Mike Tyson wishes he smoked weed his entire career

Mike Tyson, one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time—wishes he smoked weed throughout his entire career instead of drinking and doing cocaine.

The winding road to recovery

While speaking with Yahoo Finance about his new cannabis line, Tyson 2.0, Mike Tyson talked about his battle with alcohol and his regrets. Tyson discusses how his life was miserable and how everything changed after he retired and started smoking. He states that he should have smoked when he was fighting because it puts him in a different state of mind and makes him more relaxed.

Tyson suffered from addictions and substance abuse for years, noting in his autobiography, Undisputed Truth, that he first tried cocaine at the shockingly young age of 11 and had his first taste of liquor before his first birthday. Tyson says, “My mother would feed me liquor and drugs to get me to sleep.”

“Iron Mike” spent his childhood growing up in the ghetto and had been arrested 38 times by the time he was 13. He became the youngest heavyweight champion boxer in history at the age of 20, but ended up squandering his $400 million fortune on chartered jets and a lavish life of partying.

In 2005, according to USA Today, Tyson said “My whole life has been a waste—I’ve been a failure. I just want to escape. I’m really embarrassed with myself and my life.” Tyson’s downward spiral continued. In 2009, he vowed to get sober after the accidental death of his 4-year-old daughter, Exodus, but sadly went back to his old ways.

Comfort in Cannabis

Tyson has since revealed to Below the Belt host, Brendan Schaub, that he has stopped drinking and using cocaine before the successful launch of his Hotboxin’ podcast. After years of substance abuse, Tyson now finds solace in cannabis and believes it makes him a calmer person.“The Baddest Man on the Planet” began a positive transformation, accrediting cannabis to significant improvements to both his mental-health and physical well-being. Tyson says, “I’ve never felt as healthy in my life, I’ve never felt as clear in my life.”

Tyson went on to form his own cannabis company, Tyson Holistic Holdings, in 2016, and “Tyson Ranch,” a cannabis resort in California. Tyson’s business partner and Tyson Ranch CEO, Rob Hickman, claims weed has made a positive impact on Tyson, as he told GQ, “It changed his life.” Although “Tyson Ranch” the weed brand unfortunately failed, the ex-boxer is stepping back into the ring with his debut of Tyson 2.0, a premium cannabis line now available across select retailers in Massachusetts and Nevada, and most recently, California.

"Tyson Ranch failed due to bad management and just lack of cannabis knowledge," explains Tyson 2.0 CEO Adam Wilks. "Unfortunately, management was not what it should have been. Which is why for Tyson 2.0, I'm here, and I'm excited to launch Mike's cannabis brand for real this time."

The ex-boxer turned cannabis entrepreneur is also excited about this new venture. "Thrilled to bring the Tyson 2.0 line of products and my favorite cannabis strains to fans in Massachusetts and in my home state of Nevada," says Mike Tyson. "Cannabis has been an integral part of my health and wellness, and I look forward to sharing my experience with others through our line of premium cannabis products, all tested and approved by me."

Tyson 2.0 Undisputed Cannabis

The Tyson 2.0 cannabis line will include eighth (3.5g) jars and pre-rolls (1g) of premium flower including the famous and highly anticipated Toad lines, as well as Tyson’s personal favorite strain, Sour Diesel. Other products such as vapes, edibles, concentrates, and blunts are said to be available early in 2022.

With Tyson 2.0 in partnership with Columbia Care, one of the largest and most experienced multi-state operators in the medical cannabis industry, it is expected that this venture will surely be a knock-out. What do you think about the former heavyweight champion’s new business venture?