Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has joined the board of directors of MedMen, the Culver City cannabis company announced Wednesday.
MedMen runs several shops in California, with locations including Abbot Kinney, Beverly Hills and downtown Los Angeles. The publicly traded firm also operates stores in New York and Las Vegas.
Villaraigosa made the move after his unsuccessful bid for California governor. MedMen said his connections could help the company grow.
“He will be instrumental in guiding MedMen’s expansion in the Golden State and through his broad network, Mr. Villaraigosa will help MedMen solidify its presence across the country,” CEO Adam Bierman said in a news release.
In the statement, Villaraigosa said he was excited to be part of the cannabis industry’s “commitment to social equity.”
Although he worked to restrict the number of medical marijuana dispensaries as L.A. mayor, Villaraigosa endorsed the initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in California in 2016.
Villaraigosa is the latest politician to get into the marijuana business. In April, former House Speaker John Boehner announced joining the board of the cannabis investment firm Acreage Holdings.