The second annual Vlasic Classic Charity Golf mixer was recently held in Missouri by the brand of the same name, Vlasic Labs. The Vlasic Classic featured an 18-hole golf tournament in which 27 teams participated. More than 100 participants representing various advocates and legislators both from Missouri and throughout the country were drawn to the tournament at the Old Kinderhook Golf Club in the Lake of the Ozarks.

The event raised $43,000, which will be granted to the Last Prisoner Project to assist people who have been imprisoned for cannabis-related crimes. This includes “supporting legal efforts, reentry programs, and advocacy work aimed at freeing cannabis prisoners and helping them reintegrate into society,” Vlasic Labs wrote in a press release. 

“This event brings together the things we love most and allows us to give back to the community in a significant way. The support we received from the cannabis industry and the funds raised for the Last Prisoner Project demonstrate the positive impact we can achieve together,” said Vlasic Labs co-founder, Rick Vlasic.

Vlasic Labs offers hemp-based wellness products through tinctures, topicals, and gummies, with a focus on CBD, CBG, and CBN. Additionally, the brand developed a specific line of products dedicated to pets as well. It prioritizes product experiences both for everyday consumers, as well as those who do more physically demanding work and also athletes.

Immediately after the conclusion of the Missouri-based golf tournament, Vlasic Classic announced that it will be hosting another event at St. John’s Resort in Michigan between Aug. 16-18. “As Vlasic Labs prepares for the Michigan Vlasic Classic, the company is committed to continuing its tradition of philanthropy and community support,” the brand wrote. “The upcoming event promises to build on the momentum and success of the Missouri outing, furthering the impact of the Last Prisoner Project and celebrating the shared values of the Vlasic family and their partners.”

Historically, the Vlasic family often took part in philanthropic endeavors. Vlasic Labs wrote on its website that before World War II, Vlasic ancestor Joseph Vlasic took part in streamlining milk delivery in the Midwest. Later with his son Robert, they developed a pickle brand that eventually became one of the most famous pickle brands in the world: Vlasic Family Pickle. Through that success, Robert Vlasic donated his accrued wealth to the Henry Ford Health System, the Michigan Humane Society, and the University of Michigan.

Vlasic Labs launched its brand in 2019, co-founded by Rick Vlasic and his son, Willy, to continue on the legacy of honest family branding. “The Vlasic Family founded Vlasic Labs on the same principles and values that brought their pickles into the refrigerators of 90 million Americans: quality, consistency, and value,” the brand website stated.

“Our journey from dairy to pickles, and now to hemp wellness, is driven by a mission to innovate for the betterment of society,” Rick Vlasic said in March. Rick is proud to have been taught by both his grandfather (Joseph) and father (Robert), and he forged his own path in the 1980s when he helped the “Big 3” auto companies enter the digital age by developing digital e-learning courses focused on healthcare and safety.

Cannabis and golf are an excellent match. Consuming cannabis on the green is easy, and the high can last as long as the game (as long as you’ve confirmed that it’s permitted at your course of choice). Back in 2018, Golf Digest studied three golfers of three different skill levels (semi-pro, amateur, and casual) and how their performance changed after getting high with various doses (6 mg, 18 mg, 34 mg, and 50 mg). “Like everything else in life, moderation is key. A little bit of marijuana—in this case, around 18 milligrams—can help to relax muscles and calm nerves, aiding distance and overall tee-to-green performance,” Golf Digest wrote. “Consume in excess of that, however, and focus, energy, hand-eye coordination, and munchies become major impediments. In the most general terms, marijuana use on the golf course reflected our experience with alcohol: A little goes a long way, but a little too much will have you playing from the wrong fairway for the rest of the afternoon.”

While that study was conducted over six years ago, plenty more studies have unveiled the benefits of cannabis when applied to other sports or forms of exercise. Some athletes have found results in using cannabis for recovery, according to a 2023 study. Another study from last year found evidence that cannabis could help some athletes prevent brain damage.

The mainstream reputation of cannabis today has even led major sports organizations like the NCAA, NBA, and more, to loosen restrictions on cannabis consumption. Over time, many athletes came out publicly defending their right to consume cannabis and help treat their various sports-related conditions and injuries.

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Bill Walton’s widespread impact on so many people in so many corners of life was evidenced by the universal outpouring of despondent grief and fond remembrance after the legendary college and pro center, innovative live sports broadcaster and emblematic Deadhead, truly one of the most unique Americans to have ever lived, sadly succumbed to colon cancer on May 27 at age 71. 

Bill was renowned for a myriad of accomplishments, but perhaps most impressive of all was his progressive stance against perceived social injustices, including America’s greatest military folly, the Vietnam War. Bill was arrested during a 1972 war protest on the campus of UCLA, the prestigious public college where Walton happened to be the nation’s finest basketball player for the dynastic Bruins hoops squad. 

In an ESPN Classic Sports Century documentary, Walton admitted, “One of the saddest days for Coach Wooden was the day he had to bail me out of jail after I got arrested in an anti-Vietnam (War) protest.”  

UCLA Coach John Wooden was the highly successful–but extremely conservative–”Wizard of Westwood” who guided the Bruins to ten NCAA championships (two of which were won with Walton). 

As Bill recalled, his coach acknowledged Walton’s political conviction in his response: “(Wooden) said to me, “Bill, I know you feel very strongly about this, but I just don’t think you getting arrested and taking part in this demonstration is what it’s all about.”

Walton shifted from protesting to writing a letter to then-U.S. President Richard Nixon, demanding Nixon resign from office! (Nixon did actually resign in 1974, in the wake of the Watergate scandal).  

Walton’s participation in the protest that resulted in his arrest was even more impressively selfless when you consider he himself was at no risk of being drafted, as due to his immense size at 6-foot-11-inches, the military would have been unable to provide him with a custom uniform, boots, etc 

Thus, Walton’s actions were purely altruistic, and even potentially putting his pro career at jeopardy, though his supreme talent ensured he was still chosen by the Portland Trail Blazers as the #1 overall pick in the 1974 NBA Draft.  

Walton, who could pass the basketball as well as he could score it, led Portland to their only NBA title in 1977, and then he was named league MVP the following year. Severe foot and ankle injuries derailed Bill’s career until he made a storied comeback as “Sixth Man of the Year” (best player coming off the bench) and won another title with the NBA team many regard as the greatest ever, the 1986 Boston Celtics. On the day Bill died, the 2024 Celtics clinched yet another trip to the NBA Finals by beating Indiana, and their victory in the Eastern Conference Finals was dedicated to Bill Walton. 

For an added perspective on Bill’s life and legacy, we spoke with Grateful Dead historian David Gans, a recording and touring musician in his own right, as well as co-host of Tales From The Golden Road radio show on the Grateful Dead Channel on SiriusXM. 

Most people first saw Bill Walton on a basketball court, but for David Gans, it was appropriately enough at a Grateful Dead show, one which coincidentally took place 50 years ago last month: 

“I went to see the Dead at UC-Santa Barbara (on May 25, 1974). And we were sitting in the bleachers, and I remember my friends pointing to this giant red-haired dude walking around on the field. They told me he was a huge star for UCLA and that he was a Deadhead and that his name was Bill Walton. 

“It was remarkable, this giant college basketball star walking among us Deadheads. I didn’t know anything about basketball, so it was the first time I’d ever heard of him…but God knows it wasn’t the last.

“Being a radio host, I’ve interviewed BIll on several occasions over the years.  He and I had a sort of a low-key competition; every time I saw him: I’d say, ‘No, Bill, I’m the luckiest guy in the world.’ (Walton publicly referred to himself as “the luckiest guy in the world”). We agreed to disagree on that one.” 

Of course, this wouldn’t be a proper High Times profile without touching upon Bill Walton’s use and public praise of cannabis. While at UCLA, Walton had to be more discreet about his ganja consumption, although it’s been reported that Coach Wooden was acutely aware of his star center’s weed smoking, but realized there was little he could do to restrict Bill’s off-court activity. During his pro years winning awards and titles, Walton as well as his fellow UCLA center turned NBA superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the L.A. Lakers were both known to be prolific potheads. 

Walton overcame his public speaking difficulties (he was a stutterer) as well as debilitating injuries to become a professional broadcaster who brought a combination of insight and enthusiasm rarely seen behind the microphone.  In addition, he often quoted Grateful Dead song lyrics, incorporating them in his on-air analysis. 

And despite being employed by a confining corporate entity like ESPN, Walton was not intimidated to express his views, such as during a Feb 4, 2015 college hoops game between Oregon and Washington on ESPN2, when Walton made a conceptual connection that no other sports broadcaster in history ever even contemplated, when he declared: 

“You know how I talk every week, (and) complain about the NCAA not modernizing the rules?  There’s another rule they’ve got to modernize. This whole ‘war on drugs’ has been an absolute failure across the board. We’re looking for (then-President) Obama to step up and say, Why are we punishing people for things that are legal? Why are people languishing in jail for things that are legal?” 

This was followed by the classic moment in 2017 on the show ESPN Voices, when abruptly coming out of commercial, viewers were suddenly greeted by Walton dressed as the tallest Uncle Sam you’ll ever see, stating point-blank to his co-hosts (and by extension, everyone who was watching) that, “Marijuana should not be a Schedule I Drug, And all the people who’ve been in trouble for it for all these years, (President) Obama (should grant them) blanket amnesty, and just move on to the future.”

Beyond his progressive activism, Bill’s greatest heritage may be his unification of the often divisive hemispheres of drug-friendly counterculture and straight-laced sports.  When queried about that notion, David Gans quoted an interview he conducted with Bill from approximately 30 years ago: 

“Bill said, ‘The best thing anyone told me as a basketball player was that I made my fellow basketball players good.’ Bill and Jerry Garcia have many, many things in common, and Bill often compared his (basketball playing skills on a team) with Jerry’s (guitar skills in a band) in the sense of both being in a group doing collective improvisation. 

“It’s about recognizing that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. And that you can be a very effective player by directing attention away from yourself and making the other guys look good, as Bill said. 

“And Jerry did the same thing; he knew all the eyes were on him, so he did what he could to direct attention elsewhere. He didn’t need the attention, so had the luxury and the gift of sharing the spotlight with (the other Dead members) around him and making them look good too.

“Bill learned from the Grateful Dead, and showed us that basketball and Dead-style music are similar in the sense of being improvisations within a structure, in which that sense of team consciousness transcends and is more important than any individual consciousness. 

“That’s what the Grateful Dead taught Bill, and that’s what he in turn taught us about the connection between sports and music.”

On a personal note, this author actually met Bill Walton in December 2003 before a concert by the post-Garcia iteration of the band then known as “The Dead”. This was outside of Oakland Arena in the “Shakedown” parking lot scene where fans do pre-show partying and acquire substances for getting even higher and tripping during the actual concert.  Bill was the tallest person I ever stood before, but he was kind to me as we briefly discussed Celtics legendary power forward (and Walton’s former teammate) Kevin McHale. McHale was one of the Celtics teammates who famously attended a Grateful Dead concert with Bill in Worcester, Massachusetts in November, 1985, Bill’s first season in Boston.  

David Gans added his own final reflection: “The one thing I would want mentioned is that whenever I ran into Bill, he knew who I was and he was always effusive in his praise for me and (radio co-host) Gary Lambert. He really went out of his way to make people feel welcome and accommodated and appreciated. 

“His positive energy was genuine as a giant, supportive Deadhead. I just had the sense that Bill Walton was the real deal. He really was that thoroughly decent and joyous human being that he presented himself to be.”

It was wonderfully appropriate that Bill lived long enough to see a major development in the struggle for pot legalization when the Dept of Justice announced this past May 16 its intention to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. This means that the USA can move a step closer, as Bill had so openly wished, towards no longer punishing people for using a plant that has done so much good for so many, including Bill Walton himself. 

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A newly published survey from researchers at Kent State University sought to find out whether “cannabidiol (CBD) use and/or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) use … shows promise to enhance exercise recovery.”

The researchers said that the study “aimed to determine if individuals are using CBD and/or THC as a means of recovery from aerobic and/or resistance exercise, as well as additional modalities that might be used to aid in recovery.”

The anonymous survey involved 111 participants who “were regularly using cannabis (CBD and/or THC) as well as were currently exercising,” and the questions “pertained to level of cannabis use, methods used for consumption of cannabis, exercise habits, exercise recovery strategies, and demographics.”

“Eighty-five percent of participants reported participating in aerobic training. In addition, 85% of participants also reported regular participation in resistance exercise. Seventy-two percent of participants participated in both aerobic and resistance exercise. Ninety-three percent of participants felt that CBD use assisted them with recovery from exercise, while 87% of participants felt the same regarding THC use,” the researchers said.

“Individuals who habitually use cannabis, CBD or THC, and regularly engage in exercise do feel that cannabis assists them with exercise recovery. More data are necessary to understand the role of cannabis in exercise recovery as well as perceived ergogenic benefits of cannabis by individuals who both regularly participate in exercise and habitually use cannabis,” they wrote in their conclusion. 

Even world class athletes have long dabbled in cannabis, often preferring it to booze because it doesn’t result in a hangover. And as laws surrounding recreational pot use have changed throughout the United States, professional sports leagues have also adjusted their own drug policies. 

NBA legend Kevin Durant said this summer that he personally lobbied league commissioner Adam Silver to do away with the ban on marijuana.

“I actually called him and advocated for him to take marijuana off the banned substance list,” Durant, a star for the Phoenix Suns, said at a conference hosted by CNBC. “I just felt like it was becoming a thing around the country, around the world … the stigma behind it wasn’t as negative as it was before. It doesn’t affect you in any negative way.”

The NBA and its players’ union brokered a new collective bargaining agreement earlier this year that eliminates drug testing for cannabis.

“Marijuana will be removed from the Prohibited Substances List (‘PSL’),” the contract reads. “A team that has reason to believe one of its players is under the influence of marijuana or alcohol while engaged in NBA or team-related activities, or has a dependency issue involving marijuana or alcohol, may refer the player to a required evaluation treatment program.”

One of the greatest scorers to ever play the game, Durant has been open about his own marijuana use. At the CNBC conference, Durant said that Silver likely had an inkling that he had toked up before their meeting.

“Well, he smelled it when I walked in, so I ain’t really have to say much,” Durant said. “He kind of understood where this was going. And I mean, it’s the NBA, man. Everybody does it, to be honest. It’s like wine at this point.”

The researchers at Kent State University said the changing policies and mores surrounding marijuana in the United States prompted them to conduct their survey.

“Over the past decade, cannabis use has become more widespread in the United States, both medically and recreationally. As of 2021, 52.5 million individuals in the US reported use of cannabis in the past year, accounting for 18.7% of the country’s population (Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2021 national survey on drug use and health 2021),” they wrote. “Cannabis plants are composed of a variety of cannabinoid compounds, most notably cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC), both of which bind endocannabinoid receptors, cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid type 2 (CB2) (Pagotto et al. 2006). While CBD has a low-binding affinity for CB1 and CB2 receptors, both receptors bind THC. Contrary to THC, CBD does not induce psychotropic effects. It has, however, been demonstrated to acutely stimulate parasympathetic nervous system activation resulting in reduced heart rate, reduced systolic blood pressure, and increased vasodilation . Conversely, THC has been demonstrated to impair cognitive function and up-regulate sympathetic nervous system activity, leading to acute increases in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and vasoconstriction.”

The researchers noted that both “CBD and THC have the potential to enhance recovery from aerobic and resistance exercise due to analgesic, anti-inflammatory effects as well as the ability to enhance sleep quality.”

“Both compounds have also assisted in acutely reducing subjective feelings of pain intensity in chronic-pain patients, while acute CBD intake has been demonstrated to attenuate muscle damage following resistance exercise in resistance-trained men and women. Survey data in both recreationally active and athletic populations has demonstrated that individuals use cannabis to assist with exercise recovery, pain relief resulting from muscle-soreness, to reduce inflammation, and enhance sleep,” they said.

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In his 15 seasons in the NBA, Kevin Durant has collected two championships and a most valuable player award, all while establishing himself as one of the greatest scorers to ever play the game. 

But it turns out one of his most significant contributions to the league came off the court. And when he was under the influence. 

Appearing at a sports business summit that aired Tuesday on CNBC, the Phoenix Suns star said he personally lobbied NBA commissioner Adam Silver to drop the league’s marijuana ban.

“I actually called him and advocated for him to take marijuana off the banned substance list,” Durant told CNBC host Andrew Ross Sorkin at the event. “I just felt like it was becoming a thing around the country, around the world … the stigma behind it wasn’t as negative as it was before. It doesn’t affect you in any negative way.”

Under a new collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the players’ union, the league will no longer conduct drug screenings of players for marijuana. The agreement, which took effect earlier this month, also allows players to invest in cannabis companies –– something Durant and his business partners have done. 

“Marijuana will be removed from the Prohibited Substances List (‘PSL’),” the CBA reads. “A team that has reason to believe one of its players is under the influence of marijuana or alcohol while engaged in NBA or team-related activities, or has a dependency issue involving marijuana or alcohol, may refer the player to a required evaluation treatment program.”

The agreement also permits players to “invest in a company that makes products containing only CBD, and to “hold a passive, non-controlling interest in a company that makes products containing marijuana.” Players “will continue to be prohibited from promoting marijuana companies, but a player may promote a company that makes products containing only CBD,” the agreement says.

Durant recounted his meeting with Silver, saying the commissioner could readily pick up on his passion for the issue.

“Well, he smelled it when I walked in, so I ain’t really have to say much,” Durant said at the summit, drawing laughs from the crowd. “He kind of understood where this was going. And I mean, it’s the NBA, man. Everybody does it, to be honest. It’s like wine at this point.”

Durant, who was traded to the Suns from the Brooklyn Nets last season, has been open about his pot use in the past. 

In an interview last year on David Letterman’s Netflix series, Durant told the former late night legend that he was “high right now.”

“To me, it clears the distractions out of your brain a little bit. Settles you down. It’s like having a glass of wine,” Durant told Letterman, adding that he wanted to “change the narrative around athletes and marijuana.”

“It’s crazy that you got people in jail for 20 years for maybe selling a pound,” Durant said. 

The NBA first began phasing out marijuana testing for players in 2020, when it announced that it was suspending testing as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We decided that, given all the things that were happening in society, given all the pressures and stress that players were under, that we didn’t need to act as Big Brother right now,” Silver said at the time. “I think society’s views around marijuana have changed to a certain extent.”

Other sporting leagues have also relaxed their policies governing marijuana use. In 2019, Major League Baseball removed cannabis from its banned substances list. 

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The National Basketball Association has removed cannabis from its list of banned substances under a new contract that allows the league’s players to smoke weed and invest in cannabis companies. The new collective bargaining, which was ratified by the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) in April, went into effect on Saturday, July 1, and will be in place through the 2029-2030 season.

On Friday, the league and the players union announced that the final long-form version of the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) has been completed and signed. The terms of the new CBA had previously been reflected in a shorter-form memorandum of agreement.

Cannabis Removed From NBA’s Banned Substances List

Under the new contract, cannabis will be removed from the NBA’s list of banned substances. The agreement also ends marijuana screenings for players, giving them the opportunity to smoke marijuana and use other cannabis products without fear of reprisal. 

Although players will be permitted to use cannabis and will no longer be tested for weed, the new contract does have some limitations. Athletes will not be permitted to be high at games, practices or other team functions, and cannabis use that becomes problematic will still be subject to action from the league.

“A team that has reason to believe one of its players is under the influence of marijuana or alcohol while engaged in NBA or team-related activities, or has a dependency issue involving marijuana or alcohol, may refer the player to a required evaluation treatment program,” according to a summary of the contract.

The agreement also notes that the “NBA and teams may impose reasonable discipline on players who are under the influence while engaged in any team activity or in violation of the law.”

The CBA also allows players to invest in the cannabis industry. Players will be permitted to invest in CBD companies, and may “hold a passive, non-controlling interest in a company that makes products containing marijuana.” Additionally, the summary of the labor agreement states that although players “may promote a company that makes products containing CBD,” they will “continue to be prohibited from promoting marijuana companies.” 

Jesse Burns, the chief marketing officer of the public relations firm Grasslands, told SFGATE that the new rules could make NBA athletes the face of the CBD movement, adding that players have an opportunity to “really leverage this moment of health and wellness” by launching their own CBD brands. 

“There’s this general knowledge that CBD is medicine and pain relief and inflammation relief,” Burns said. “The mainstream public is starting to get that.”

Previous Policy Disciplined Players For Using Pot 

The NBA’s previous policy on cannabis included a ban on the use of the drug by all players. Violations of the policy were addressed by entering players into the league’s counseling and treatment program on the first violation. Subsequent violations resulted in a fine of $25,000 for the second violation and a five-game suspension without pay for the third.

The NBA suspended testing players for cannabis as part of its response to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In late 2020, league commissioner Adam Silver said that the moratorium would likely become permanent. He added that instead of a mandatory testing program for all players, the league would approach players who appear to be using cannabis problematically or because of dependency and decline to punish players who are “using marijuana casually.”

“We decided that, given all the things that were happening in society, given all the pressures and stress that players were under, that we didn’t need to act as Big Brother right now,” Silver told NBC. “I think society’s views around marijuana have changed to a certain extent.”

Cannabis And Professional Sports

The NBA’s end of its prohibition of cannabis for players follows similar action by top U.S. professional sports leagues. In 2019, Major League Baseball (MLB) removed marijuana from its list of banned substances, although the current policy allows players to be disciplined if they appear to be under the influence of cannabis during games, practices or team meetings.

The MLB’s cannabis policy continued to evolve last year when the league announced that teams would be permitted to enter sponsorship deals with cannabis companies. Four months later, the league announced that products from Colorado-based Charlotte’s Web Holdings had been named the “Official CBD of MLB.” 

The National Hockey League (NHL) also no longer lists cannabis as a banned substance and players who test positive for the drug don’t face disciplinary action. Players who have “abnormally” high levels of THC detected during testing are referred to a voluntary treatment program.

The National Football League’s collective bargaining agreement for the 2020-21 season relaxed the league’s policy on cannabis, allowing players to use marijuana during the off-season while maintaining prohibition throughout the season of play. The agreement also increased the level of THC that can be present in a player’s drug test before triggering sanctions from the league and ended game suspensions for all positive drug tests, with players facing fines instead.

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The National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) are helping to usher in a new era in sports and cannabis with a new, tentative deal. 

While the deal must still be ratified by players and team governors before it’s official, it’s looking like the NBA will not only remove cannabis from its banned substances list for players—it also plans to allow players to promote and invest in cannabis companies, as reported by The Athletic.

These new details emerge in a seven-year collective bargaining agreement that came together last weekend. The agreement would formally codify the league’s decision to temporarily suspend cannabis testing for the past three seasons, officially removing cannabis drug testing requirements for athletes. 

The NBA’s New Path Forward

The move is a long time coming. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver signaled back in 2020 that the Association’s temporary policies could one day become permanent after initially suspending cannabis testing.

“We decided that, given all the things that were happening in society, given all the pressures and stress that players were under, that we didn’t need to act as Big Brother right now,” Silver said at the time. “I think society’s views around marijuana has changed to a certain extent.”

In 2021, Weedmaps also announced its partnership with NBA star Kevin Durant, teaming up for a multi-year partnership aimed at destigmatizing cannabis and showcasing the plant’s potential in aiding “athlete wellness and recovery.”

While other professional sports leagues have steadily moved in a similar direction, the NBA stands apart with its aim to let players promote and invest in cannabis companies. The deal would also allow players to invest in NBA and WNBA teams as well as sign non-gambling endorsement deals with sports betting companies.

Reigniting the Conversation of Cannabis and Sports in the NBA

The conversation of cannabis and sports has reached new heights as the industry continues to grow. Retired athletes like Ricky Williams have opened up about their cannabis use and its benefits during their careers and beyond, especially as it relates to gameplay-related symptoms like chronic pain or achy joints. 

In a 2019 interview with High Times, Williams said the NFL is improving with its approach to cannabis, though he believed they could also do more.

“The NFL is a powerful corporation that carries a lot of clout, and if they did modify their approach more significantly, it could create a lot of change in the world,” Williams said.

Sha’Carri Richardson notably sparked renewed interest in cannabis policy in sports in 2021, after she was suspended and unable to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for testing positive for THC following the death of her mother. She’s said that she would feel “blessed and proud” if her story sparked broader policy change for other athletes.

The topic of cannabis and sports also came up in 2022 after U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner was detained in Russia over the possession of a THC vape.

As athletes continue to open up about their cannabis use as it relates to their health and wellness, research continues to affirm that cannabis and cannabinoid products have the potential to aid in athletic training and recovery, though more research is needed on the topic as a whole.

Progress for Cannabis in Sports

As the NBA takes the lead in this conversation, other major sporting leagues have steadily moved in a similar direction.

During the 2021 offseason, the NFL and NFL Players Association agreed on a change to the league’s cannabis policy. The updated policy says that players must test for cannabis just once a year, at the start of training camp. Previously, players who failed the test were subject to lengthy suspension, but now they are only subject to a fine.

In 2022, the NFL also authorized $1 million in grants for two studies that would examine the efficacy of cannabis and its compounds to manage pain in football players and provide neuroprotection from concussions.

MLB has also taken a more progressive stance in the last several years. In 2020, it clarified that players would not be punished for using cannabis, just a few months after removing cannabis from its list of banned substances. Prior to the change, players who tested positive for THC were referred to mandatory treatment, and those who failed to comply faced a fine of up to $35,000.

In 2021, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced it would no longer punish fighters for positive cannabis tests.

The official NBPA Twitter account shared the news release announcing the tentative deal on April 1, which confirms that “specific details will be made available once a term sheet is finalized.”

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Former Rep. Dan Donovan, who held his position as a New York House representative between 2015-2019, and former Indiana Pacers NBA athlete David Harrison, recently announced their partnership to create a new banking solution called Token HiFi. Donovan is taking on the mantle of Chairman, while Harrison is the company co- CEO and founder, in addition to Chief Strategy Officer and founder Chris Yim.

The company’s goal is to offer a safe and reliable solution for cannabis banking. “Token HiFi is a new cannabis business membership that offers a digital asset and exchange platform to facilitate secure, valid, and trusted financial deposits and transactions for industries locked out of traditional banking services,” the company explains on its website. “Token HiFi’s patented B2B closed-loop digital asset transfer technology, known as DAVOS (Digital Authorization & Verification Operating System) is a convenient, safe, secure, and reliable encrypted utility token that acts as a value store and medium of exchange.”

Potential business owners, once they receive a compliance ID from Token Hifi, can purchase coins for this system. The coins can be used to “pay, transfer, and exchange funds with suppliers and affiliated businesses,” using armored trucks and physical cash pick-up. Finally, customers will be able to receive the value of their coins “whenever they choose and at any time,” the website states.

Although Token Hifi was founded in February 2022, the company has not yet officially launched.

The former Pacer is no stranger to cannabis. In 2015, he spoke about his off-season cannabis consumption during his first three seasons with the Indiana Pacers (between 2004-2007), due to stress caused by working with then-coach Jim O’Brien. “It wasn’t in his game plan for me to succeed. Being around him was probably the worst time I’ve had in my life,” Harrison said. In the 2007-2008 season, he smoked cannabis daily, which eventually led to being suspended for five games after he was found in violation of the league’s anti-drug policy.

“It wasn’t healthy,” Harrison said. “I literally had to smoke pot every day so I would not hurt him. I would avoid him. I’d come in early and stay late. It wasn’t like he hit me; he verbally abused me. But what coach doesn’t?”

According to the Token Hifi website, Harrison went on to start five cannabis grow facilities.

Banking still continues to be an issue for legal cannabis businesses across the country. Although there was some hope that the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act would be passed in the recently proposed defense spending bill, it was removed earlier this month. If passed, it would have prevented federal banking regulators from penalizing banks that sought to serve cannabis-related businesses. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed his desire to continue pushing the bill this year. “It’s a priority for me,” Schumer said. “I’d like to get it done. We’ll try and discuss the best way to get it done.”

Schumer was also hopeful about getting the bill passed earlier this November. “I am working in a bipartisan way with Democrats and Republicans to take the SAFE Banking Act, which allows financial institutions to involve themselves in cannabis companies and lend money to them—but it also does some things for justice, such as expunging a record,” Schumer said. Politico reported that Schumer spent the past weekend pushing to include the cannabis banking bill before the congressional session ends.

The SAFE Banking Act has passed through the House numerous times in the past, with a historic approval back in September 2021 as it was included in the Military Spending Bill.

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Former Charlotte Hornets forward Montrezl Harrell pleaded guilty to a single count of misdemeanor marijuana possession on Wednesday, avoiding felony charges in the case that began with a traffic stop in Kentucky. Under the terms of the plea deal, Harrell was given a 30-day conditional jail term, probated for 12 months. If he completes his year-long probation without further legal trouble, he will not have to spend the 30-day sentence behind bars, Yahoo Sports writer and NBA analyst Chris Haynes revealed in a tweet on Wednesday.

Harrell became an NBA free agent earlier this year after finishing the 2021-2022 basketball season with the Charlotte Hornets. With the fate of the Kentucky marijuana charge now settled, he becomes a prospect of interest for several teams in the league, which were less likely to sign the veteran player while he was in legal peril.

Harrell Arrested in Kentucky in May

Harrell was pulled over by a state trooper for following too closely behind the vehicle in front of him on the morning of May 12 while he was driving a rented 2020 Honda Pilot southbound on I-75. In a police report cited by the Charlotte Observer, Trooper Jesse Owens wrote that after stopping Harrell’s vehicle in Madison County, Kentucky, he “observed” the odor of marijuana.

The citation also alleged that Harrell “admitted to being in possession of marijuana and produced a small amount from his sweatpants.” Law enforcement officers then searched the vehicle Harrell was driving. During the search, the trooper discovered “three pounds of marijuana in vacuum sealed bags” in a backpack that was found on the back seat of the vehicle, according to the traffic citation.

Harrell was originally charged with trafficking less than five pounds of marijuana. Under Kentucky state law, possession of more than eight ounces but less than five pounds of marijuana is classified as a Class D felony for the first offense. Those convicted of the charge are subject to a sentence of one to five years behind bars and a fine ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. A judge in Richmond, Kentucky approved amended charges in the case on Wednesday, resulting in Harrell’s guilty plea to misdemeanor marijuana possession and the suspended sentence and probation.

8-Year NBA Veteran

Harrell, a native of North Carolina, played eight seasons with the NBA, becoming a free agent at the end of last season. He played NCAA Division 1 college basketball for the University of Louisville Cardinals in Kentucky, where he averaged 11.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots per game. As a freshman, he played on the Cardinals’ 2013 national championship team, although the NCAA later stripped the title from the team title for violations of league rules.

Harrell was chosen by the Houston Rockets in the second round of the 2015 NBA draft, the league’s 32nd pick overall that year. On September 19, 2015, he signed a three-year contract with the Rockets and made his NBA debut with the team in the opening game of the season against the Denver Nuggets, scoring eight points and pulling down three rebounds. During his rookie season, he was assigned to the Rockets D-league affiliate the Rio Valley Grande Vipers several times.

In June 2017, the Los Angeles Clippers traded Chris Paul to the Rockets, acquiring Harrell, Patrick Beverley, Sam Dekker, Darrun Hilliard, DeAndre Liggins, Lou Williams, Kyle Wiltjer and a 2018 Houston first-round draft pick in the transaction. In September 2020, Harrell was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year, an award given by the league for the season’s best bench player. That season, the Clippers went to the playoffs, losing in seven games against the Nuggets. Harrell averaged 10.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game in the playoffs which saw the Nuggets advance after starting the series down three games to one.

Harrell signed with the Los Angeles Lakers on November 22, 2020, making his debut with the team the following month and logging 17 points, 10 rebounds and three assists against the Los Angeles Clippers, his former team and Lakers’ crosstown rival. In August 2021, Harrell was traded to the Washington Wizards as part of a deal for point guard Russell Westbrook. In February 2022, he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets, scoring 15 points and six rebounds in his team debut on February 11. He became a free agent at the end of the 2021-2022 season.

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Never one to shy away from springing into action on the fly, former NBA star Dennis Rodman announced his mission to aid in the recovery of American basketball star Brittney Griner, who was sentenced to over nine years in prison in Russia over a small amount of cannabis oil. The U.S. government, however, has a different plan.

“I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl,” Rodman told NBC News. “I’m trying to go this week.”

A “senior Biden official” seemed to suggest he wasn’t amused by Rodman’s intentions. “It’s public information that the administration has made a significant offer to the Russians and anything other than negotiating further through the established channel is likely to complicate and hinder release efforts,” said the official.

When Griner was detained by Russian authorities, she had just 0.7 grams of THC oil on her person, Unilad reports. Since then, Griner’s case has become a divisive political flashpoint inside and out of the United States. 

A Russian court on August 4 found Griner guilty of drug charges and sentenced her to nine and a half years in prison, as tensions remain high between Moscow and the United States amid the Ukraine invasion.

Rodman’s plan could interfere with the Biden administration’s plan to trade prisoners.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken revealed last July that the United States offered to release a Russian arms dealer imprisoned in the United States in exchange for the release of Griner and Paul Whelan, both U.S. citizens currently being held by the Russian government. Bill Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador, told ABC News on August 16 that hopes remain optimistic for an exchange.

Senior Biden officials don’t want anyone to meddle in the exchange. In addition, the U.S. Department of State issued a Level 4 travel advisory on behalf of Americans considering stepping foot in Russia amid war, the New York Post reports.

“Do not travel to Russia due to the unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces, the potential for harassment against U.S. citizens by Russian government security officials, the singling out of U.S. citizens in Russia by Russian government security officials including for detention, the arbitrary enforcement of local law, limited flights into and out of Russia, the Embassy’s limited ability to assist U.S. citizens in Russia, COVID-19-related restrictions, and terrorism. U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Russia should depart Russia immediately,” the advisory reads. “Exercise increased caution due to wrongful detentions.”

Rodman, however, added that he knows President Putin “too well.”

Could Rodman Do It Again?

Rodman’s powers of persuasion have been used before, albeit through unconventional means—often leading into controversy.

Rodman cozied up with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un, making multiple visits to the country over the past 10 years. Then in 2018, he took part in the meeting of former President Donald Trump and Kim Jung-Un in Singapore. Rodman claimed that it was because of a letter he wrote to Kim Jong-Un, that North Korea released American missionary Kenneth Bae who had been imprisoned for over two and a half years in the country for “unspecified acts.”

Rodman is also friendly to Russia, specifically President Vladimir Putin, especially after visiting Moscow in 2014. These relationships with leaders like Kim Jong-Un and Putin have made Twitter, well, a bit suspicious.

Rodman’s relationship with pot is fairly complicated, it turns out. “I don’t smoke weed,” Rodman tweeted in 2014. “Or use any illegal drugs. That’s not my deal. I just get high on life.” However, Rodman invested heavily in PotCoin, a cryptocurrency designed for the legal cannabis industry, and has launched several NFTs lately.

 Weed may not be Rodman’s thing per se, but it’s very common in the modern NBA. Jay Williams famously told Fox Business that he estimates 75-80% of NBA basketball players smoke weed off-season.

For the time being, Griner remains behind bars until an exchange can be finalized.

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NBA Hall of Famer Chris Webber announced the launch of his cannabis brand Players Only with his business partner, Lavetta Willis—and he’s bringing several familiar faces along for the ride including Quavo, Raekwon, Royce da 5’9″, Matt Barnes, and Jason Williams.

The new all-star brand was first announced on August 11. Players Only will feature an array of strains, cannabis oil cartridges, pre-rolls, vapes, as well as sport recovery and performance products. Players Only will also roll out branded apparel and footwear.

Last March, TerrAscend secured exclusive retail rights for Players Only products in Michigan through the acquisition of Gage Growth Corp, securing the way for the brand to drop.

“Players Only is more than a cannabis brand—it’s a lifestyle brand,” Webber said. “We truly have a unique opportunity to change the narrative around cannabis, empower rising entrepreneurs and set a new standard in this growing industry. We’re thrilled to launch our versatile offerings and begin the process of creating meaningful economic change in communities across Michigan. Shout out to TerrAscend and Gage—our Michigan family. Much love to Cookies and Berner, let’s go!”

In October of last year, Webber unveiled a cannabis facility in Detroit complete with a cultivation facility, dispensary, and private consumption lounge. The 180,000 square foot Players Only facility was named the Webber Wellness Compound.

The first strains to roll out include C4, Time Out, and G.O.A.T.’s Milk, as well as Non-Laters and Whipped Cherries. Later on, the brand will roll out additional strains including Blueberry Hotcakes and Ray Jackson’s Black Sox within weeks. While C4 can give off a hashy, Afghani-like appeal, G.O.A.T.’s Milk leans more sativa with a balanced amount of THC and CBD, according to reviewers. Whipped Cherries, on the other hand, tastes exactly how you’d expect it to.

“We have been working with legacy cultivators and operators seeking to establish their place in the regulated market for quite some time,” said Lavetta Willis, co-founder and President of Players Only. “The opportunity to incorporate legacy strains and expertise into the Players Only platform and menu furthers our goal of uplifting black entrepreneurs who have been building brands and intellectual properties for decades.”

The brand also announced a partnership with Raekwon from Wu-Tang Clan to launch Compliments of the Chef and his partnership with Citizen Grown. Another collaboration involves Hassim Robinson and Winner’s Circle Genetics, to bring the PB&J strain as well as Quavo’s BIRKINZ to Michigan’s cannabis market. Detroit’s legacy brand “Lil Stupid” will also launch for the first time in the adult-use market while Detroit’s own Royce da 5’9″ will roll-out his “Heaven” brand as part of an NFT. Webber’s former Sacramento Kings teammate Jason Williams will also unveil the White Chocolate strain.

Webber recently appointed Matt Barnes, former NBA star and teammate, as Chief Collaborations Officer while launching “The Smoke” with his partner and co-host, Stephen Jackson. The offering’s name is a nod to Barnes’ and Jackson’s award-winning SHOWTIME series, “All The Smoke.”

The “All the Smoke” podcast features “the brash and unapologetic NBA champions, delivers authentic, unfiltered perspective on the most polarizing topics in and around the game of basketball, including culture, social justice, politics, music and more.”

Episodes of “All the Smoke” drop each Thursday.

The launch of the brand will kick off with a limited edition brand collaboration with the Players Only x Packwoods 2.5-gram Blunt, which will be available in select stores. Learn more at the Players Only website.

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