Mike Tyson and business partners break ground on marijuana ranch in California

Heather Tucker | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption New year brings broad pot legalization to Calif. California has now joined a list of other states and the District of Columbia, where so-called recreational marijuana is now permitted. With the start of 2018 comes the legalization of pot for those 21 and older in California. (Jan. 1)

Mike Tyson has broken ground on his latest venture, billed as an oasis in the desert.

He's opening Tyson Ranch in California City, but he's not going to be raising cattle or herding sheep. Instead, he'll be focusing on weed.

That's right, the former heavyweight champion is entering the marijuana market.

He and business partners Robert Hickman and Jake Strommen broke ground Dec. 20 on a 40-acre plot of land about 110 miles north of Los Angeles, according to the Associated Press.

Tyson will use about 20 acres to give professional growers a chance to cultivate new strains and technology to advance research on the medical benefits of marijuana.

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According to Blast.com, the ranch — or resort in the Mojave Desert — also will feature an amphitheater, glamping, an edible factory and an extraction area.

Recreational marijuana use became legal in California on Jan. 1.