Many celebrities have moved into the cannabis industry or come out in support of medical marijuana. Some of those you might expect, such as Willie Nelson or Snoop Dogg. Others come as surprises, such Olivia-Newton John or Martha Stewart.

You can add Hall of Fame baseball player Ryne Sandberg to that second list.

Just like Stewart, Sandberg, who played his entire 16-year career with the Chicago Cubs, has signed on to work with a cannabis company. He’s not developing products in the way Stewart, Jay Z and others are, but he’s agreed to act as a spokesman for VeriLife. Amazingly, he had never even tried cannabis until this year.

“I really didn’t know anything about it, I didn’t have any interest in it,” Sandberg told the Chicago Tribune. “Now it’s every day sometimes as I’m looking for something to take the edge off.”

An All-American Baseball Player

For people in the Chicago area and across the Midwest, Sandberg, 61, is the epitome of the All-American baseball player. He played as part of the 1984 Cubs team that made a playoff run and won nine Gold Gloves during his illustrious career. He is arguably one of the greatest ever to play second base.

He said he never tried cannabis until 2021, which the Tribune said made him “one of the least likely celebrity endorsers of cannabis.”

However, he liked cannabis once he tried it, which will make him an effective endorser for Verilife, the Chicago-based company that operates dispensaries. He represents a growing segment of marijuana users who are older and use marijuana for a variety of health and wellness reasons.

Fans Can Meet Sandburg at Verilife Events

Sandberg already is scheduled to make an appearance from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the dispensary at Verilife River North in Illinois on Sunday, May 23. You must be at least 21 to attend the event and purchase a ticket through EventBrite.

Sandberg’s message about Verilife, offered on the company’s website, is aimed at those who might not know much about cannabis use. “Verilife really helped me understand what cannabis was all about. It isn’t anything like I thought it was,” Sandberg says on the site. “Now I want to help educate people to break the stigma so they can enhance their lives the way that I have.”

Sandberg said cannabis has improved his life and allowed him to stay active. His story is yet another one that shatters the myth of the lazy stoner and helps explain why cannabis continues to grow more popular with all age groups.

Sandberg told WGN: “When I first visited a Verilife dispensary, the knowledgeable staff helped me understand how cannabis can enhance my active lifestyle. I want to share my personal story and help people feel more comfortable in learning more about the benefits of cannabis, hoping it will bring the same impact to their lives that I have experienced.”