Culture
Sports Fans Welcome Cannabis Brand Sponsorships For Teams In Professional Leagues Like NFL, NBA And MLB, Poll Shows
A majority of sports fans across multiple leagues—from NFL to pro tennis and NBA to NASCAR—say it’s acceptable for cannabis companies to sponsor teams, according to a new survey.
As more professional sports leagues loosen policies around marijuana use among players, and some have allowed for cannabis-related sponsorships, the poll from Performance Research and Full Circle Research found either majority or plurality support for letting cannabis brands partner with teams.
There was more support for allowing CBD-related sponsorships, as opposed to deals with “THC brands,” but in no case was there majority opposition to either kind of partnership among fans of nine different sports leagues: NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, UFC, NHL, Pro Tennis, Pro Golf and NASCAR.
Here’s the percentage of sports fans across those leagues who say it’s “completely” or “mostly” acceptable for CBD companies to sponsor teams:
- MLS: 73 percent
- UFC: 68 percent
- Pro Tennis: 64 percent
- NHL: 62 percent
- Pro Golf: 62 percent
- NBA: 60 percent
- NASCAR: 56 percent
- NFL: 55 percent
- MLB: 55 percent
Here’s the percentage of sports fans across those leagues who say it’s “completely” or “mostly” acceptable for THC companies to sponsor teams:
- MLS: 69 percent
- UFC: 60 percent
- NHL: 55 percent
- Pro Tennis: 53 percent
- NASCAR: 53 percent
- NBA: 50 percent
- Pro Golf: 49 percent
- NFL: 46 percent
- MLB: 46 percent
The survey included 1,o00 sports fans over the age of 21 in the 24 states where recreational marijuana is legal and was conducted between April 23-26.
“I think there’s no longer a justifiable reason to be shy about this,” Jed Pearsall, president and founder of Performance Research, told Sports Business Journal, which first reported the poll results.
The outlet reported that the survey also showed that a majority of sports fans’ perceptions of leagues and teams are either positively affected or unchanged due to cannabis sponsorships—though it also found that only 17 percent are aware of any such specific partnerships.
“I think those on the sales side can aggressively sell these opportunities and those on the sponsor side should realize that these opportunities will be welcome where they go,” Pearsall said. “Sports has a way of normalizing things, and that’s good for the cannabis industry, and those marketing with it.”
To that point, major sports leagues have been gradually reducing the stigma against cannabis use, with policy changes for players and professional affiliations with the industry.
For example, the NFL recently reached an agreement with its players union to further reform its marijuana policies, significantly reducing fines for positive tests while increasing the allowable THC threshold for players.
About four years after NFL ended the practice of suspending players over cannabis or other drugs as part of a collective bargaining agreement, the league has again revised its Substances of Abuse Policy and Performance Enhancing Substances Policy.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) last year voted to remove marijuana from its banned substances list for Division I players.
The reform builds on a 2022 change that increased the allowable THC threshold for college athletes, aligning NCAA’s rules with those of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
In October, Nevada regulators officially adopted a rule change that will protect athletes from being penalized for using or possessing marijuana in compliance with state law.
The head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) blasted the “unfair” ban on marijuana for athletes competing in international sport events, including the Olympics that were underway in Paris at the time of the comments.
USADA CEO Travis Tygart said it was “disappointing” that WADA has maintained the cannabis prohibition based on what he considers a misguided justification.
WADA did carry out a review into its marijuana policy at the request of USADA and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) following the controversial suspension of U.S. runner Sha’Carri Richardson, who was barred from participating in the Olympics in 2021 after she tested positive for THC. Richardson said she used cannabis to cope with the recent passing of her mother.
While UFC announced in late 2023 that it was formally removing marijuana from its modified banned substances list for athletes, the league notified participants that the reform didn’t apply under California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) rules.
UFC advised fighters that they could be subject to a $100 fine by CSAS if they tested over 150 nanograms of THC per milliliter ahead of the UFC 298 event that took place in February.
At the beginning of 2024, the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty entered into partnerships with a CBD beverage company—the first teams in the NBA and WNBA, respectively, to forge deals with the cannabis industry.
The New York-based clubs are partnering with Mynd Drinks, a hemp-based CBD sparkling beverage company that also made history last year when it became an official partner of the Major League Baseball (MLB) team the Chicago Cubs.
Last year, NFL announced it was partnering with Canadian researchers on a clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of CBD for pain management and neuroprotection from concussions—key issues for many football players who experience injuries as part of the game.
Separately, NFL and the Denver Broncos last year asked a federal court to reject a player’s lawsuit alleging discrimination over penalties he incurred due to positive THC tests from his prescribed use of a synthetic cannabinoid.
In a joint motion to dismiss filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, the league and team defended their marijuana policy for players, affirming it’s their view that use of cannabis can lead to on-field injuries, poor job performance and “alienation of the fans.”
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