

When speaking to the outcome and quality of the products, the actor revealed that he feels a bit like Willy Wonka as “the flavor came out so similar to grape candy.”

White foresees his new endeavor heading outside of the parameters of California.

“New York has always shown me a lot of love so hopefully it won’t take too too long to get ItsPurpl products to the Big Apple,” shared the Family Matters alum. “I want every state in the union, to keep it all the way real. I envision product releases in Canada and Europe one day in the future. ‘One day’ has a funny way of happening a lot faster than we imagine.”

Look at Them Now! The Cast of ‘Family Matters’
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