There is always room for more rappers in the cannabis space to make a positive change and emulate normalization. Enter Tip “T.I.” Harris.
The Atlanta-born multihyphenate celebrity—actor, producer, and Grammy Award-winning rapper—announced he is joining forces with Viola Brands as the company’s Social Justice and Reform Ambassador. Viola is NBA veteran Al Harrington’s multistate cannabis company that operates in 6 markets today.
“I have the utmost respect for Al [Harrington] and all the work he has done with Viola to increase minority representation in cannabis and help Black and brown communities who have fallen victim to the War on Drugs,” T.I. says. The partnership with Viola is T.I.’s first venture into the licensed cannabis industry, alongside a stake T.I. has in a CBD company called Harvest Connect.
T.I. will lead strategic social impact initiatives through Viola’s charitable equity business incubator, Viola Cares. The company said in a press release that T.I.’s senior role will help shape the future of Viola’s philanthropy and equity work.
“Together we will expand social justice reform by providing tangible resources for disenfranchised communities opportunities to build economic autonomy within the cannabis industry,” T.I. says. It is also a part of his mission to offer scholarships to HBCU students who are studying cannabis at Southern University. SU is the first HBCU to create both its own hemp and THC medical cannabis brands, the latter of which launched in July of 2020.
“As we continue to increase our social imprint within the cannabis industry, I am honored to welcome my brother T.I. into the Viola family,” says Al Harrington, CEO and founder of Viola. After playing 16 seasons in the NBA, Harrington founded Viola Brands in 2011. The company is named after his grandmother, who swears by cannabis and its efficacy for treating her own pain and inflammation.
Viola Brands can be found in 6 states: Colorado, Oregon, Michigan, California, Arizona, and Nevada. The company launched its social equity business incubator Viola Cares in February of 2020. Alongside charity initiatives, it aims to help BIPOC nonlicensed…
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