*Earlier this year it was announced that former NBA player and coach Isiah Thomas invested $3 million into One World Pharma, the largest Black-controlled, licensed hemp and cannabis producer in Colombia.
Thomas, who currently serves as One World’s vice chairman and CEO, and AMUNAFRO, “the National Association of Mayors of Municipalities with Afro-Colombian populations, announced Thursday that they have entered into a partnership to control over one million acres in Colombia to focus on industrial hemp production,” per MSN.
“Our expanded partnership with AMUNAFRO represents a historic shift for the Indigenous farmer and grower communities and the Afro-Colombian population,” Thomas stated in a press release. “As an ascendant international hemp and cannabis company focused on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, our consortium will now control over one million acres of land in Colombia focused on the licensed production of industrial hemp for integration into sustainable, carbon-reducing products made throughout the world.”
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Thomas continued, “With this control over one million-plus acres dedicated to eco-enriching hemp production, we estimate that we will capture more carbon than the Amazon Rainforest will capture in comparable decades to come. Another benefit of the partnership is that we now may be the largest black-owned land organization in the Americas.”
Thomas played 13 seasons with the Detroit Pistons, winning NBA championships in 1989 and 1990 and later coached the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks. He is a 12-time All-Star, 2-time All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, and Finals MVP in 1990. He is considered one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.
One World was founded in 2017 and “planted its first crop of cannabis in 2018 at its cultivation site in Popayan, Colombia and began harvesting in the first quarter of 2020,” per the report.
“After extensive analysis of Colombia, the world market and these most recent developments at the Company, I passionately believe there is a tremendous opportunity to build a world class, valuable, enviro6nmentally and socially conscious company that is a significant player in the global cannabis and industrial hemp industries. There are few, if any, reliable, industrial scale, global supply chain companies in this space and we intend to be one. I am pleased to initiate this next chapter of growth.” said Thomas in a press release.
