Turk McBride, MBA

Veteran NFL Player Founder and President, Global Research Ventures

Turk McBride was born and raised in Camden, NJ and currently resides in California where he serves as the founder and President of Global Research Ventures (GRV).

While attending Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden, NJ, Turk was recruited by the University of Tennessee where he played Defensive Tackle and graduated with a degree in Sociology. He was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. During his seven year NFL career, Turk played for the Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, and Chicago Bears.

While living in California during each of the off- seasons, Turk began seeking post-NFL career business opportunities and became an avid real estate investor.

Upon retiring from the league, Turk made the permanent move to California where he became exposed to the medicinal cannabis industry and studied the medical benefits of the whole plant, including cannabidiol (CBD). As Turk saw many of his NFL heroes diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), he correlated the benefits of cannabis, specifically, CBD in assisting those diagnosed. He not only began advocating for the use of CBD in retired players, but he sought opportunities to become part of the solution.

Always a visionary, Turk explored intricacies of the medicinal cannabis market in California. He partnered with experts and immersed himself in learning every aspect of the industry. In 2015, he founded Global Research Ventures (GRV) with a mission to provide industry leading genetics, cultivation, formulation and research for the advancement of responsible and therapeutic cannabis use. In 2016, under Turk’s leadership, Global Research Ventures was awarded a coveted medical marijuana cultivation license in Adelanto, California.

In a city where 62% of residents are receiving public assistance and living at or below the poverty line, Turk’s goal is to revitalize Adelanto’s declining economy through the work of GRV. He purchased 3.5 acres of land and is erecting a 60,000 sq feet facility to house GRV’s operations, cultivations, laboratory and office space. Phase one of the project will provide 25-30 new jobs, and at full operational scale will provide over 100 new jobs for the City of Adelanto.

Sustainability is a primary objective of this new facility. Turk is implementing innovative techniques to promote environmental responsibility through installing a solar energy farm, reclaiming water, reducing waste. No stranger to giving back, Turk sponsored a food drive where he donated groceries that fed 1,000 of the lowest income Adelanto students and their families.

Understanding the importance of not only economic development, but helping others along the way, Turk collaborated with the California chapter of the NAACP. He has worked on initiatives designed to advance minorities with better opportunities from cultivation to ownership in the medical cannabis industry.

Turk’s philantopic endeavors began while he was a student at the University of Tennessee. Being raised by a single mom, Turk understood the plight families and children faced in the inner cities. While balancing school and football in college, Turk volunteered at the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Once in the NFL, he partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to raise awareness and funding for their efforts, and has donated thousands of dollars to Feed the Children to provide food to over 800 families in Fayetteville, NC, Camden, NJ, and Kansas City, MO. In Adelanto, CA he founded the Annual Holiday Harvest in where every Thanksgiving, he provides food and toiletries for over 3,000 families in need.

In real time, Turk is shaping the industry by demanding equal opportunity for access to medicinal cannabis and ethical business practices across all platforms.