Now that weed is legal in several states, everybody and their mother is starting a new brand. Whether we like it or not, celebrities looking for an easy cash grab are joining the conversation by launching products and strains that reach their target audience. Jay-Z, Justin Bieber, Seth Rogen, Bella Thorne, and B-Real of Cypress Hill, to name a few, have launched successful and well-respected weed brands that even connoisseurs of the niche. One of these celebrities, however, is taking a weird approach. But hey, weird is better than boring any day.
Mike Tyson’s weed brand, Tyson 2.0, just dropped Mike Bites, ear-shaped edibles that will soon be haunting your feeds. They’re inspired by the iconic 1997 fight where Tyson bit off and spit out Evander Holyfield's ear — a moment that even those who aren’t old enough to remember firsthand are painfully aware of. The product is one of many items Tyson 2.0 sells alongside various strains of Sativa and Indica flower.
The gummies come nearly 25 years after Tyson was disqualified from the World Boxing Association Heavyweight Championship for the very incident we can now commemorate by getting high as hell. Tyson’s brand announced the product via Twitter and will be sold in Massachusetts, Nevada, and California. While dosage and strain details have not yet been released, I’m interested in seeing where things go for Tyson’s latest piece of marketing gold, which is creative and clever to say the least.
It’s important to note the social justice context of legal weed where it stands today. We know the basics, that weed possession has historically screwed over Black and brown people far more than it has their white counterparts. Seeing celebrities (even Black ones) sell legal weed feels disingenuous and makes my skin crawl — but I’m a sucker for a gag gift that makes me giggle. I think that is the awkward paradox of consumerism, living in the gray space and trying your best to laugh when you can. So here’s to ear gummies. Bite responsibly.
This article’s subheadline has been updated to reflect more sensitive language.
