Former NBA star Isiah Thomas appointed CEO of CBD firm that cultivates in Colombia

NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas was installed as CEO of One World Pharma, a U.S.-based company that grows hemp and marijuana in Colombia.

Thomas, who played 13 seasons for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons, is replacing CEO Craig Ellins, who founded the company and is retiring.

The company said Thomas will also be vice chair of the board of directors.

The company said the changes were effective June 4.

One World Pharma is located in Las Vegas.

The company has a 30-acre regional cultivation facility in Popayan, Colombia, which focuses on the development of genetics and includes an educational facility for indigenous farmers.

OWP said it spent more than two years developing relationships with indigenous farmers in the region, and the company has exclusive agreements with them to cultivate its genetics and return the biomass once grown.

President Brian Moore said OWP also has a 125,000-square-foot greenhouse to continue “to characterize the 25 varieties of cannabis and hemp we have been granted by the government of Colombia.”

OWP is a “licensed global supplier of high-quality hemp-derived ingredients” used in manufacturing or consumer packaged goods and over-the-counter products, according to its website.

This is not Thomas’ first involvement in the cannabis industry.

He is currently partner and owner of Vesl Oils, which operates in Colorado and Oklahoma. In Colorado, the company focuses on CBD products; in Oklahoma, it focuses on medical marijuana and THC byproducts.

One World Pharma trades on over-the-counter markets as OWPC.