The NBA is dominating headlines with the 2024 All-Star weekend fast approaching. Over the past five years, both the NBA and the cannabis industry have rapidly transformed creating opportunities for athletes to advocate, invest and create unique brands. Boxing out the stigma, the NBA has started to change the conversation in favour of education, research and wellness.
In 2023, the NBA made a play for cannabis by agreeing to a green-inclusive future in the CBA. At the start of the 2023’24 NBA season, the National Basketball Association recognized that it would no longer penalize players for cannabis consumption per the seven-year collective bargaining agreement, removing it entirely from the anti-drug testing program.
Today active and retired NBA players are using their platform to change the outdated narrative, push forward change and cultivate brands that embody their ethos and focus on health, wellness and recovery.
Klay Thompson
Klay has dealt with his fair share of injuries and today is advocating for CBD and a clean healthy lifestyle. He’s partnered with other elite athletes to create a unique product line “Just Live” which caters to fitness enthusiasts and athletes of all levels looking for natural, clean alternatives.
“I have relied on CBD because it’s been effective and safe for my long-term recovery, both physically and mentally.”
Al Harrington
Today, former NBA athlete, Al Harrington is making an impact off the court and has created Viola Brands, a cannabis company named after his grandmother and inspired by the profound impact the plant had on her life. Since its inception, Viola Brands has dominated the cannabis industry and has earned MVP honors from cannabis enthusiasts and connoisseurs across North America. Harrington and Viola Brands are focused on empowering Black and Brown-owned companies as well as legacy operators by putting a premium on social equity initiatives, education and providing greater employment opportunities.
“I believe education will provide the momentum we need to push forward and show people from our communities that despite what we have endured there’s a real opportunity in the cannabis industry…” Adding “It starts with all of us sharing our stories. An athlete’s tale is only one side of the coin of what’s going on. The more that people normalize it through their experiences the more the cannabis industry will grow.”
Kevin Durant
Prolific NBA icon Kevin Durant made waves across the world, announcing a collaborative content partnership with Weedmaps. Kevin Durant’s VC firm ThirtyFive Ventures and WeedMaps are coming together to advocate for Cannabis and Sports as well as normalize the conversation through meaningful content initiatives.
Considered by many to be one of the best NBA players, Kevin Durant is winning off-court as an entrepreneur and investor with an eye for tech and emerging industries.
“In the sports world, it was kind of an undercover thing that players use cannabis and use it while they’re actively playing… I feel like now the band-aids been ripped off…”
Allen Iverson
Considered by many to be one of the Greatest Point Guards of All Time, retired NBA Legend Allen Iverson, is the latest athlete to join the cannabis industry. Iverson’s interest was ultimately pushed when he joined Al Harrington at Viola’s 18,000 sq/ft grow earlier this year to get a better understanding of the process, product and people behind the brand. In recent years Viola has created premium products as well as timely initiatives targeted at social justice and equitable offerings, pushing to expand industry diversity, facilitate community building and provide employment opportunities. With a commitment to increasing minority participation, ownership and education, Allen Iverson has decided to team up with Viola Brand in a multi-year Partnership.
“Just the thought of my name and cannabis… I’m thinking about the stereotype, what’s going to come with it… It’s about learning something new, doing something that will obviously help people…”
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