Ex-Kings player Miller's new game is marijuana

SACRAMENTO — At 7 feet tall, Brad Miller's adult life has been spent towering above most other. Now he's working on a different way to get high.

The former Sacramento Kings center's new company, CHC California City, broke ground Friday on its cannabis manufacturing facility in eastern Kern County.

The plant will put out 38 different cannabis products including edibles, water-soluble THC and vaporizer cartridges under the name Mountain Chief Products, California City Chamber of Commerce announced in a news release. Miller is the principal in CHC California City but will leave day-to-day operational oversight to deputy Ricky Mauch.

California City has emerged as a surprisingly pot-friendly oasis in the Mojave Desert, with 30 manufacturers or cultivators receiving licenses in the 14,000-person city as of last July, according to ABC23. Former heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson broke ground on a 40-acre "marijuana resort," half of which will be dedicated to cultivation facilities, on Dec. 20.

Miller was acquired in a trade for Kings fan favorites Scot Pollard and Hedo Turkoglu following the 2002-03 season. He spent five and a half of his 14 NBA seasons with Sacramento, averaging 13.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, and was named to the 2003-04 Western Conference AllStar team.

After being suspended for five games during the 2008-09 season following his third positive test for a banned substance, Miller admitted to smoking marijuana to relieve stress and help himself fall asleep.

The facility is scheduled to open in mid-March, with products expected to be ready for sale by April.