The Kansas City Royals officially became the second Major League Baseball (MLB) team to partner with a CBD company last week. Pure Spectrum announced its connection with the Kansas City Royals as “trusted wellness partner” on Instagram and Facebook. “Pure Spectrum is ecstatic to announce our new partnership with the @kcroyals. We can’t wait to see you on the field,” the company wrote online on June 6. 

Pure Spectrum also published a statement from the Kansas City Royals as well. “The Kansas City Royals are proud to announce a partnership with Pure Spectrum CBD, a hemp industry pioneer, and a leading producer of high-quality CBD products,” the post stated. “This partnership will focus on educating fans about their endocannabinoid system and the potential benefits of CBD for overall wellness.”

“The Kansas City Royals are proud to be just the second MLB team to form a partnership with a company like Pure Spectrum,” said executive vice president, chief commercial and community impact officer of the Kansas City Royals, Sarah Tourville. “For this organization, this opportunity gives us a chance to support a brand with Kansas City ties and to educate the community on the benefits of CBD.”

The partnership also included the launch of the Pure Spectrum Lodge, which opened on June 2 at the team’s Kauffman Stadium. “Equipped with fans and misters, the space is designed to give fans a place to relax and watch the game while learning about the positive effects of CBD,” a press release stated.

According to Startland News, Pure Spectrum’s CEO Dan Huerter is a native to the area. “As someone who grew up in Kansas City, this partnership with the Kansas City Royals is more than a ‘dream come true’ for me,” said Huerter. “To be able to work with such an iconic organization and to be a part of promoting health and wellness in my hometown community is an incredible honor.”

The first team to partner with a CBD company was the Chicago Cubs in April. “When MLB opened the CBD category for its clubs, it allowed us to explore new partnership opportunities and offerings,” said Alex Seyferth, Chicago Cubs vice president of corporate partnerships. “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.”

The partnership included multiple signage within Wrigley Field, international marketing rights in the United Kingdom later in the year.

The MLB removed cannabis from its list of “abused drugs” in December 2019, just five months later after Los Angeles Angels athlete Tyler Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room due to an opioid overdose. “The opioid epidemic in our country is an issue of significant concern to Major League Baseball,” said Dan Halem, MLB deputy commissioner and chief legal officer. “It is our hope that this agreement—which is based on principles of prevention, treatment, awareness and education—will help protect the health and safety of our players.”

In February 2020, the MLB announced that players were allowed to smoke cannabis but couldn’t be sponsored by cannabis companies. 

Other sports agencies such as the National Basketball Association (NBA) have also embraced new cannabis policies. As of April, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association are working on a deal that would remove cannabis from its list of banned substances and also allow players to promote and invest in cannabis companies.

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