The son of Notorious B.I.G. and Faith Evans has decided to dip his foot into the multibillion-dollar cannabis industry.
CJ Wallace is launching a new cannabis brand to honor his father, alongside his stepfather, music executive Todd Russaw and entrepreneur Willie Mack.
Think BIG, as the company is called, will produce cannabis products —such pre-rolls, vapes, gummies, apparel, pens, pencils, journals, sketch pads, and content— all with the intent on inspiring creativity. Think BIG also plans to work on criminal justice reform in the cannabis space as well as charitable projects.
“Many people don’t know my dad was arrested for a cannabis conviction before he died,” Wallace told Black Enterprise. “So had he lived, he would have been dealing with the criminal justice system like so many other Black men.”
The Frank White Creative Blend is their first product, named for Biggie’s iconic “Frank White” alter-ego. The product is a pre-roll pack made from “signature sun-grown California cannabis, custom blended with Orange Sherbet, Banjo, and Rattlesnake Sour Diesel.”
Still, the goal overall, Mack said is to inspire Black entrepreneurship.
“We want to show young Black entrepreneurs and those who aspire to be them that there are a lot of opportunities to build and grow a business that is both about making money and giving back to the community,” Mack said.
“In some ways, we are the driver for social change to help shift the negative stigma of the use of cannabis and the rise of cannabis businesses in Black communities,” Mack added. “We want the Black community to see the cannabis industry as an economic driver as it is one of the fastest growing industries in the world right now.”