New Mexico United, a professional soccer team in the United Soccer League Championship, has a new corporate sponsor – The Herb Taxi, a cannabis delivery company in the state. The partnership marks one of the earliest examples of a cannabis company becoming a sponsor of a sports team.

Major League Baseball opened the door to the cannabis industry by allowing teams to sign sponsorship deals with CBD companies. The MLB emerged as a leader in accepting cannabis in the mainstream, even if other sports have more cannabis-using fans.

Herb Taxi specializes in discrete delivery of cannabis and cannabis products. While Herb Taxi grows its own line of cannabis, it does not have a brick-and-mortar store. “It’s kind of a new thing to have a true cannabis company, not a CBD company, but a cannabis company supporting local sports teams,” said Monte Skarsgard, owner of The Herb Taxi, according to KOB 4 in Albuquerque.

New Mexico United Cannabis Sponsor a First For the State

Observers feel the deal with The Herb Taxi and New Mexico United could smooth the way toward acceptance of legal cannabis in the state. New Mexico started legal cannabis sales in 2022.

“There has always been a stigma around cannabis,” David Wiese-Car, director of communications with New Mexico United, told KOB. “As legalization continues to happen across New Mexico, it will be seen a lot more in a lot of different places.”

The relationship between sports leagues, teams and the cannabis industry has shifted in recent years. In the past, many ex-players came forward to talk about the merits of using cannabis to manage pain and recover faster from workouts.

However, leagues recently have changed their policies about cannabis. One of the most noticeable involves the NBA, which now is in its third year of not including cannabis in drug tests.

Major League Baseball Makes Deal with CBD Company

Major League Baseball (MLB) recently announced that it has partnered with Charlotte’s Web, a CBD maker, to explore the potential benefits of CBD in baseball. The partnership is a multi-year agreement, with the aim of advancing the science of CBD and its potential use in baseball.

According to the announcement, the two organizations will collaborate on a range of initiatives, including clinical studies, product innovation, and education initiatives.

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a non-psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant. It has been touted for its potential therapeutic benefits, including pain relief, anti-inflammation, and stress reduction. CBD is legal in the United States, provided it contains less than 0.3% THC, the psychoactive compound found in cannabis that produces a “high.”

The partnership highlights the growing trend of cannabis companies partnering with professional sports teams. These partnerships have been instrumental in shifting public perceptions about medical marijuana and helping to break down stigma around its use.