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Carmelo Anthony is among the greatest players to don the Knicks’ blue and orange. His effortless scoring whipped NYC fans into a frenzy back in his prime. Now, in his post-career, the 10-time All-Star has a new goal: helping New Yorkers relax.
That mission has led him into one of the fastest-growing (pun intended) and most complex industries in the country: marijuana.
Few billion-dollar industries face as many persistent challenges as cannabis. Entrepreneurs in the space must navigate everything from lingering stereotypes about weed users to a patchwork of ever-changing state laws. For Black founders, the barriers are even higher.
That’s why Anthony has teamed up with cannabis connoisseur and Grand National Agency founder Jesce Horton to create his own weed brand, StayMe70.
“We have an opportunity to build not just another industry, but a better one,” Horton says. “One that isn’t built on the misfortune of communities.”
Named after Anthony’s signature catchphrase and jersey number, StayMe7o launched last year in Oregon before debuting in his home state of New York this past April.
“I’ve always been interested in the science behind cannabis,” Anthony says. “The more I learned about growing, consuming and educating others, the more it clicked. Creating something in this space was a no-brainer.”
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Elevating the industry
With over $200 million in the bank from his NBA contracts alone, Anthony isn’t getting into weed just to make a buck. He and Horton are focused on creating a genuine, positive impact in an industry long held back by legal restrictions and social stigma.
“This isn’t about a quick flip,” Anthony says. “It’s about making a real impact — in this industry, in different communities, and in people’s lives from all different angles.”
That impact goes beyond getting people high on great weed. Anthony’s involvement in cannabis signifies a step in the right direction for an industry known for deeply rooted historical inequity, especially towards black Americans.
As of 2022, black cannabis entrepreneurs represented less than 2% of the total industry. Conversely, studies have shown that black people are nearly 4 times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession as their white counterparts.
Horton knows this better than anyone, as his father is one of those black Americans jailed for having less than an ounce of weed on him back in college.
Today, the younger Horton is working to right the wrongs done to his father — and many other Black Americans — by helping his community break into the cannabis industry the right way.
“After becoming a business owner myself, I saw firsthand how hard it is to access funding, especially as a Black man,” Horton says.
To help close that gap, he launched NuProject, a nonprofit dedicated to building generational wealth through the legal cannabis industry for the communities most impacted by the war on drugs — namely Black, Indigenous and Latinx people.
A portion of STAYME7O’s proceeds will support NuProject, as well as the Last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit dedicated to cannabis criminal justice reform.
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From grapes to grass
Anthony may be new to cannabis, but he’s no stranger to the world of consumer goods. Alongside longtime partner Asani Swann, he launched VII(N) The Seventh Estate, a wine brand aimed at diversifying the industry and bringing a fresh perspective to traditional winemaking. Last year, they partnered with Robert Mondavi to debut their first release, Ode to Soul.
“It’s very similar,” Anthony says, comparing wine to cannabis.
“You’ve got to nurture those plants — you have to talk to them, care for them, really stay on top of it. If you don’t, you miss out on the experience. It’s all about being present and involved.”
While some might see wine and cannabis as competing industries, Anthony views them as complementary.
“Everything I do is about creating an experience,” he says. “I don’t want you to just show up for one thing — I want you to stay, take your time and enjoy all the different layers it has to offer.”
Stamping stereotypes
Back in the day, weed practically sold itself. You’d meet a stranger in a parking lot, grab an eighth and that was that.
“When I first got in, it was almost like, if you grow it, you know it’ll sell,” says Horton. “You didn’t think about marketing, value propositions, customer service — all the things you have to consider when running a real business in a competitive market.”
But times have changed. With today’s saturated, billion-dollar legal market, standing out is no longer optional.
“There’s a big oversupply,” Horton says. “And if you don’t find ways to differentiate and really add value to your consumers, you’ll be swallowed up.” “The cannabis industry is growing fast,” Anthony adds. “If you’re not intentional about what you’re doing, you’re going to get left behind.”
Listening to Horton break down trichomes and terpenes, you’d never guess he once struggled in school.
“I was a C-plus math student,” Horton says. “But when I started using cannabis, my grades shot up. I ended up studying engineering and minoring in math.”
For him, cannabis didn’t dull motivation — it unlocked it.
“It helped me manage my ADHD. It improved my focus, kept me engaged, and gave me drive,” he says. “That stereotype that weed makes you lazy or unmotivated? It’s not just outdated — it’s a lazy assumption.
It’s still early days for StayMe7o, but if Anthony’s 19-year NBA career proved anything, it’s that longevity is one of his strengths.
“I’m in this for the long haul,” he says. “The number one thing I focus on is consistency — whether it’s the product itself, how we curate it or how we build and represent the brand.”
Melo’s days of dropping 50 at MSG may be behind him, but he’s still lighting up NYC; just in a different kind of garden.
