Cannabis Brand Sponsors Pro Basketball Team
Regulated cannabis retailer JARS Cannabis is launching a series of community events with the Grand Rapids Gold professional basketball team. The partnership highlights the increasing integration of cannabis brands into mainstream sports marketing as the industry normalizes.
This partnership is now in its third year, evolving from simple sponsorship to a deeper community engagement model. The collaboration includes a "Gold Scores → You Stash" retail promotion, where fans get free products based on the team's performance, and a public 3v3 basketball tournament with a $4,000 cash prize. The move reflects a significant shift in sports marketing, where cannabis brands are increasingly seen as viable partners. A 2025 study found that a majority of NBA fans (50% for THC brands, 60% for CBD brands) find it acceptable for cannabis companies to sponsor teams and leagues. While this deal is for the NBA's G League, the NBA itself has relaxed its stance on cannabis. In a historic 2023 agreement, the league removed marijuana from its banned substances list and stopped random testing for the drug. However, the NBA maintains a distinction between the league and its players. While players can invest passively in cannabis companies, they are still prohibited from directly promoting marijuana brands, though they can endorse CBD products under certain conditions. Other major sports leagues have already opened their doors to cannabis-related sponsorships. Major League Baseball led the way by allowing teams to have official CBD sponsors in 2022, with the league itself partnering with Charlotte's Web. The UFC and NASCAR have also had CBD sponsors for several years. This trend extends beyond the major American leagues. In 2022, the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League signed a deal with Verilife, and professional pickleball announced its first official cannabis sponsor in 2024 with Trulieve.
