MLB Experiments with CBD Deal

Major League Baseball will be the first major U.S. sports league with an official cannabis product partner.

The league struck a deal with CBD brand Charlotte’s Web, which gained national attention as an epilepsy treatment through Sanjay Gupta’s documentary, “Weed.”

“We applaud MLB for being the first mover in professional sports CBD and are thrilled to welcome their league as a respected strategic partner,” said Charlotte’s Web CEO Jacques Tortoroli.

• Charlotte’s Web is leveraging the heightened attention of the MLB playoffs by promoting its “NSF-Certified for Sport®” product line during the Division Series, which began Tuesday.
• The brand will have a presence at major MLB events next season, including All-Star Week, the postseason, and World Series.
• MLB and Charlotte’s Web estimate that the agreement will provide exposure for the CBD brand to more than 180 million Americans, helping it grow its presence in the country’s $4.7 billion CBD market.

Changing Times

The arrangement is the latest sign that the sports world is softening its stance on cannabis and related products. 

In February, the NFL awarded $1 million to two research teams to study the effects of cannabis and CBD on pain management.

The NBA ceased testing for cannabis in 2020 when the league shut down due to the pandemic and extended that suspension through last season. The NHL tests for cannabis but has no penalty for using it, instead treating players who have abnormally high levels of THC as a mental health case, similar to alcohol abuse.