Mike Tyson, the former professional boxer and World Champion, has broken ground on a 40-acre plot of land in California City which will be used for cannabis cultivation, extraction, and processing, according to a report from The Blast. Tyson Holistic, the company operating the ranch, will employ veterans at the site – which is located near Edwards Air Force Base about 60 miles southwest of Death Valley National Park.
According to the report, 20 acres of Tyson Ranch will be dedicated to master grower cultivation facilities. The site will also feature research facilities, a hydro-feed plant and supply store, premium campgrounds and cabins, and an amphitheater.
Tyson was joined at the groundbreaking ceremony by his business partners Robert Hickman and Jay Strommen, and California City Mayor Jennifer Wood.
“We now have an industry that is going to provide medical cannabis to people in need and also provide jobs, revenue, income for a lot of people that work in our city.” – Mayor Wood at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Tyson is not the first former athlete to enter the cannabis industry, but he might be the highest profile. Ex-Baltimore Raven Eugene Monroe, of the National Football League, is an investor in Maryland medical cannabis hopeful GTI Maryland; however, that firm was denied a license by state regulators. Two other former NFL players – 2006 Heisman Trophy winner and quarterback Troy Smith, and former Cleveland Brown Eric Metcalf – are seeking a dispensary license in Ohio. Former NFL running back Ricky Williams co-founded the cannabis-friendly Power Plant Fitness and Wellness gym in 2016; while former Ultimate Fighting Championship title-holder Frank Shamrock launched The Bakeout – a cannabis-centric talk-show – early last year.