BOSTON (WHDH) - Celtics legend and NBA Hall of Famer Paul Pierce opened up about using marijuana during his career, says it helped with trauma after he was stabbed over 20 years ago.
Nicknamed “The Truth” for the way he played the game. Pierce is now taking his star power off the court and into the cannabis industry and launching his own line of recreational marijuana products in Massachusetts.
“A clean trustworthy product that everyone can count on and we’re excited about it,” he said.
The former Celtics star is partnering with The Hub Craft to produce “Truth” brand products.
“He will have his edible line out first, and then after that you will see his flower strain,” said Hub Craft’s Chief Strategy Officer Shivani Dallas.
Pierce, who was fired from ESPN in April for a social media video in which he was smoking what appeared to be marijuana, says his relationship with cannabis goes back decades.
He credits the drug with helping him after he was violently stabbed at a Boston nightclub in 2000.
“I dealt with anxiety, depression,” Pierce said. “It was a hard time in my life, and I don’t wish that upon anyone and thank God I’m here to talk about it.”
Pierce returned to the court but said life outside of games and practice was tough. For him, counseling and medication were not effective.
“I still had to deal with a lot of life issues and… I really turned to cannabis more than ever in my life. Just to help with the anxiety and sleep apnea…I couldn’t even sleep at night,” he said.
Now, with more states legalizing recreational marijuana, Pierce hopes his story can help lift the cloud of stigma around cannabis.
“I think this is the long-term answer moving forward to all these medications in which we don’t know until later in our lives have a major effect on our bodies,” he said. “My name, my reputation is on the line and I just want to out the best product out there to help who are in need.”
The products are expected to hit the shelves at the end of 2021.
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