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Carmelo Anthony is one of the greatest players Knicks blue and orange. His effortless scoring has put New York City fans in a crazi game. Now, after his career, the All-Stars have a new goal: to help New Yorkers relax.
The mission makes him one of the fastest-growing (pun) and most complex industries in the country: marijuana.
Billion dollar industries face Many ongoing challenges as marijuana. Entrepreneurs in the space have to browse everything from lingering stereotypes of weed users to changing state laws. For black founders, the barrier is even higher.
That’s why Anthony has teamed up with Cannabis Connoisseur and Grand National Agence founder Jesce Horton to create its own weed brand Stayme70.
“We have the opportunity to build not only another industry, but a better industry,” Holden said. “One is not built on community misfortune.”
Named after Anthony’s iconic slogan and jersey number, Stayme7o was launched last year in Oregon and then debuted in his hometown of New York in April this year.
“I’ve always been interested in the science behind cannabis,” Anthony said. “The more I learn about growing, consuming and educating others, the more clicks it will be. Creating something in this field is effortless.”
Improve the industry
With his NBA contract alone, Anthony did not get over $200 million in the bank from his NBA contract, but just got stuck in the weed to make money. He and Horton focus on creating Real positive impact In a long time, it has been troubled by legal restrictions and social stigma.
“It’s not a quick flip,” Anthony said. “It’s about making a real impact in this industry, in different communities, in people’s lives.”
This effect is not just about attracting people to the heights of big weeds. Anthony’s involvement in cannabis means a step in the right direction towards an industry known for its deep roots in historical inequality, especially for Black Americans.
As of 2022, black marijuana entrepreneurs are less than 2% of the overall industry. Instead, studies show that blacks are almost four times more likely to be arrested for possession of marijuana than whites.
Horton knew this better than anyone, because his father was one of those black Americans, and was sentenced to jail for returning to less than an ounce of weeds in college.
Today, young Horton is working to correct mistakes against his father and many other Black Americans to help his community break into the cannabis industry the right way.
“After becoming a business owner myself, I’ve witnessed first-hand how difficult it is to get funds, especially as a black man,” Holden said.
To help close the gap, he founded Nuproject, a nonprofit that is committed to building generational wealth through the legitimate cannabis industry to target communities that are most affected by the drug war (i.e., Black, Indigenous, and Latin people).
Part of Stayme7o’s proceeds will support Nuproject and the last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit dedicated to marijuana criminal justice reform.
From grapes to grass
Anthony may be a newbie to marijuana, but he is no stranger to the world of consumer goods. Together with long-time partner Asani Swann, he launched VII(N) Seventh Estate, a wine brand designed to diversify the industry and provide a new perspective for traditional winemaking. Last year, they teamed up with Robert Mondavi to release their first release An ode to the soul.
“It’s very similar,” Anthony said, comparing wine to marijuana.
“You have to cultivate those plants – you have to talk to them, take care of them, and really stay the highest.
While some may see wine and cannabis as competitive industries, Anthony believes they are complementary.
“Everything I did was to create an experience,” he said. “I don’t want you to just show up one thing – I want you to stay and take a moment to enjoy all the different layers it has to offer.”
Stamping stereotypes
In the past, weeds were almost sold. You will meet a stranger in the parking lot and catch the eighth one and that’s it.
“When I first came in, it was almost like, if you grew up, you would know it would sell,” Holden said. “You didn’t think about marketing, value proposition, customer service, and that’s all the things you have to consider when running a real business in a competitive market.”
but Time has changed. Thanks to today’s saturation, the billion-dollar legal market, standing out is no longer optional.
“Oversupply,” Holden said. “And if you can’t find a way to distinguish and really add value to consumers, you’re going to be swallowed.” Anthony added, “The cannabis industry is growing rapidly.” “If you don’t intentionally do what you are doing, you’re going to be left behind.”
Listen to Holden breaking the burrs and terpenes, you’ll never guess he once struggled in school.
“I’m a C-Plus Mathematics student,” Holden said. “But when I started using marijuana, my grades went up. I ended up studying math engineering and mining.”
For him, marijuana has no dull motivation – it unlocks.
“It helped me manage ADHD. It raised my focus, got me involved, and gave me a drive,” he said. “The stereotype that weeds make you lazy or unmotivated is not only outdated – it’s a lazy assumption.
It’s still early now Stayme7obut if Anthony’s 19-year NBA career proves everything, it is that longevity is one of his strengths.
“I’ve been in it for a long time,” he said. “The first thing I focus on is consistency — whether it’s the product itself, how we plan it or how we build and represent a brand.”
The days when Melo dropped 50 under MSG may be behind him, but he is still illuminating New York City. Just in another kind of garden.
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