How Method Man And Al Harrington Plan To Empower Black Ownership In The Weed Industry
Method Man’s New Weed Strain Calls For Conversations About Injustice.
The cannabis legalization movement is about far more than making it legal to get high. It’s also about social consciousness and recognizing injustices and unfairness when they appear in the cannabis industry. Two celebrities in particular have taken action in hopes of diversifying the cannabis industry.
Black Americans have been historically targeted with drug crimes far more than their white counterparts. Thus, many cannabis activists and industry professionals hope to see the cannabis industry flourish over the next decade with equality and fairness in mind. Among them are rapper Method Man and NBA superstar Al Harringon.
Wu-Tang Clan legend Method Man released a solo record in 1994 called TICAL – an acronym standing for “Taking into consideration all lives.” The title draws an eerie similarity to mantras that are used decades later to discuss racism and police brutality.
Method Man, born Clifford Smith Jr., has reused the “TICAL” branding for a new venture: a line of weed inspired by social conscious efforts.
Method Man hopes this business venture can support other Black Americans in the cannabis industry. The rapper has chosen to sell TICAL’s first three cannabis strains, called “Cake,” “Crusher,” and “Gelato,” to four different black-owned dispensaries in California.
In a statement, Method Man discussed how he wants TICAL to make a difference:
“Personally, it is essential that we use our brand to help bring awareness to the social, systemic and economic injustice in communities that have struggled with oppressive mass incarceration and racially-biased policing procedures.”
Meanwhile, Al Harrington Hopes To See More Success Stories For Black Sellers
Since being drafted to the Indiana Pacers in 1998, Al Harrington has made a name for himself as a superstar in the NBA. After retiring from the league in 2015, Harrington chose to enter the cannabis industry. He’s launched a company called Viola Extracts, which is named after his grandmother who found solace in using cannabis to relieve herself from pain associated with diabetes and glaucoma.
Beyond his entrepreneurship, Harrington has also been an outspoken advocate for the legalization of cannabis. He’s written op-eds for many publications about the topic, and in an interview, NBA commissioner David Stern told Harrington that his efforts had persuaded him to consider removing weed from the league’s banned substance list.
Now, Harrington says he hopes to see Black cannabis entrepreneurs make millions – and it’s totally possible, he says. He plans to launch an incubator program to help owners of black-market cannabis brands break into the industry legally. This will, in turn, help boost local economies.
“A lot of brands that are on the black market that has a lot of credibility and unbelievable following, have market share, but they just don’t know how to get into the legal market.”
Harrington believes this is a necessary step for cannabis activism due to the disparities involving marijuana and race over the last century.
“That is something I will continue to harp on; continue to bring awareness to because, once again, I feel like the war on drugs was aimed towards our community, and they used cannabis as pretty much the main drug to continue to lock us up. All this money being made now, we’re not represented; we’re not there. I feel like we pioneered this industry.”
Photo Credit: Alyssa Tomfohrde, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Method_Man_at_Shattuck_Down_Low.jpg
