Mike Tyson to launch weed brand in Thailand years after nearly being arrested for it

Expanding to Asia: The company announced in a press release on Wednesday that it entered a partnership with Medican, better known as Frost, a leading international cultivator and supplier of cannabis, to exclusively cultivate, manufacture and distribute medical and recreational cannabis products in Thailand.

Thailand will serve as Tyson 2.0’s entry to Asia, the third continent the brand has expanded to after North America and Europe, where Tyson 2.0 recently opened a branded coffee shop in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Close call: Tyson recently recalled to Forbes how he almost faced decades of jail time during his last visit to Thailand to film a movie. He recalled he had a “big bag” of cannabis weighing around five to 10 pounds when the police pulled him over. The officer, however, immediately returned to their car after seeing who he was.

“I heard that if you admitted to doing it [having cannabis], they gave you 99 years [in prison]. And if you didn’t, they’d kill you,” the 57-year-old famed boxer told Forbes. “It was some bizarre law, and I was thinking, ‘God damn, I’m glad he didn’t pull us over and tell us to get out the car.’ Celebrity saved me; I needed celebrity that moment. Thank you, God.”

Legality in Thailand: Thailand Health Minister Chonlanan Srikaew proposed a bill last week that would ban recreational cannabis, about two years after the Thai government legalized cannabis for public use.

The bill’s introduction came after under-regulation of the drug reportedly led to several safety and societal issues, including increased drug-related violence and consumption by youth.

Moving forward: Regardless of what the Thai government decides to do regarding laws on recreational cannabis in the country, Adam Wilks, the CEO of Tyson 2.0 parent company Carma HoldCo, said the brand would continue to push forward with its expansion in Thailand.

“Every market starts as medical, so we’re used to it; we’re used to operating in this regulated space,” Wilks told Forbes.

What to expect: Initial Tyson 2.0 products, which include 2 grams of prepackaged flower, single pre-rolls and the brand’s signature edible Mike Bites, will be available at Frost cannabis dispensary in the Silom area in Bangkok.

The products will also be available in other retail stores, including High Society and Slimjim in Bangkok, The Joint and Believe Cannabis Wellness in Chiang Mai and Be Patient Goods in Pattaya.