Just When You Thought Your Favorite NBA Player Would Create Your Favorite Weed Brand, Sorry, Not Gonna Happen Yet

NBA players will remain banned from promoting cannabis companies or launching their own brands until at least 2029, according to a new NBA agreement signed last week. This news contradicts April reports stating that the league and players had agreed that NBA players could launch their own legal weed brands and companies.

Now What?

The rules will effectively block players from putting their names on their own marijuana brands, according to an SFGATE source who was briefed on the agreement but not authorized to speak publicly.

Now, per a new collective bargaining agreement, NBA players cannot promote cannabis companies or launch their own brands but rather be allowed to hold “passive, non-controlling” interests in weed companies, but not promote any company that sells cannabis products, wrote SFGATE. 

Consume With Care, Lads

The new agreement still permanently removes cannabis from the NBA's prohibited substances list, allowing players to use weed though to a limited extent. Leaugue authorities, however, will monitor players for problematic consumption. If a player attends a game under the influence or appears to have a “dependency issue,” they will be referred to drug treatment programs or face disciplinary actions.

The new agreement also reduces the penalty for testing positive for prescription drugs like Xanax and Valium without a prescription from a two-year ban to a 25-game suspension. Players are still prohibited from consuming synthetic cannabinoids like Delta-8 THC, which may cause problems in enforcement since it is difficult to differentiate synthetic cannabinoids from cannabis in drug tests.

CBD Endorsements?

Players will still be allowed to endorse products that contain CBD for medicinal purposes, reflecting its broad acceptance. CBD was dropped from the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances, even though marijuana remains on it. Scientists are studying whether CBD's anti-inflammatory and pain-fighting properties could make it a workout recovery product. 

Photo: Benzinga edit with image from Kovalchuk Oleksandr and IJ-studio on Shutterstock