We want to introduce you to another side of Ricky Williams. A side forged by almost everything that’s happened to him up to now. Something that is beyond Ricky the football player, the evolutionary astrologer, or Ricky the reality TV star.
We want you to meet Ricky Williams—the cannabis cultivator.
Now, no self-respecting biographical article would dive straight in with no build-up, no backstory, no setting of the scene. We’ll dial the clock back and open the curtains on Ricky’s senior year. This is the year he discovered something that would change his life forever…the year he discovered weed.
Ricky Williams & Cannabis
Ricky Williams’ ganja journey began at the University of Texas.
While having a record-breaking, Heisman-trophy-earning year, he broke up with his girlfriend. Immediately after, she starts dating one of the quarterbacks on the team, who, of course, is Ricky’s teammate.
Not knowing where to go, his friend had a simple idea: smoke some weed. From that point on, cannabis was a part of Ricky’s life.
He used it to find calm and meditative peace and to reflect upon and improve his on-field performances. He even used it to recover, physically, after matches and training sessions.
“I was watching each of the guys come into the training room to get their shot of Toradol. And I started thinking to myself, wow, we have to take a shot or a strong anti-inflammatory every day just to practice. If we play for 10 years, what is that doing to our bodies?”
For Ricky, cannabis seemed a much safer, more natural alternative.
“I challenged myself to see how long I could go in the season without having to take a pill or a shot. Part of my regimen was using cannabis after work to help stretch and relieve tension. It worked.”
The people influencing Ricky’s career didn’t care that it worked, they only cared that it was cannabis. He twice faced suspensions from the NFL for cannabis use, though he never hung his head. He went the other way.
Ricky became a voice, an advocate for cannabis in sports as a power to heal, repair, and offer an alternative to the powerful, chemical drugs administered freely by the NFL. He became a voice to end the prohibition of personal choice.
Personal choice and freedom are things Ricky sees as the fundamental right of all people, everywhere.
“There’s still cannabis prohibition in the US. This has to change.”
While America gradually becomes 100% legal, Ricky has been busy focusing on the next chapter of his life.
Ricky Williams & Cultivation
Aside from Highsman, his premium flower brand, he’s recently joined Homegrown Cannabis Co.’s exclusive list of expert cultivators and cannabis icons.
A list that includes Steve DeAngelo, Kyle Kushman, Nikki Lastreto, and Swami Chaitanya.
“Nikki and Swami are an absolute inspiration, especially for outdoor growers like myself. They grow amazing flower and they do it completely naturally. No cheating. I’ve learned a bunch of stuff from them already.”
It’s this passion for growing that made Ricky choose Homegrown. They gave him a truly collaborative platform. They allowed him to challenge their breeders to develop 3 new cultivars targeted towards specific growers: those with less experience who want to grow bigger, more challenging sativas.
“My cultivars are chosen mainly from nostalgia. I like to smoke and read. I like to keep my mind open, receptive. That’s why I like sativas.”
The problem is, sativas are not generally suited for rookies. They can be a lot for beginners to handle.
“I teamed up with Homegrown because I want to get better. I want to learn. But I gave them a challenge, too. I wanted my cultivars to be more accessible to beginners. Same plants, easier phenotypes.”
It was a challenge eagerly accepted.
Ricky’s Homegrown Cultivars
As a customer, choosing a Homegrown cultivar can be daunting. They have hundreds in their catalog and the choice can be overwhelming. Not for Ricky.
“Without question, I wanted a Purple Haze.”
Popularized by Jimi Hendrix, Purple Haze is one of the most iconic cultivars in the world. Famed for its potentially expansive, trippy high, it’s also known for being pretty tricky to grow. Homegrown’s breeders worked it and reworked it, stabilizing and selecting for a quicker, more forgiving pheno.
“I’m so happy with my Purple Haze, it’s way more suited to less experienced growers.”
The beauty of Ricky’s cultivar is that it retains the big yields, the high THC, the flavors, the aromas, and the soaring buzz.
Purple Haze
“You’ll be blown away.”
His Homegrown Panama came from that same sense of nostalgia.
“This is flower I always look out for but rarely find. And I’d wanted to grow it myself for some time.”
Ricky’s Panama is a special plant. A three-way cross of Punto Rojo, Panama ‘74, and Green Panama. It delivers old-school smells and a potentially nostalgic high. But it’s much easier to grow.
“It bridges the gap between old and new school, rookie-level cultivars, and premium sativas.”
Panama
The short flowering time helps – 4 weeks faster than most sativa-dominant plants with the same yield potential. Nothing lost, plenty gained.
“And wait until you get a load of my Chocolate Orange.”
Ricky’s third cultivar is a pure, Homegrown original. No nostalgia here, just a keen eye (and nose) for quality.
“I loved the buzz from Choccy Orange, but the aromas nearly knocked me on my ass. There’s nothing like it. Juicy oranges and lemons, bitter chocolate, and coffee. It’s incredible.”
When Ricky started growing his own, he was following a path trodden by many tokers since the end of prohibition. It seemed to him a natural evolution.
“I want to inspire more people to do it, to grow their own weed. I mean, why wouldn’t you? Seeds are cheap and the sun is free. If it’s legal to do it where you live, get out and do it.”
When you grow cannabis indoors, you have to buy a certain amount of equipment, at least enough to replicate natural, outdoor conditions, such as light, heat, nutrients, airflow, etc. But even this is cheaper than buying your weed from a dispensary.
Ricky Williams’ Homegrown Strains
Growing your own also means feeding your own. You’ll know exactly what went into your pots, you can choose to grow organically and sustainably. You can make sure your weed is safe, and up to your own standards in terms of regenerative products and techniques.
Finally, growing your own will, more often than not, produces better quality flower. Your own boutique flower! And when you grow outdoors, the yields can be MASSIVE. Sun-grown weed might be tastier, stronger, and full of terpenes. Lots of bang, fewer bucks.
The end of prohibition has seen a lot of attention on cannabis. Many tokers are now growers, fuelling the demand for education. Master growers like Kyle Kushman LOVE to teach, share their knowledge, and help develop the skills of others. And the beauty is, it’s all free. Well, it is at Homegrown.
Homegrown is famous for its instructional videos and guides. You’ll find a bunch of useful resources whether you grow indoors or out, in hydro or soil, whether you’re a rookie or a master. There’s never been a better time to start growing your own cannabis and to grow it well.
As Ricky already said, why wouldn’t you? Just go out and do it.
