Brooklyn Nets (NBA) & New York Liberty (WNBA) have signed deals with a CBD beverage manufacturer. They are the first NBA (National Basketball Association) & WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association), respectively, teams to sign deals with cannabis.
The New York clubs have partnered with Mynd Drinks. This hemp-based CBD sparkling drink company made history in 2017 when it became the official partner of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Chicago Cubs.
Bloomberg first reported that the NBA has now signed a multiyear contract with Mynd to become its official recovery and wellness drink. This comes months after the NBA lifted marijuana from their list of banned substances for players, allowing them to promote and invest in cannabis companies.
The Brooklyn Nets and the WNBA New York Liberty have not disclosed any details about their agreement. The Chicago Cubs partnership, however, involves the CBD drinks being promoted through signage and in-game features.
Marijuana Moment contacted MYND DRINKS to get a comment. However, a representative wasn’t immediately available.
These deals are some of the most recent examples of mainstreaming hemp and CBD, since the crop was federally legalized in the 2018 Farm Bill. Many professional sports organizations have helped to normalize cannabis use among athletes, through corporate partnerships as well as by revising their cannabis policies.
The MLB announced a 2022 partnership with Charlotte’s Web Holdings, a popular CBD brand. The MLB announced a partnership in 2022 with Charlotte’s Web Holdings, a popular CBD brand.
The New York Media Softball League, which includes teams from The Wall Street Journal High Times and BuzzFeed in its ranks, announced last July that a sponsoring deal would be launched with a Kentucky CBD company.
In 2020, as part of the collective bargaining agreement, the National Football League (NFL’s) policy on drug testing changed demonstrably. The agreement stipulates that no player will be suspended for positive drug tests, not just marijuana.
NFL announced recently that it will partner with Canadian researchers to conduct a clinical study to test for the safety and efficacy in CBD for pain relief and neuroprotection against concussions — key issues for football players who suffer injuries during the game.
A new proposal for collegiate athletics would eliminate marijuana from the list substances that are included in the drug screening of National Collegiate Athletic Association championship competitions. Officials will vote on this matter in June.
The plan would be based on a change that raised the threshold of THC for college athletes to align NCAA rules with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) standards.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship announced in December it was removing marijuana officially from its newly revised banned substances list . This is also building on a previous reform.
A California athletics committee said that if a UFC fighter tested positive for THC above a certain limit under state rules, they would still be subject to penalties. The state’s policy is based on WADA guidelines.
Nevada’s sports regulators decided last year that they would submit a regulatory amendment proposal to the Governor to protect athletes against being punished for using or possessing cannabis as per state law.
WADA’s cannabis ban has been criticized by some, despite the fact that advocates welcome these changes. In an August opinion piece, members of a panel at the agency stated that athletes who use marijuana violate the “spirit” of sport and are therefore unfit to be role models.
After the U.S. Sha’Carri Richison, a runner from the United States, was banned from competing in Olympic events in 2021 due to a positive THC result.
After the suspension, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said that international marijuana rules “must be changed,” both the White House and Joe Biden himself indicated it was time to implement new policies. Congress lawmakers amplified this message.
UFC warns fighters to stop using marijuana ‘immediately’ so they aren’t punished under California Athletics Rules
The first time that CBD Company partnered with NBA and WNBA teams, Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty appeared on Marijuana Moment was when it posted Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty Become the First NBA Teams to Partner with CBD Company .
