New York (CNN Business) Tiki Barber, formerly a star running back for the New York Giants, has worn many different hats since retiring from the NFL in 2007. But Barber's latest venture is a little more controversial.

He worked for NBC's "Today" as a news correspondent and now co-hosts a show on CBS Sports Radio. He's the co-founder of sports marketing firm Thuzio and he is also currently appearing in Broadway's Kinky Boots for a brief stint.

Now Barber is hoping to cash in on the growth of the marijuana business in the United States. Barber late last year co-founded Grove Group Management, an investment firm that plans to focus on cannabis start-ups.

Although recreational and medical marijuana have been legalized in many states, the sale and possession of pot remains illegal under federal law. For that reason, Grove Group Management's official headquarters are in Vancouver. Canada legalized marijuana last October.

So what attracted Barber to cannabis? He said in an interview with CNN Business that increasing evidence of how medical marijuana can help people coping with severe pain will help reduce the stigma around it.

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