The Chicago Cubs recently partnered with MYND DRINKS, a hemp-based wellness and recovery beverage brand.
The company was named the “Official CBD Partner” of the Cubs, thus making history as the first CBD partner of a Major League Baseball club. This partnership includes in-ballpark signage elements and several features during games.
Alex Seyferth, the Vice President of Corporate Partnerships at the Chicago Cubs, stated, “When MLB opened the CBD category for its clubs, it allowed us to explore new partnership opportunities and offerings. We’re proud to be the first club to partner with a CBD company, but what was more important to us was making sure that the brand was the right fit. MYND DRINKS is a Chicago-based company that promotes overall wellness and helps ease the stressors of everyday life, just like a Friday 1:20 game at Wrigley Field.”
MLB Partnership with Charlotte’s Web CBD
The Cubs partnership is not the first connection between the MLB and CBD companies. In October of 2022, the MLB announced its collaboration with CBD brand Charlotte’s Web, making them the first major professional sports league to enter into a sponsorship agreement with a CBD company.
The multi-year collaboration is intended to increase the visibility of CBD among baseball fans and players. Charlotte’s Web is one of the CBD industry’s biggest and most popular brands.
Noah Garden, the Chief Revenue Officer of Major League Baseball, welcomed Charlotte’s Web to the MLB family, saying, “As a leader in the CBD category, with products that provide health and wellness benefits, Charlotte’s Web is a welcome addition to the MLB family, representing are representing a landmark partnership in baseball and sports.”
Charlotte’s Web launched a new CBD tincture to accompany the announcement: SPORT – Daily Edge. The broad-spectrum (THC-free) tincture comes with a bottle featuring the MLB logo and is one of the first CBD products to receive NSF Certified For Sport® designation.
This verification ensures that the products are safe and free from banned substances (in this case, THC being the main one). Speaking about the partnership, Garden added, “We are excited about the possibilities this partnership offers as CBD becomes a more widely adopted part of the health and wellness regimen of our players and fans.” In the new policy, the MLB only allows sponsorships with CBD companies that receive NSF Certified for Sport® verification.
Increasing Interest in CBD by Sports Leagues and Players
All of this comes after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) removed CBD from its banned substance list in 2018, opening the doors for major sports organizations to explore the benefits of CBD.
Indeed, CBD is being increasingly used and endorsed by professional players in sports ranging from football to MMA for recovery and other benefits. The NFL and NHL are also sponsoring clinical studies looking at the potential of CBD to help with traumatic brain injury common in these contact sports.
These developments signify the growing acceptance of CBD in professional sports. As a result, we can expect more commercial and research partnerships between sports organizations and CBD companies in the coming years.
Gleb is a freelance writer from Vancouver, Canada specializing in CBD and cannabis. He’s read thousands of studies on CBD and other supplements, helping him translate complex science into plain language. Gleb has tried and reviewed dozens of CBD brands and products, written third-party testing reports, and knows the CBD industry inside and out. When not writing, he likes to kickbox, travel, and tell everyone how awesome intermittent fasting is.
