Carmelo Anthony has launched a cannabis brand that will allocate a portion of its profits towards a good cause.
Forbes reports the 10-time NBA All-Star player is launching StayMe7o Cannabis under Grand National, a cannabis-focused agency created in partnership with Lowd Cannabis’ CEO and Founder Jesce Horton and Chief Creative Director Brandon Drew Jordan Pierce. Anthony had connected with Horton when he first moved to Portland, OR, through a mutual friend.
“We understand what the value proposition is,” Anthony told Forbes. “I grew up on the Grand National car, we just wanted to tap into something that was very timeless, combining the businesses of all three of us and what we bring to the table.”
As for his motivation to enter into the cannabis sector, it was a culmination of remaining a student within the industry over several years and firsthand experience for sports recovery purposes. Among his chosen products were tinctures, CBD formulations, and topicals — all tailored to promote healing and alleviate discomfort. Anthony, with a greater understanding of cannabis’ functionalities, has been engaging with the cultivation team to help with genetic testing for the cannabis brand.
“As I started getting out of the NBA, I started studying and realized how important it is to understand all of the cannabinoids in the plant, as well,” he said, per Forbes. “What is the cannabinoid, how does it affect the body? I dove into ways we could create this flower, let’s create seeds that are really effective. We can test these seeds out as well. Starting in Portland, we can talk directly to the consumer to the community, they respect us.”
Consumers can find StayMe7o at Black-owned and Native-owned dispensaries Natural Wonders and Green Muse in Oregon. Furthermore, a portion of profits from the cannabis brand will be allocated to support a nonprofit, NuProject, launched by Jeanette Ward to help communities affected by the War on Drugs.
“This is a space with a long history of Black entrepreneurs getting penalized and judged, arrested, and locked up for cannabis,” Anthony explained. “Now for it to be legal, it’s only right to open those doors back up for those who want to be in this game. Who are already in this game. Instead of it being so singular, how do we come together and work together toward a common goal? Everyone has cannabis out here, what separates you?”
