Carmelo Anthony pulls interesting new business move

Nov 27, 2019; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers power forward Carmelo Anthony (00) warms up prior to tip off against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Carmelo Anthony is taking a page out of Mike Tyson’s book.

Lindsey Bartlett of Forbes reported Friday that the retired 10-time All-Star Anthony is getting into the cannabis business. He is starting his own cannabis brand and agency that will officially debut on Apr. 20.

Anthony’s brand is called “StayMe7oCannabis.” It will be a part of his new cannabis-focused agency Grand National (which Anthony is launching with his business partners Jesce Horton and Brandon Drew Jordan Pierce, who already who run multi-million brand LOWD Cannabis). Anthony’s brand will reportedly begin on shelves in Oregon (where Anthony played two seasons for the Portland Trail Blazers)

“I was always into the benefits and the science and education of cannabis,” Anthony was quoted as saying in the Forbes article. “Over the years, I was studying it, paying attention to the industry, seeing where it was going, the trajectory, taking in the feedback. Given all the research, why not do it? Talk about the benefits of cannabis, what to consume, how to consume.”

Since announcing his retirement last year after 19 NBA seasons and 28,289 total points scored, the 39-year-old Anthony has stayed busy, including with his own headline-generating new podcast. Now Anthony becomes the latest retired former NBA player to enter the cannabis industry (a group that also includes Anthony’s one-time teammates Allen Iverson and Al Harrington).