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NBA Hall of Famer Chris Webber launches ‘Players Only’ cannabis products in his home state of Michigan

‘We truly have a unique opportunity to change the narrative around cannabis, empower rising entrepreneurs and set a new standard in this growing industry’

FILE: Former Sacramento Kings player Chris Webber is acknowledged by the crowd during the Kings game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Golden 1 Center on Oct. 25, 2019 in Sacramento, California. /
FILE: Former Sacramento Kings player Chris Webber is acknowledged by the crowd during the Kings game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Golden 1 Center on Oct. 25, 2019 in Sacramento, California. / Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Select Gage and Cookies dispensaries in Michigan are the first retailers to carry Players Only products, a cannabis brand co-founded by NBA Hall of Famer Chris Webber and his business partner, Lavetta Willis.

Webber is not the only former NBA player involved. The company is working with his former Sacramento Kings teammate Jason Williams to launch a signature cultivar and has also partnered with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson to launch a line of products dubbed “The Smoke,” a nod to the duo’s popularity All The Smoke podcast.

The first Players Only products, including flowers, vapes, pre-rolls and sports recovery products, are available throughout Michigan, with Webber scheduled to celebrate the brand in his hometown of Detroit before it expands to other US markets.

The company is also launching Players Only-branded apparel and footwear, as well as partnering with musicians, including Raekwon from Wu-Tang Clan, legacy cultivators and community organizations, to focus on community projects and initiatives.

“Players Only is more than a cannabis brand — it’s a lifestyle brand,” Webber said in a statement.

“We truly have a unique opportunity to change the narrative around cannabis, empower rising entrepreneurs and set a new standard in this growing industry. We’re thrilled to launch our versatile offerings and begin the process of creating meaningful economic change in communities across Michigan. Shout out to TerrAscend and Gage — our Michigan family. Much love to Cookies and Berner, let’s go!” he added.

The company broke ground last year in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood on its US$50 million cannabis facility.

The Webber Wellness Compound is home to Players Only Holdings and focuses on four other areas, namely real estate development, cannabis cultivation, brand partnerships and creative content development and management.

The site is also home to a cannabis training program led by California-based cannabis company Cookies. Dubbed Cookies U, the “no fee” training program will focus on job training and placement in the cannabis industry and will recruit students from minority and underrepresented communities.

Founded by rapper Berner, Business Insider reported in June that Cookies is the “world’s first legal $1 billion weed brand.”

The company operates 49 dispensaries in the US and opened a flagship store in downtown Toronto earlier this year.

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