The interest among licensed property owners in cannabis-industry collaborations has waned slightly as the challenges of succeeding in this complex market have become evident. But, as the industry and its consumers celebrated the unofficial 4/20 holiday this weekend, celebrity brands and other licensed IP with a logical connection to the category continue to partner regularly for products containing CBD and/or THC.
One area of focus these days is the wellness segment. Since the beginning, properties such as relaxation and a general feeling of well-being have been mentioned as advantages of collaborative THC and CBD initiatives. But now health and wellness are frequently the main emphasis, with products formulated to address particular ailments or provide specific benefits. Athletes tend to be particularly active, as they have expertise in and enthusiasm for the health and wellness space built over their playing careers. A variety of other celebrities, and a handful of other property types, have also dipped their toes into this slice of the market.
Recent ventures have involved athletes, reality stars, musicians, and sports-related brands:
- Last month, Primitiv Performance, founded by former NFL players Rob Sims and Calvin Johnson Jr., became the first CBD-based performance product partner at Ford Field, where both athletes used to play as members of the Detroit Lions. The company’s plant-based products include a CBD-infused electrolyte drink mix and a broad-spectrum transdermal topical cream that includes the cannibinoids CBD, CBG, CBC, and CBN.
- Former NBA player Isaiah Thomas and his company One World Products partnered with Stephen Marley, son of Bob Marley, and his Kx Family Care, a CBD personal care and wellness product line, in December 2023. The two companies are marketing Kx Family Care-branded products, manufactured by Colombia-based OWP, in Latin America.
- Ultimate Fighting Championship licensed Love Hemp in October 2023 for a line of UFC-branded CBD wellness products. This is an expansion of the two organizations’ existing promotional deal making Love Hemp the official CBD partner of UFC globally. U.K.-based Love Hemp paired with the UFC Performance Institute to develop the products, which are formulated for athletes and focus on performance, recovery, and defense. Initial products include warm-up oils, shower gel, body soaps, and muscle and joint cream.
- Eddie Osefo, a star of The Real Housewives of Potomac, partnered with Curio Wellness last September to create the Happy Eddie brand of flower and pre-rolls. Curio Wellness offers THC products meant to alleviate conditions such as pain, GI issues, and insomnia. The partnership with Osefo is highlighted as raising visibility for Black-owned brands and reducing stigmas around and normalizing adult consumption of marijuana. Osefo’s nickname of Happy Eddie came from a viral moment on the show.
- Billy Kreutzmann, drummer for the Grateful Dead, paired with Kawaii Hemp for a collaborative CBD line tied to Father’s Day in June 2023. The Bill the Drummer-branded CBD oils and topical creams aligned with Kreutzmann’s advocacy of holistic wellness, and the two companies have a hippie sensibility that made them a good fit, the partners said. The products, produced from organic and sustainably grown hemp, promoted relaxation, rejuvenation, and general well-being.
Many of these deals take a form other than licensing agreements, which is the norm in this segment as endorsements, strategic partnerships, and celebrity-owned brands, among other business models, tend to be favored over traditional licensed and collaborative partnerships.
Wellness isn’t the only focus for new cannabis-related deals, of course. Former NBA player Udonis Haslem paired with The Flowery on a special Forty OG strain of cannabis, which came to market on 4/20 this year, accompanied by a limited-edition collection of Forty OG merchandise including jerseys, t-shirts, hats, and basketballs. Haslem and his wife have worked with The Flowery for several years on a variety of initiatives, but this is their first collaborative strain with the company. It is meant to offer a high-quality smoking experience rather than any specific wellness properties.
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