Mike Tyson Becomes Malawi’s Cannabis Ambassador

Mike Tyson Becomes Malawi’s Cannabis Ambassador

On September 14, 2025, a verified blog on X, @AfricaFirsts claimed that legendary boxing world champion, Mike Tyson, had accepted being the cannabis ambassador for the Malawian government.  The post, which had an image of Mike Tyson and cannabis cultivators, was captioned, “Malawi 🇲🇼 asked Mike Tyson to be its Cannabis Ambassador, which he accepted. The country produces some of the best weed in the world. In February 2020, Malawi legalized the cultivation and processing of cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes.”

As of when this report was published, the post had over 6,400 views, with about 305 replies, reposts, quotes, likes and bookmarks.

VERIFICATION

Mike Tyson, a retired American professional boxer and one of the most famous and controversial figures in sports history. Born on June 30, 1966, as Michael Gerard Tyson, he became the youngest heavyweight champion ever. Tyson turned professional in 1985 and quickly gained attention for his speed, power, and aggressive style. On November 22, 1986, at just 20 years and 4 months old, he defeated Trevor Berbick to win the WBC title, becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history, a record that still stands.

In a letter dated November 1, 2021, the Agriculture Minister of Malawi, Lobin Low, invited Mike Tyson to become what the ministry called the “Cannabis Branch ambassador” for Malawi’s cannabis crop. The letter stressed that the cannabis industry is “complex” and that Malawi does not want to go it alone in developing it. It said that Tyson could help attract investors and buyers.

The move generated public controversy as some civil society organisations in Malawi criticised the proposal, citing Mike Tyson’s criminal conviction for rape in 1992 as problematic for selecting him as a “face of the nation.” But, the agriculture ministry defended the idea by saying that Tyson is a prominent businessman in the cannabis space, and that he is a “reformed” person.

Even though the invitation was real, Tyson’s spokeswoman, Raymone K. Bain, stated that he had not been officially offered the position nor had he accepted it. The statement said, “Mr. Tyson is not an official ambassador in Malawi nor has been asked to become one. This is false information.” The agriculture ministry said that it was waiting for a response from Tyson.

CONCLUSION

The claim that Mike Tyson has accepted to  become the cannabis ambassador for the Malawian government is FALSE. Although there was a recent letter from Malawi’s Agriculture Minister, Lobin Low offering the position to the renowned boxer, Tyson’s spokeswoman, Raymone K. Bain, refuted the claim, noting that he is not an official ambassador in Malawi.

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