NBA superstar and former Georgetown basketball player Allen Iverson has released a line of cannabis products with a strain designed to taste like splurgy Dom Pérignon champagne. The Basketball Hall of Famer launched the Iverson Collection earlier this month through fellow NBA alum Al Harrington’s cannabis brand, Viola. The first strain to be released in the product line is Iverson’s indica-dominant hybrid dubbed ’96—a homage to the year he was drafted to the NBA after playing two seasons of Hoya basketball under coach John Thompson Jr.
“I wanted something that reminded me of Dom Perignon and this was it,” Iverson told Forbes.
The flower is a blend of Kush Mints, a strain with a citrus aroma and minty tasting notes, and Grape Stomper, a grape-flavored strain with a spicy, earthy perfume. Meanwhile, the Answer’s bubbly of choice is a melding of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Dom Pérignon’s Vintage 2009 opens with a pomelo and stone-fruit fragrance before mellowing into a warm, woody aroma—not too different from the scent components of ’96. As for the taste? The strain blend has a grape component, while Champagne is made from, well, grapes.
Instagram must’ve had some of that new Iverson’96 #ViolaXIverson pic.twitter.com/2A5d5QYrd3
— Viola (@Violabrands) October 4, 2021
Currently, the former pro baller’s weed is only available at two locations in California. But Iverson fans outside of the Golden State can snag the collection’s branded merch featuring rolling trays, T-shirts, and grinders.
Iverson has a complicated history with cannabis. A year after he was drafted to play for the Philadelphia 76ers, Iverson was arrested and charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana in Virginia. Notably, possession of up to an ounce of pot is now legal in the state. The basketball legend has reflected on the changing stigmas surrounding weed throughout the release of his cannabis line.
“I could hear the people in the crowd calling me weed head on the road. It was bad and now all these years later look where we are and how far we’ve come,” Iverson told Bleacher Report.
Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Northeast DC.
