For 16 years, Al Harrington made his name and money playing pro basketball. The next phase of the retired NBA-er’s life was to join the budding marijuana market. His brand is in several states. Also, Al Harrington invests in Detroit.
Viola in Detroit
Harrington’s been in Detroit a long time. One of his brands, Viola, is headquartered here. It’s an operation that manufactures cannabis extracts. Viola was Harrington’s grandmother. The Viola Detroit dispensary is a 48,000 square foot facility on W. Jefferson.
Viola Detroit (Prnewswire)
Viola Detroit Only Part of the Bigger Picture
Harrington has businesses in Oklahoma, California, Colorado, Michigan and Oregon. There’s Harrington Wellness and Butter Butter, as well as Viola Brands with steep footprints in the cannabis world. He’s developing more, including a partnership with rapper and reality star TI.
Much of Al Harrington Detroit cannabis work focuses on the science of non-psychoactive cannabinoid generation. He wants to help people deal with pain. This a direct result of his own mental and physical duress, experiences most high-end athletes are familiar with.
“It’s an alternative way for athletes to medicate to deal with inflammation and anxiety and hypertension compared to opioids, which are highly addictive,” Harrington says. “Having cannabis as an alternative, it’s a major thing. Athletes really deserve this after all the things we put our bodies through.”
Harrington promotes research on medical uses. His grandmother suffered from severe glaucoma. Upon his suggestion, Viola tried cannabis. It recovered enough of her vision that she was able to read her Bible.
“Having cannabis as an alternative, it’s a major thing.”
Social Interaction
The retired baller admits, “I can be more successful in the cannabis space than I was 16 years in the NBA.” Yet, he’s as interested in serving the community as turning a profit.
Viola Cares is an equity program represented by Root & Rebound. Root & Rebound is a social firm focused on reducing the impact of court-ordered debt and stabilizing the economic security of people caught up in the legal system.
Harrington explains, “We work with some people doing expungement clinics. … From the outside looking in the industry seems like it’s damn near impossible to be a part of, but it’s not just growing or having a retail location. You need to be open minded.”
Harrington’s proud of his work in helping the formerly incarcerated (often jailed for a marijuana charge) get back on their feet. He’s in Viola Detroit to educate. He wants to teach and expand concepts of expungement, entrepreneurship and incubation. He hopes to create jobs and opportunities.
It’s not just about Al Harrington Detroit cannabis. He wants to help athletes deal with pain. He’s looking to help people get out from under. He has a strong desire to show more BIPOCs how to become millionaires. And he believes the cannabis market is the way.
Al Harrington invests in Detroit. He says it’s important to “bring people of color into the industry in a major way, because all these years of the war on drugs” [basically] “aimed at communities of color, have pretty much destroyed” [BIPOC] “communities by incarcerating us.”
