The New Game-Day Drink: Hemp Beverages Enter Major Venues
Hemp-derived THC and CBD beverages have emerged as a distinct and disruptive category in the beverage industry and have continued to gain momentum in major sports arenas and entertainment venues across the United States. These beverages combine measured doses of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) with familiar formats like sparkling water, tea, and soda, offering a compelling alternative to alcohol for a growing number of consumers. Their rise signals both a shift in consumer preferences and a more progressive stance by sports leagues and entertainment operators toward cannabis and its derivatives.
- Growing Adoption in Sports
- MLB: In April 2023, the Chicago Cubs became the first MLB team to partner with a CBD brand, offering MYND DRINKS at Wrigley Field.
- NBA / WNBA: In February 2024, the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty partnered with MYND DRINKS to make CBD beverages available at Barclays Center.
- Minor League Baseball: In June 2024, the Portland Pickles became the first minor league team to sell Cycling Frog hemp-derived THC seltzers at Walker Stadium.
- Expansion in Entertainment Venues:
- January 2025: Chicago music venue the Salt Shed named Agrify Corporation its exclusive hemp-derived THC beverage partner.
- February 2025: Green Monké entered an exclusive partnership with Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater Group, supplying beverages to five major venues.
- In January 2026, in the most significant partnership to date, the United Center in Chicago—the largest entertainment arena in the United States and home to the Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Bulls—announced a historic, years-long partnership with two hemp-derived THC beverage brands - Señorita and RHYTHM. The partnership, which launched on February 4, 2026, at a concert featuring New Edition, Boyz II Men, and Toni Braxton, represents a major milestone in the mainstream acceptance of cannabis beverages at premier entertainment venues. Both brands were acquired by the cannabis company Agrify (which changed its name to RYTHM) and are manufactured and distributed through multi-state cannabis operator Green Thumb Industries (GTI).
2025 Appropriations Bill and Strategic Positioning in a Changing Regulatory Environment: The passage of the 2025 federal appropriations bill has fundamentally altered the competitive landscape for hemp-derived intoxicating beverages. By narrowing the legal definition of hemp to exclude any amount of total tetrahydrocannabinol derived from any source other than the plant Cannabis sativa L., Congress has effectively drawn a bright line between naturally derived and synthetically converted cannabinoid products—a distinction that may prove decisive for the long-term viability of venue partnerships like those at the United Center.
Set to take effect this year, the new definition creates a regulatory divide that could consolidate market power in the hands of manufacturers whose formulations rely on naturally occurring delta-9 THC extracted directly from hemp plants, rather than converted cannabinoids produced through chemical synthesis or isomerization. This likely informs the confidence behind recent venue partnerships: brands like Señorita and RHYTHM, supported by GTI’s regulatory expertise, appear well positioned to meet both current and forthcoming requirements.
The strategic implications are significant. As venues commit to multi-year agreements in 2026, they are likely conducting rigorous due diligence on their beverage partners' supply chains and production methods, recognizing that only products derived from natural plant extraction—not chemical conversion—will survive federal scrutiny once the new definition takes effect.
This regulatory evolution may paradoxically strengthen rather than weaken the hemp beverage industry's foothold in sports and entertainment. By eliminating questionable synthetic products that have drawn regulatory concern and public skepticism, the new framework could legitimize the category and provide a clearer compliance pathway for risk-averse venue operators. The United Center partnership, launching just as these rules take effect, may signal that major venues view naturally derived hemp beverages as a long‑term, compliant alternative to alcohol—aligned with consumer demand and elevated federal standards.
