Online betting platforms and alcohol companies have become familiar sponsors across U.S. professional sports, reaching fans inside arenas and through television and digital broadcasts. Cannabis businesses, despite the industry’s growth in many states, remain largely absent from the same advertising spaces.
Industry executives and marketing specialists say major cannabis companies are unlikely to secure prominent professional sports partnerships until federal policy becomes clearer and states adopt more consistent rules governing marijuana promotion.
Broadcasters also face significant legal exposure. Since many operate under federal licenses, even a potential change in marijuana’s federal classification may not immediately persuade them to accept advertising from businesses selling recreational cannabis, according to Ricardo Baca, chief executive of Denver-based communications agency Grasslands.
Still, a handful of sports organizations and hemp companies have begun testing the limits.
A notable example came this summer when the Oakland Ballers, a Pioneer League baseball club, temporarily adopted the name “Oakland Blazers” for a July 31 promotion. The stunt attracted widespread attention and generated strong fan interest, including enough merchandise demand to temporarily overwhelm the team’s online store.
The promotion, however, avoided directly marketing marijuana. Its partner was Oaksterdam University, a cannabis education institution rather than a retail or product company. Organizers also avoided marijuana-related imagery to comply with California restrictions designed to prevent exposure among minors.
For businesses selling THC products, the wider sports market remains difficult to access. Alphonso “Tucky” Blunt, an Oakland-based cannabis entrepreneur, said previous efforts to establish marketing relationships with the Golden State Warriors and the organization associated with the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum ultimately went nowhere. He later closed his retail operation in 2024.
Hemp-derived products have found somewhat more room to operate. The Portland Pickles partnered with Cycling Frog in 2024 to offer hemp-derived THC drinks during games, and the arrangement continued this summer.
Major League Baseball has also accepted CBD advertising. Sympleaf Sport became an official CBD partner of the Atlanta Braves in 2023, securing visibility at Truist Park and mentions during broadcasts.
Joe Salome, a former sports marketer and co-founder of Sympleaf’s parent company, said securing the agreement required certification demonstrating that the products complied with athletic safety standards.
State laws remain another major obstacle. California permits cannabis advertising only where most of the expected audience is at least 21, while Ohio prohibits such advertising on broadcasts.
Casey Pratt, communications vice president for the Oakland Ballers, said the restrictions appear increasingly difficult to justify. Beer companies can advertise at sporting venues, he noted, while cannabis businesses face far tighter limits.
Industry participants argue that clearer federal policy, consistent state regulations, and reliable product standards could eventually make cannabis a more accepted source of sports sponsorship revenue.
It is going to require plenty of advocacy work from the entire marijuana industry, including major firms like Cresco Labs Inc. (CSE: CL) (OTCQX: CRLBF), to trigger change in the way the cannabis industry is treated differently from all other legal industries.
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