Chicago Wolves Ink Sponsorship Deal With Marijuana Firm Verilife

Illinois-based licensed cannabis brand Verilife announced on Wednesday that the company has signed a groundbreaking sponsorship deal with the Chicago Wolves, the American Hockey League’s championship team for 2022. The groundbreaking agreement, the first between a cannabis company and a Chicago sports team, includes game-day visibility for Verilife at Allstate Arena, the Wolves’ home stadium in Rosemont, Illinois. In addition, the sponsorship enables in-store promotional opportunities at Verilife’s licensed cannabis dispensary in Rosemont, a Chicago suburb adjacent to O’Hare International Airport.

The partnership also includes a charitable component benefiting Facing Forward to End Homelessness, a Chicago nonprofit organization dedicated to ending homelessness in the Windy City and one of the organizations supported by the team’s philanthropic arm, Chicago Wolves Charities.

“The Chicago Wolves are a dynamic team in a city that really loves hockey,” Erika Salgado Guerra, chief marketing officer of Verilife parent company PharmaCann, said in a statement. “The close proximity of our Verilife Rosemont location to the games makes this sponsorship a natural fit. We have so many customers who follow the team, and we cannot wait to introduce Verilife to the rest of the team’s fans. We’re looking forward to being a part of each exhilarating game.”

As part of the sponsorship, Verilife will be featured on the Jumbotron above the ice during games, on prominent ribbon LED signage encircling the arena and on the Wolves’ team website. In addition, the company will participate in the Wolves Score for Charity program, through which donations determined by on-ice performances will be made to Facing Forward to End Homelessness throughout the 2022-23 season.

“The Chicago Wolves and Verilife are both dedicated to helping the communities in which we live and work, and we are grateful for the opportunity to help people experiencing homelessness through this sponsorship,” said Chris Friederich, senior executive of corporate partnerships with the Chicago Wolves. “It’s going to be fantastic to see how much money we can raise together for Facing Forward.”

Cannabis And Sports

The Wolves’ sponsorship deal with Verilife marks a new milestone in the changing climate surrounding cannabis and sports.

“Our sponsorship with the Chicago Wolves is a big step towards where the industry is heading,” said Erika Salgado Guerra writes in an email. “This is an excellent opportunity to build awareness about the Verilife brand, open new doors, and become even more involved with the community where we work and live.”

Last month, Colorado-based CBD company Charlotte’s Web announced it had struck a deal to make the company the official CBD of Major League Baseball, making the organization the first major professional sports league to have a sponsorship agreement with a CBD company.

“As a leader in the CBD category, with products that provide health and wellness benefits, Charlotte’s Web is a welcome addition to the MLB family, representing a landmark partnership in baseball and sports,” MLB chief revenue officer Noah Garden said in a statement from the league. “Charlotte’s Web products which receive the NSF Certified for Sport designation have met the highest safety standards and can be promoted across MLB events and media platforms. We are excited about the possibilities this partnership offers as CBD becomes a more widely adopted part of the health and wellness regimen of our players and fans.”

The league said that both MLB and Charlotte’s Web “share a purpose-focused mission and a passion for supporting their communities” and have committed to serving as corporate social responsibility partners and advancing causes that promote quality of life for athletes and fans.

“Nature is the most intelligent and advanced technology system in our world, and when we work with nature for health and innovate through the lens of community care, we can truly redefine what it means to be well as an athlete,” Jared Stanley, co-founder and chief operating officer of Charlotte’s Web, said at the time. “This is game-changing, and I am excited by what we can accomplish with the MLB partnership.”