Basketball legends Allen Iverson and Al Harrington are teaming off the court to develop a line of cannabis and non-cannabis products.
They join together under Viola, a cannabis brand co-founded by Harrington. Iverson will be a talent partner, building on Harrington’s business initiatives. The first step is the company dropping the newest strain in The Iverson Collection. It’s to take place in the fall.
The two ballers have had a long friendship even though they were never teammates. Working together seemed natural, especially after Iverson visited Viola in Detroit.
The pro baller said shortly after, “I’ve had a lot of people approach me with business opportunities, but this one with Al was different. After seeing how devoted he is to this business, and him educating me on how beneficial the plant is, it just felt right. I’m excited to be a part of it; together, we’re about to change the game.”
Both players were doing the influencer thing while on the court. Iverson has always strived to change the narrative around style and fashion. Harrington worked hard to skool and enlighten the world of incumbents and sports about the healthy benefits of cannabis, the racist attitudes that kept it illegal, and, of course, the alleged War on Drugs.
Harrington has said, “In the same way Allen impacted the culture, we’re going to continue to impact the cannabis industry. We’re going to keep pushing boundaries. I’m honored to have Allen on board. We want to continue to inspire others and encourage people of color to participate in the cannabis space.”
Launched in 2011, Viola Brands has grown into a multi-state business with locations in Oregon, California, Washington, Colorado, and Michigan with plans to expand into Oklahoma and beyond.
Early in 2021, the brand received recognition as the first black-owned multinational cannabis brand. This after biopharmaceutical company Avicanna agreed to use its cannabinoid-focused operations to license Viola’s brand.
Avicanna will create unique formulations for Viola products using consumer and medical retail channels to reach Canada. In return, Viola receives a royalty fee even as its partner develops the products.
Last year, Viola welcomed Mezz Brands to its incubation program. The companies will collaborate on providing operational support to BIPOC-owned cannabis businesses.
The seed that grew into Viola got planted after Harrington received a visit from his grandmother, Viola. She was being treated for diabetes, glaucoma, and high blood pressure.
Harrington suggested she try cannabis. The grandson had to urge his resistant elder. He got the weed. Shortly after she used the legal weed, he found his grandmother in tears reading her Bible. The first time she’d done so in three years.
Before that and definitely since Harrington’s shown determination to change the story and stigmas surrounding cannabis. He grew up during Just-Say-No days when marijuana was on the same list as heroin and crack and law enforcement used biased laws to decimate our communities.
Viola is a socially conscious brand and Harrington is proud of it and the influence it’s having on the black business market.
