NBA legends Allen Iverson and Al Harrington were in Detroit recently to launch their new cannabis strains. Calvin Johnson, former Detroit Lions wide receiver as well as Detroit’s own rapper SADA Baby were also there. And so was Benzinga!

As part of their ongoing multi-year partnership, Iverson and Viola released limited amounts of their new hybrid strain exclusively in Michigan where Iverson attended meet-and-greets with customers at five cannabis shops around Detroit to promote the launch.

“I’m excited to continue the partnership with my brother Al and bring our newest strain to Detroit. Everything I do is for the fans, and this is no different,” said Iverson, considered to be one of the greatest and most influential NBA players of all time who briefly played for the Detroit Pistons.

Hometown Hybrid

IVERSON 01, an Indica-dominant Detroit grown hybrid is a cross of F1 Durban, Gushers and Runtz. The pre-rolled and packed flower will be sold at a number of dispensaries across Michigan, home state of Benzinga where it was founded in 2010.

“We’re excited to launch IVERSON in the Michigan market with 70+ valued partners,” said Viola founder and CEO, Al Harrington who launched Viola’s very first retail shop in Detroit in 2015. Prior to that, Harrington introduced his own cannabis brand, named after his grandmother who suffered from glaucoma. Viola Extracts then became the first-ever black-owned multinational cannabis brand.

A vociferous promoter of social equity in the cannabis industry, Harrington supports a variety of causes, including his own initiative Viola Cares, which aims to help formerly incarcerated people transition back into society.

Al Harrington was also an early friend and supporter of Benzinga’s cannabis vertical, which became part of Benzinga's online media and investing site in 2015.

With his arm draped around a smiling Jason Raznick, Benzinga CEO and founder, Harrington acknowledged their enduring friendship.

“My Homie. Since day one when he first started, when he didn’t know nobody. I was his first person...his first friend in the [cannabis] space...and look at where we are today!” Harrington said at Detroit’s 3Fifteen cannabis dispensary.

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