“I should have smoked when I was fighting because it put me in this different state of mind,” said Tyson.
Speaking with Yahoo Finance about the debut of the Tyson 2.0 cannabis line, in partnership with Columbia Care, the former heavyweight champion said he wished he smoked cannabis his “whole career” instead of drinking.
“My life was just miserable, I was out of control. I was fighting with everybody. If someone asked me for an autograph, I’d punch them in the face. I was just a mess, and then after I retired, I started smoking,” Tyson said.
“What a mistake that was — I should have smoked my whole career. I should have smoked when I was fighting because it put me in this different state of mind. I’m very relaxed and the more relaxed you are, the better fighter you are, at least in my case.”
No Regrets
Tyson noted that he has faced repercussions due to cannabis use in the past. Even when his victory over Andrew Golota was changed to no-contest following a positive test for marijuana, Tyson said he has no regrets.
“I broke his cheekbone, his eye socket, his rib — I should have been doing this from the beginning. I got fined for that, of course, but it was worth every bit of it,” Tyson said.
Tyson credited psychedelics for his comeback. “I think of it as an enhancer. It makes me better, even in the ring. The punches don’t hurt as much, it has a lot to do with my comeback, the psychedelics.”
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Tyson joins other star athletes that support the use of cannabis: Al Harrington, CEO of Viola, which is the first Black-owned multinational cannabis brand; NBA legend Allen Iverson; US soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe; Superbowl champion Marvin Washington; Ricky Williams, former NFL running back and co-founder of the cannabis company Real Wellness, and the former undefeated UFC champion, Frank Shamrock… to name several on the growing list of athletes who are finding cannabis and CBD beneficial and who, like Tyson, have no regrets.
This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been reposted with permission.
