Mike Tyson to open 16-hectare marijuana farm in California

Tyson in March 2011 (Photo By Brian Birzer http://www.brianbirzer.com, CC BY 2.0)

SAN FRANCISCO — Boxing icon Mike Tyson is to open a marijuana ranch in southern California which legalized the sale of non-medical marijuana on the first day of 2018.

According to The Blast, a US media outlet focusing on celebrities and entertainment news, the former boxer broke ground in California City, about 96 km southwest of Death Valley National Park, for the “Tyson Ranch.”

While half of the 40-acre (about 16.2-hectare) ranch is dedicated to producing high-quality marijuana, the rest of the resort will have a supply store, an extraction facility, an edible factory, a cultivation school to train growers and even smoker-friendly campgrounds and cabins.

Tyson established a company, Tyson Holistic, to manage the operation of the ranch and facilities, which reportedly involve many veterans.

The opening date of the ranch is yet to be known. The former boxing champion didn’t say relevant words on his Twitter or Facebook accounts, whose latest posts are dated Dec. 27, 2017.

California City Mayor Jennifer Wood attended the groundbreaking ceremony, according to photos released by The Blast on Jan. 3, 2018.

The legalization of the recreational use of weeds in California took effect on Jan. 1, 2018, which is expected to increase the revenue of the US most populous state by several billion dollars each year.

At present, a total of 29 US states have adopted medical marijuana laws and seven states have adopted the most expansive laws legalizing marijuana for recreational use.