Firm teams with Bob Marley Estate to launch cannabis-ness

RESISTANCE is futile.

Legalized pot is coming.

How does Tattle know? Because according to London's Channel 4 News, the family of Bob Marley has teamed up with a private-equity firm to launch Marley Natural.

Once Wall Street sees potential profits and tells politicians to jump, the politicians answer the perfectly applicable, in this case, "How high?"

(Marley Natural, by the way, was the reggae king's favorite strain of weed, but the brand will also include skin creams, lotions, balm and accessories.)

And a chance, perhaps, for Tattle to put some of our 401(k) money in a true growth industry.

Channel 4 says that Marley Natural pledges to offer "premium cannabis products that honor the life and legacy of Bob Marley as well as his belief in the benefits of cannabis."

"My dad would be so happy to see people understanding the healing power of the herb," said Bob's daughter Cedella Marley.

"He viewed the herb as something spiritual that could awaken our well-being, deepen our reflection, connect us to nature and liberate our creativity. Marley Natural is an authentic way to honor his legacy by adding his voice to the conversation about cannabis and helping end the social harms caused by prohibition."

Marley Natural expects to grow its ganja in the U.S., where legal, and start shipping by the end of next year. It's being backed by Privateer Holdings, which raised $50 million. Here's hoping their investment goes up in smoke.

"My husband believed 'the herb' was a natural and positive part of life," said Bob's widow, Rita Marley, "and he felt it was important to the world. He looked forward to this day."

NBC has stopped development of its upcoming family sitcom project starring Bill Cosby.

Cosby was to play a patriarch "dispensing his classic wisdom on relationships and parenthood," according to Jennifer Salke, the entertainment president of Comcast/NBC/Universal Television.

On Tuesday, model Janice Dickinson became another Cos accuser.

Following Dickinson's accusation, Netflix postponed airing a Cosby comedy special that was supposed to debut on Thanksgiving.

And TV Land deleted "The Cosby Show" from its website.

Daily News reporter Nicole Weisensee Egan was first to break the Cosby story in 2005. To read our coverage, check out ph.ly/CosbysFirstAccuser.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts says that Stephen Colbert will host this year's Kennedy Center Honors, a completely unnecessary touch for one of the year's best shows.

The center announced yesterday that Colbert will host the program on Dec. 7. It will be broadcast Dec. 30 on CBS. Colbert will succeed David Letterman on CBS' "Late Show" in 2015.

Coincidence?

This year's Kennedy Center honorees are Tom Hanks, Sting, Al Green, Lily Tomlin and ballerina Patricia McBride.

* Cecily Strong of "Saturday Night Live" may have been unfairly booted off the anchor desk at "Weekend Update," but she will be the featured entertainer at the next annual dinner of the White House Correspondents' Association.

She will be the fourth woman to host.

Hey, it's only been going 82 years.

Cecily's opening act? President Obama.

* It's a miracle.

Barry Manilow announced yesterday he is going to hit the road "ONE LAST TIME!"

Well . . . until the next time.

Tickets for most markets go on sale to the public beginning Monday at 10 a.m. at aeglive.com.  Info is available at manilow.com.

Barry will play the Wells Fargo Center on June 13.

Could it be magic? Even now?

How could it not?

* Finally, we can all stop believin'.

"Rock of Ages" - now the 27th longest running show in Broadway history - will close Jan. 18 after more than 2,300 performances.

* Chris Hemsworth (Marvel's "Thor") has been chosen as People's Sexiest Man Alive.

Give Tattle a mighty hammer and we think the results would have been a little different.

- Daily News wire services

contributed to this report.

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