John Salley, the four-time NBA champion who played for the “Bad Boy” Detroit Pistons, doesn’t look like he’s aged a day since his basketball career ended with the Los Angeles Lakers. Salley is a noted vegan and healthy-lifestyle nut, which is why it surprised some when he started smoking marijuana at the age of 36, following his retirement.
But if there’s one recent trend in cannabis over the past year, it’s that many people are adding cannabis as part of their wellness and lifestyle routines. That motivation inspired Salley to begin a family cannabis company called Deuces22 (Salley’s jersey number), where his daughter Tyla serves as CEO.
This February, GreenSpace Labs announced it was partnering with Salley and his company to detect pesticides and ensure an organic product. The Greenlite Screener is a mobile app that can “detect pesticides and toxic metals in cannabis from the field, for extraction companies, and for independent testing laboratories,” writes PR Newswire.
“I got involved with GreenSpace because I believe in the importance of clean cannabis, same as I believe in the importance of clean food,” Salley told Benzinga. “I always saw on movies that every drug was tested for purity. So why not test cannabis?”
His daughter Tyla shares her father’s drive to produce organic cannabis. She also believes clean cannabis will soon separate itself from the rest of the luxury brand marketplace.
“Maybe people you hang out with won’t, but people who want to smoke weed and feel healthy and feel good are going to love that we give them all flower. No sticks, no stems, no rice paper,” Tyla told Benzinga.
“I was really adamant on these details,” she said. “There are a lot of cannabis brands all over the industry now, popping up and shutting down. But I wanted to make sure our brand was organic and, at the same time, luxury. I wanted people to know they can trust us, that we are not going to give them anything that can hurt them, but also that all the cannabis we provide is top shelf in every aspect, every time—and maintain this consistency over time.”
Salley also made recent headlines when he urged NBA commissioner Adam Silver to “come blaze witcha boy,” after former commish David Stern came out in support of removing marijuana from the banned substances list for NBA players. Salley urged Silver to do just that in a TMZ video, stating he believed it’d be better for the health of the NBA.
“I don’t know too many guys with D-U-highs,” Salley said. “It’s a safer, better, cleaner alternative for your health.”
