Cuttino Mobley nearly led the University of Rhode Island Rams basketball team to the Final Four in 1998, but his college experience had significance far beyond hoops to the future long-time NBA player.
In fact, the Ocean State means so much to Mobley, that he wants to give back to it — with a wellness center with a marijuana dispensary.
"This state that helped him at a vulnerable time in his life, this state that saw him go from a young, unstructured kid to someone who grabbed the basketball dream and has made the most of it," Mobley told the Providence Journal.
"I want to help people," [Mobley] said. "You get it after a while. … You know what you're supposed to do."
Mobley's enlarged heart ultimately forced him to cut his career short, but the condition also got him interested in health and wellness. Now, he wants to share that passion with the people of Warwick, R.I. in the form of a wellness center that dispenses marijuana.
By doing so, he believes that he can "get more involved in Rhode Island."
While Rhode Island did legalize medical marijuana in 2006 and approved the sale of marijuana by licenced producers in 2009, being able to do so may prove difficult for Mobley, according to Yahoo Sports.
The state will license between one and three dispensaries, and 18 applications have already been filed, and continued regulatory delays have prevented any dispensaries from opening thus far.
In January, Mobley made his intent official, filing paperwork with the State Department of Health for a proposed "Summit Medical Compassion Center."
