by Javier Hasse
It was a festive occasion in Detroit as people gathered to meet rappers Kash Doll and Vezzo, as well as NBA star Al Harrington – and get a free turkey ahead of Thanksgiving out of it all!
The event, a result of a partnership between Harrington’s cannabis brand, Viola, and Motown Records (the legendary label that put out records by some of the biggest names in music history, from Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, to Diana Ross, the Jackson 5 and Bruno Mars) saw Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and the celebs come together to gift people 2,000 turkeys and diner sides for Thanksgiving.
The giveaway coincided with the opening of Viola’s first flagship retail store in the Motor City.
A Smoke-Free Environment
Beyond the obvious relevance of such a generous act and the joy these celebrities brought to the good people of Detroit, what makes this partnership really interesting is the fact that neither Kash Doll nor Vezzo consume cannabis.
Yes, you read right: rappers Kash Doll and Vezzo are not into weed – at all. In fact, both lead lives that are pretty much free of all mind-altering substances. Vezzo never drinks, while Kash might have a few glasses of champagne a month, tops.
“I don’t like to smoke weed or take pills. I don’t have an issue with people who do, but I don’t,” Kash explained.
Vezzo added, “I don’t consume cannabis either. Ever. But I’m not against other people consuming cannabis.”
Al Harrington and Vezzo in Detroit. BRE’ANN WHITE
He also called for more research around marijuana and explained he understands the difference between this plant and other dangerous things like cocaine, heroin or guns. These should remain outlawed, he noted. But cannabis: we have to make up our minds; “we either want it legalized or not.”
“I take my hat off to Vezzo and Kash Doll for being open minded enough to partner with a cannabis company even though they don’t consume themselves.”
“This is a gray area and, for me, there’s no balance in gray areas – you know what I’m saying? How is it possible that some people can have rooms full of legal plants while others go to jail for the rest of their lives for the same plant?” — Vezzo continued.
“I believe cannabis should be legal on the federal level. You look at Michigan, you look at all of the states that have legalized recreational marijuana, and you see an impact on the [employment, fiscal revenue, etc.] numbers.”
So, what in the world made them want to partner with a weed company, of all businesses in Michigan?
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – MARCH 09: Detroit rapper Kash [-] Doll performs in support of The Motivation Tour at Fox Theatre on March 09, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Scott Legato/Getty Images) GETTY IMAGES
An Unexpected Partnership
When asked about this unexpected partnership, Kash Doll explained, “Viola and Al are bringing new business and jobs to Detroit… I’m happy to partner with anyone that’s investing back into the city and helping give new positive opportunities to the people of Detroit.”
She repeated: it’s all about picking good people to collaborate with. Period.
“I don’t care what you’ve done in the past, who you are, or whatever. I love to just collaborate with people trying to do something great for the people, so I was honored that they wanted to work with me,” Kash went on.
Al didn’t mind Kash and Vezzo’s position either. “We wanted to do something good and partner with local rappers, entertainers, even athletes, to make an real impact on the community,” he explained. “Being from Detroit, Kash and Vezzo helped us, out-of-towners, really get the job done.
“Kash and Vezzo really made a difference. A lot of people showed up and I feel like they are going to have a better holiday because of them,” Harrington continued.
Vezzo was first and foremost drawn to Viola because of Al Harrington’s history of involvement with the Detroit community. But there was another component to the Motown-Viola partnership: willingness to help.
“What’s really sad is I went to many companies and brands, and nobody else wanted to help,” he said. “It’s crazy that it takes a cannabis brand to help these people.”
For readers who are not particularly familiar with the cannabis industry, there’s one thing you should know: cannabis brands are already exposed to extremely high taxes when compared to any other business out there, and many of these charitable donations cannot be deducted from their taxes either, due to provisions in Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code.
“What’s really sad is I went to many companies and brands, and nobody else wanted to help… It’s crazy that it takes a cannabis brand to help these people.”
Vezzo
“I take my hat off to Vezzo and Kash Doll for being open minded enough to partner with a cannabis company even though they don’t consume themselves,” Al concluded. “I think it’s admirable that they realize that this is bigger than if they use the product or not… What we need to realize as blacks and minorities is that this is a unique opportunity for us to participate in an industry that pretty much was built on our backs. So it’s great that we can break these barriers, change the stigma,
Sharing The Green
Vezzo said he went to all kinds of companies, from the food to the clothing space, looking for partners to help him bring some joy to people during the holidays. “Nobody wanted to help with this giveaway,” he disclosed. “We have so many big businesses and corporations just in Detroit alone that it’s crazy it takes a small cannabis business to actually want to give out to the community.
“It was just amazing, it made my heart happy. This was one of my favorite things to do.”
Kash Doll
“I asked myself this question many times… On top of not helping anyone, many companies out here are making people work for 60 hours, making them build an entire car, but not offering health insurance and things like that. They just leave their employees to figure out things on their own, even Christmas and Thanksgiving. Even though they know many can’t provide a nice meal for their families, they won’t lift a finger to help. But Viola did.”
Vezzo, Kash Doll and Al Harrington all seemed extremely moved with the Thanksgiving event and turnout. “It feels great,” they said once and again.
“I feel it’s a blessing to be in a position where we could provide many families a full Thanksgiving meal, which is not cheap,” Vezzo said.
Kash chimed in, “Man, it’s so refreshing. I just felt honored and happy that I could be a part of something so huge… We had a whole meal for everyone… It was just amazing, it made my heart happy. This was one of my favorite things to do.”
Al ended: “this was just the first session in the Viola-Motown partnership. We’ll probably sit down together after the holidays and try figure out other ways in which we can give back to the community.”
This Post Why Kash Doll And Vezzo Partnered Up With Al Harrington’s Weed Company, Even Though They Don’t Smoke appeared first on Forbes.
