NEWFANE, N.Y. (WKBW) — Valentino Dixon has partnered with Tom Szulist from Singer Farm Naturals to launch “Innocence Cannabis” in hopes of growing and selling cannabis to combat illnesses.
Dixon shared with 7 News reporter Yoselin Person the moment he saw what the plant can do for the health.
“I met my partner Tom, and I got to know him very well and he gives me some CBD for my mother because she has Alzheimer's,” he said. “I go to my house and see my mom fully dressed walking around the house talking. I could not believe it, and from then, I was sold on this plant.”
From there, “Innocence Cannabis” was established.
But Valentino has a unique story behind the name of the business. He spent 27 years behind bars for a murder he didn’t commit. He was released in 2018, and since then he has been making the most out of his freedom.
WATCH: Wrongfully convicted man free after 27 years
In a 2018 interview with 7 News, Dixon spoke about how he always loved to draw but had never drawn a golf course until his superintendent at Attica Correctional Facility asked him for a favor. He then had a full collection of drawings that were highlighted by Golf Digest magazine.
WATCH: Artist in Attica: Man wrongfully convicted of murder draws global interest for his artwork
In 2020, former first lady Michelle Obama bought Dixon's artwork as a Christmas gift to former President Barack Obama.
WATCH: Michelle Obama buys Valentino Dixon's artwork as Christmas gift to Former President Obama
“I was innocent even though the evidence showed that I didn't commit this crime,” he said. “So when I teamed up with Tom he asked me to come up with a logo and a name for a company. It took me all but 10 minutes to come up with 'Innocence Cannabis.' It took me a day or two to come up with this logo with the eyeball and the plant.”
Szulist says he was a stockbroker for 29 years, but realized he had a purpose in farming.
“And it took me down this road of understanding that we are just part of nature as a human being, and we don't realize it that we have this amazing microbial system,” he expressed. “That is meant to keep us in balance and if we don't do that we have another system called an endocannabinoid system that nature gave us to balance our systems.”
Szulist says this cannabis business is about having you understand your body.
“Nature gave us a secondary system which is called an endo which means inside cannabinoid system so that the brain just senses the deficiency in the system,” he said. "And produces an endo to more or less energize that system to balance itself and that's where the cannabinoids from the cannabis plant hit the same reset there's a nature gave us in our human body.”
These owners will be waiting for you at the door even though “Innocence Cannabis” is still under construction.
“We're in the review process now so we're anticipating within the next two weeks will get the green light,” Szulist said. “And then once we do we can give a definite open date to the public. In the meantime, we're preparing products.”
In the meantime, Dixon is excited to welcome people into to their new establishment.
“Whatever they're dealing with arthritis or Alzheimer's or any other disease, come check us out because we may have something for you,” he said.
Soon you’ll be able to order the products online. Click here for more information.
