For the First Time, an MLB Ballpark Will Sell CBD Drinks

The Chicago Cubs are not expected to be very good this MLB season. They’re predicted to finish in second-to-last place in the National League Central Division by a noted projection system, as they continue a rebuilding phase.

Pretty much the only reason anyone should go see them play is to enjoy the lovely, historic environs of their home ballpark, Wrigley Field. There, in 2023, you’ll have the chance to be a little extra chill while taking in a Cubs ~~loss~~ game, too.

In an MLB first, the team has acquired a sponsor that makes Cannabidiol (CBD) products, MYND Drinks. The beverage company will sell its “100% plant-based-hemp-infused drinks” at Wrigley Field.

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MLB became the first major sports league with a CBD sponsor, Charlotte’s Web, after signing a multiyear deal in October 2022. To be considered for any MLB partnership, a CBD company must earn the NSF Certified for Sport designation, after their products undergo testing for league-banned substances.

“When MLB opened the CBD category for its clubs, it allowed us to explore new partnership opportunities and offerings,” said Alex Seyferth, Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for the Chicago Cubs, in a press release. “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.”

Leave it to a Cubs executive to have such faith in the team.

“We are so thrilled and honored to announce our partnership with the legendary Chicago Cubs, and that they share our vision of health and wellness in major league sports,” said Simon Allen, CEO of MYND Drinks, who for some reason didn’t add “man” to the end of his press-release statement. It would’ve been a lot cooler if he did.

Per Front Office Sports, the Cubs are “leaning into CBD’s relaxing qualities to promote the deal,” which also includes ballpark signage rights to spaces as exclusive as those located actually on the field. MYND’s website says its CBD beverages “help people relax, refresh and recover” in “an all natural way.”

But a friendly reminder to consumers who may still sometimes be confused about the differences between downing a CBD soft drink and taking a bong hit. Hemp is a type of the cannabis plant that was legalized on a federal level in 2018 by, yes, President Donald Trump because it does not contain large enough quantities of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to create a psychoactive response. In other words, unlike marijuana, another type of cannabis that has more than 0.3% THC in its flowers, hemp-based CBD doesn’t get you high — man.

However, as Harvard Medical School wrote in a blog post, “People report that oral CBD helps relieve anxiety and pain and also leads to better sleep.” The New York Times added PTSD and depression to that list in a recent article, adding that CBD is generally “pretty safe” to consume. Some side effects may include, the Times wrote, diarrhea, sleepiness, fatigue, weakness, rash, decreased appetite and elevated liver enzymes.

We’ll soon find out if maybe another side effect will be less-enthusiastic seventh-inning stretches at Wrigley. Though they could also be blamed on a bad Cubs team this year, that would be a lot less cool.