The Chicago Cubs are making history with a drink.
The team will be the first MLB team with a CBD sponsor.
The Cubs are working with Chicago-based MYND Drinks, which will have signage and beverages in three flavors at Wrigley Field. The product met the criteria for working with MLB teams by receiving the NSF Certified for Sport designation.
The team is leaning into CBD’s relaxing qualities to promote the deal: The Cubs are releasing a guided meditation on YouTube, narrated by their radio play-by-play announcer Pat Hughes.
MLB is the first major sports league with a CBD sponsor, having linked up with CBD company Charlotte’s Web in an exclusive multiyear deal inked last October.
While cannabis remains illegal federally, the 2018 farm bill opened the door to CBD sales by differentiating between hemp and marijuana. MYND launched the following year.
Cannabis is legal for adult use in Illinois and 20 other states, plus Washington, D.C., and Guam.
The NBA eliminated cannabis testing in its latest collective bargaining agreement and allowed players to invest in cannabis companies, plus sports betting companies and NBA and WNBA teams.
