KISS singer/bassist Gene Simmons spoke with Barron’s about the music business, investing, politics, and his latest business ventures, including soda and cannabis. An excerpt follows:

Barron’s: You’ve signed on with Invictus, a Canadian cannabis company.

Simmons: "I’m proud to say I’m bullish on Invictus MD, which trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker GENE. I think there’s a big future for it, and that’s why I’ve got 10 million bucks of stock."

Barron’s: But you don’t smoke pot.

Simmons: "No, but that’s the problem with cannabis in general. People think of it as recreational. You’re just doing Cheech-and-Chong-itis. I’m promoting research and being informed. Everybody should know what the f— they’re talking about. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who is not anybody’s tool, talks about the astonishing medicinal value of that stuff. I was an arrogant a—hole who was dismissive of the whole thing. I had a complete mind change, and I decided that the worst that can happen to you recreationally is you might get the munchies and reach for a Dorito."

Read the full interview at Barron’s.com.

Invictus MD announced back in March that Gene Simmons has joined Invictus as Chief Evangelist Officer.

The partnership involves Simmons’ leadership in a variety of capacities focused on assisting the Company with its public awareness strategy and eventual branding strategy for the recreational market that is anticipated to be legal in Canada in 2018. His responsibilities will include providing marketing counsel, serving as a spokesperson in the media, public appearances and participation in the Company’s annual general meeting and investor meetings, among others.

“Gene Simmons is a branding and merchandising genius, who not only created one of the most iconic bands of all time, but has spent decades building successful brands internationally in various industries,” said Dan Kriznic, Chairman and CEO of Invictus. “Gene will lead marketing initiatives that will help spread the positive messages that dwell at the heart of Invictus in accordance with the strict regulations of Health Canada’s Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR), the Food and Drugs Act (FDA) and the Narcotic Control Regulations (NCR)” said Kriznic.

“Values and family are very important to me, and when I first connected with Dan at Invictus, I understood immediately that we enjoyed a shared passion for these key life foundations,” said Gene. “Instead of launching straight into business, we talked about the things that matter the most.”

While Simmons has achieved extraordinary success beyond the concert stage and recording studio, his KISS-related achievements are astounding in themselves with the band having sold more than 100 million albums; earning more American Gold Record Awards than any other group, in all categories (RIAA); building a merchandising/licensing empire with over 2,500 licenses including everything from t-shirts and comic books, to pinball machines, credit cards and lunchboxes; and breaking box office records set by The Beatles and Elvis.

Beyond KISS, Simmons’ celebrity television show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, aired for eight years and 167 episodes, and was viewed in 84 countries - one of the longest-running celebrity reality TV shows in history. He discovered Van Halen, managed the recording career of Liza Minnelli, and is a founding partner in the global restaurant chain Rock & Brews.

Simmons’ achievements in marketing encouraged McClaren to hire him as their brand ambassador and Indycar engaged him to do their marketing. Simmons has a record label Simmons Records, is a published author with Simmons Books about to publish his latest book “27”, on the heels of his two previous best sellers Me, Inc., and On Power; and Simmons Comics continues to grow. In addition, he published his own magazine, Tongue (Sterling-McFadden) and is about to launch his newest magazine, “iMOGU” focusing on entrepreneurs that matter. Simmons created and executive produced the TV shows My Dad The Rock Star, Mr. Romance, and others. He has also acted in numerous motion pictures and television shows for more than three decades and is currently co-producing a slate of motion pictures with Arclight Films.

Simmons is a partner in the New York-based Family Office of Highmore Group Advisors, he has rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange, and was keynote speaker at NASDAQ. Gene Simmons also had a United States Postage Stamp.

Among his latest ventures, Simmons is launching a premium soda line, MoneyBag™ Sodas, across all 7-Eleven stores; his 50th anniversary rock tour, Gene Simmons: The Vault Experience, continues with stops around the world; and, he will soon launch MoneyBag™ FootGear.