Mike Tyson may be done with professional boxing but he’s packed his latest punch into the cannabis industry. The former undisputed heavyweight boxing champ released his Tyson 2.0. cannabis line on Nov. 26 and now the government of Malawi wants to make Iron Mike the country’s official cannabis ambassador.
Malawi’s agriculture minister Lobin Low invited Tyson to become the face of the country’s growing cannabis industry in an effort to attract investors and tourism, although he hasn’t revealed if he’ll take on the role. The appointment has caused some controversy as Malawian organization Centre for Public Accountability (CPA) has accused the government of ignoring Tyson’s 1992 rape conviction.
Kondwani Munthali, acting director of the CPA, said in a statement sent to CNN Friday that appointing a convicted rapist would be “wrong.”
“Yes he paid his debt three years he was in jail, but we are saying to be the face of a nation is something beyond reformatory. We would want (a) less controversial character than Tyson,” Munthali added.
Despite the criticism, Tyson has a lot of people in his corner including Malawian Ministry of Agriculture spokesperson Gracian Lungu who dismissed the criticism.
“Malawi as a nation believes that Mr. Tyson is a right and reformed person as he was released on parole. The moral appeal by some quarters, to continue holding Mr. Tyson to a wall of moral incapacity doesn’t hold water,” Lungu further commented in a statement.
Tyson spoke with CNN about his venture into the cannabis industry and the unveiling of Tyson 2.0.
“It’s really all about the love of the medicine. I put a great deal of time in agriculture and discovering the right strain. It’s become pretty complex, but the best time of my life. My best strain is ‘Sour Diesel.’ It’s a powerful connection with the buyer,” Tyson explained.
Tyson 2.0 launched Friday in Colorado through a partnership with Columbia Care, a U.S.-based multistate operator that currently runs 99 dispensaries in 16 states, according to its website. Learn more about the line at www.tyson20.com.
