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Marvin Washington & Boo Williams Tackle The NFL “Drug Free Sports” Policy on Debut of “The 5th Quarter”

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By David Rheins

It is a tipping point moment for the movement to mainstream marijuana when two former NFL players team up to host a talk show dedicated to educating the world about cannabis.  The 5th Quarter, starring former NFL Super Bowl Champion Marvin Washington and co-host former New Orleans Saint “Boo” Williams, kicked off its inaugural episode this past Thanksgiving on Cannected.TV, a new streaming app available on AppleTV, GooglePlay, ROKU and other OTT platforms.

The series, which features candid conversations with nurses, doctors, attorneys, and professional athletes exploring the many intersections of cannabis and sports – think ESPN with a canna focus – is designed to appeal to mainstream viewers, football fans and the canna-curious.

The 5th Quarter is a hit.  Marv Washington is a natural as host.  He has a calm demeanor that exudes both credibility and empathy.  And co-host Boo Williams reveals a vulnerable side of himself that makes his story extremely compelling.  I thoroughly enjoyed The 5th Quarter, and look forward to catching Episode Two.

Episode One sets the serious tone, as the former New Orleans tight end Williams sharing his personal journey from professional football player to outspoken cannabis advocate.  Revealing his struggles – first how to keep his mind and body in the tiptop shape necessary to compete in the grueling football league, and later how to redefine himself after that professional sports career ended, Williams tells a powerful tale of struggling to manage physical injuries – both body and brain injuries including Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) – and his emotional and spiritual road to recovery that included cannabis.

There are headlines and news made in Episode One, as the two former players pull back the curtain to reveal the NFL policy for treating player injuries – and how a regimen of pain blockers and anti-inflammatory drugs is dispensed to players not just on game days but during practices as well.  “It’s a seven day a week, 17-week routine,” Washington explains. “And we didn’t know about alternatives.  And one of the best alternatives is cannabis.”

While the official League policy forces all players to take pharmaceuticals, most NFL players choose to self-medicate after hours with marijuana.  “When I would leave practice,” Williams shared, “I would have a joint rolled up waiting for me in the ashtray.  Because most of us need something to decompress – to slow the brain down and live a normal life. Cannabis was our way of living a normal life in a fantasy land.”

League-wide, the two co-hosts estimated that between 50 and 70% of all NFL players use cannabis regularly to decompress, for stress and pain relief, despite a league ban.  “The majority of the NFL uses cannabis,” Mr. Williams frankly declared.

How is it possible that 70 percent of players are using cannabis when the NFL has a “Drug Free Sports” program?  “We all knew that once a year you would get tested by the NFL,” Williams explained. “So, we knew to be clean around fall practice or spring practice. And if you got tested during those days, that would be the only days that you would get tested. All you had to do was be clean during those days, and hey, you could use cannabis the rest of the year.”

The 5th Quarter is a hit.  Marv Washington is a natural as host.  He has a calm demeanor that exudes both credibility and empathy.  And co-host Boo Williams reveals a vulnerable side of himself that makes his story extremely compelling.  I thoroughly enjoyed The 5th Quarter, and look forward to catching Episode Two.

Cannabis Meets Sports Masterclass & Golf Tournament at ‘Easy Greens’ May 21 & 22 in Arizona

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ARIZONA: Top athletes from across the sports world will assemble in Phoenix, Arizona May 21 & 22, 2021 for Easy Greens, a first-ever “Cannabis meets Sports” – Masterclass & Golf Classic Tournament.

The two day event (May 21 and 22, 2021) is organized by Eugenio Garcia, founder of Cannabis Now Magazine and Playbook Capital – a venture platform at the intersection of entertainment, culture and tech.
The event, sponsored by Fohse, Inc. will host big names including Jay Feely (NFL), Shea Hillenbrand (MLB), Troy O’Leary (MLB), Geoff Jenkins (MLB), Dave Burba (MLB), Gary Matthews Jr. (LB), Jason Thompson (NBA), Augie Ojeda (MLB), Don Buford (MLB), Jacque Jones (MLB), and many more.
Held at Arizona Biltmore Golf Club, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, East Greens will feature speakers, panel presentations, classrooms and networking activities that will highlight investment and growth opportunities specifically for athletes in the $50 billion CBD and THC markets.
Keynote speakers including former NBA star and Viola Brands founder Al Harrington, Mina Mishrikey of Merida Capital and Jared Mirsky, CEO of cannabis branding agency Wick & Mortar are among the highly sought after industry experts in attendance. Additionally, a portion of the golf proceeds will benefit the Educational Sports Institute, a nonprofit organization that provides sports education to children in underserved communities.

3rd Annual Los Angeles 420 Games Set to Attract Thousands to Santa Monica Pier & Venice Beach

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CALIFORNIA: The 420 Games today announced dates and planned activities for the third annual Los Angeles 420 Games. The Games will take place on Saturday, March 31 and Sunday, April 1, 2018 at the Santa Monica Pier, bringing famous faces, Professional athletes, X-Games and BMX athletes, and over one hundred cannabis brands together for two-days of healthy competition and community.

“The 420 Games provides a unique opportunity for athletes and health and wellness enthusiasts to come together and participate in a variety of activities, including a 4.2 mile fun run / walk for cannabis respect and awareness,” said founder, Jim McAlpine. “Traditional races tend to be 5K’s, or 3.2 miles. Our race incorporates an additional mile so participants can literally ‘go the extra mile’ for cannabis.”

LA-420-Games

This year’s two-day event is expected to draw thousands to the Santa Monica Pier and surrounding areas. The run portion of the event will take place on both Saturday and Sunday, with registration and check-in at 9:00 a.m. and a shotgun start at 10:00 a.m. The course will take participants on a scenic loop from Santa Monica down to Venice Beach and back. There will also be a full day of athletic activities.

Highlights of the LA Games to include:

  • Frank Shamrock & Bas Rutten Arm Wrestling Contest
  • 420 Yoga lead by Ricky Williams
  • Venice Skate contest w Bucky Lasek & $20K cash purse!
  • 3 on 3 B-Ball tournament
  • CBD Massage chairs
  • Jiu Jitsu tournament
  • BMX Half pipe show w XGames athletes
  • Rap battle w/ Harry Mack the world’s greatest freestyler
  • 4.20-mile boardwalk course
  • Live comedy
  • Lagunitas beer garden
  • Food trucks
  • After party
  • NFL players Eben Britton and Ricky Williams speaking
  • 100+ exhibitors & thousands of attendees

Basketball Legend Al Harrington Premiers CBD-Based Wellness Products

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CALIFORNIA: Retired NBA great Al Harrington, who discovered the benefits of CBDs (Cannabinoids) at the end of his playing career, has premiered a new line of wellness products based on hemp, the non-psychoactive elements found in the plant. As an upscale consumer brand, Harrington Wellness will feature products that will foster healthy living and all the benefits that come from it.

Harrington introduced the new brand at a star-studded dinner last night in Beverly Hills at the start of the NBA’s 2018 All-Star Weekend that is taking place in Los Angeles.

“After more surgeries than I care to admit, my knee was shot, and I was in pain all the time,” said Harrington, CEO of Harrington Wellness and founder of The Harrington Group. “If I had the benefit of CBDs, like our Harrington Wellness Cream when I was playing, there’s no doubt I could have played two or three more seasons in the NBA.”

It was Harrington’s fall 2017 “Uninterrupted” online interview with retired NBA Commissioner David Stern, which has generated over 122,000 views on YouTube and more than one million total across various websites, that led to the creation of Harrington Wellness.

“David and I were talking about the benefits of CBDs and how NBA players could benefit from them,” added the former New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets forward. “That interview led to lots of interest and an outpouring of support, so I created Harrington Wellness to fill the unserved niche of upmarket, professional and premium CBD products that are legal anywhere in the country.”

Harrington initially discovered the recuperative power of Cannabis, and later CBDs, as a result of convincing his grandmother, Viola, to use extracts to help with her glaucoma. As a result, Harrington Wellness’ sister company, Viola Extracts, is named in her honor.

Former NFL Champion Marvin Washington Joins BudTrader.com As Investor And Board Member

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CALIFORNIA: BudTrader.com, an online medical marijuana marketplace, has announced that former NFL defensive end and champion Marvin Washington has become an investor in the company. In addition to his investment, Washington has joined BudTrader’s Advisory Board, already consisting of former WeedMaps CTO Grant Koneke, Cannabis industry icon, Douglas Leighton, and Jim Skelton, former CEO of Ocean Pacific.

In a statement released this week, Washington had this to say: “I am excited to join the BudTrader team. I know what championship organizations look like and BudTrader is definitely a championship organization. BudTrader is not only the largest marketplace in the world for cannabis business, but also a place for the cannabis community to connect and share information. I’ve watched it grow, and I look forward to its continued growth as the cannabis space becomes a true industry.”

During his 11 seasons in the NFL, Washington played for the New York Jets, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Denver Broncos, winning a championship with the Broncos in 1998. During his time in the NFL, Washington became passionate about cannabis as an alternative to pain management methods allowed by the league. It has been alleged that the league’s doctors rely on chemical pain killers too heavily when treating injured players, causing serious health and addiction issues which, cannabis advocates like Washington say, could be avoided if the NFL were to remove its restriction on cannabis for its players. The NFL currently suspends and heavily fines players who test positive for cannabis use.

For years, Washington has been an advocate for pro football players having the choice to use medical marijuana for pain management in lieu of more addictive opioids.

NWA President Publicly Advocates Cannabis For Injured Wrestlers And Athletes

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The President of the National Wrestling Alliance, attorney R. Bruce Tharpe, is one of the first sports leaders publicly advocating the use of cannabis as a legitimate medical alternative for injured wrestlers and other athletes.

“Too many people in the US have become victims of opioid addiction and death as a result of the over-prescription of pain medications and pharmaceuticals by doctors. Unfortunately, over the years we have seen a large number of untimely deaths as a direct result of prescription drug use, and many of those deaths may have been avoided had the medicinal use of cannabis been legalized and more widely accepted.

It is clear that cannabis / CBD has been used to successfully treat such afflictions as children suffering from epileptic seizures, PTSD in veterans who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq, cancer patients experiencing the severe nausea associated with chemotherapy, glaucoma patients and those who suffer severe pain due to arthritis, fibromyalgia, etc.

I think it’s important for the owners of legitimate sports franchises like the NFL, the NBA and the NBL and for sports entertainment groups like the WWE to stand up and take an honest look at cannabis as a legitimate form of alternative medicine.  The negative stigma of marijuana use needs to disappear in this country.  That’s why the National Wrestling Alliance is taking a progressive public position toward the advocacy of medicinal cannabis use by wrestlers and other athletes for the treatment of pain.”

The National Wrestling Alliance is the oldest and largest sanctioning body in professional wrestling, founded in 1948.

TetraTrak’s Brian Yauger: Building Better Business Intelligence Technology

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WASHINGTON: Brian Yauger has a game plan for bringing better business intelligence to the legal cannabis industry.  A Texan with Republican political leanings, the former NCAA football coach at first blush seems an unlikely figure to be heading one of Seattle’s hottest canna-tech firms, TetraTrak LLC, but Yauger believes his career as a big time college football coach was ideal preparation.

“Coaching turned out to be the perfect training for running a technology business,” Yauger tells MJNewsNetwork.  “You scout the field and competition, and you hire smart people to coach the positions that are not your strength.  Then you work tirelessly to put together a game plan.  Once you are comfortable with your plan you put it into action and then make adjustments on the fly as the game progresses.  You don’t get too high when things go right and you don’t get too down when things go wrong. You just keep pushing towards the goal line.  I think if you were to replace the words ‘game plan’ with ‘business plan’ and the word ‘adjustments’ with ‘pivots’, it is the exact description of how to run a business.”

Yauger Presents at MJBA Front Runner Seminar in Spokane

Yauger Presents at MJBA Front Runner Seminar in Spokane

Yauger relocated to Seattle in mid-June, 2014, looking to be a part of the Green Rush.  By February 2015 had founded TetraTrak, by opening a business checking account with $4600.  Within 6 months, Front Runner Data dashboard and searchable database Front Runner Data was cash positive.  Growing the company by establishing key strategic relationships with the Marijuana Business Association (MJBA), where he presents the monthly MJ Research Report, and several of its member technology companies, TraceWeed, and PayQwick.

TetraTrak takes advantage of the incredible amount of public data available from Washington’s Liquor and Cannabis Board.  Through its online portal, the LCB makes regularly publishes detailed market and company data, but in hard to consume spreadsheet format. The Front Runner Data service parses all the cumbersome Washington data into an easy to read dashboard and searchable database, so market participants can see who is selling what to whom and for how much.  To add even more value, Yauger and his team of analysts compile the data, add analysis, and publish it out to subscribers for $99 a month.  TetraTrak is currently building out a free service, with near real-time streaming data called MJTicker.com, which is expected to debut in the next few months as an advertising supported offering.

Yauger presenting to Front Runner and MJBA "Striking Oil" Seminar in Tacoma

Yauger presenting to Front Runner and MJBA “Striking Oil” Seminar in Tacoma

Hundreds of companies have already subscribed to his service in Washington, and the company is now raising money, and will use the proceeds of its raise to expand its service to include the legal markets of Oregon, Colorado and Alaska.

Bringing the dashboard to life, Front Runner and MJBA host quarterly professional education seminars called The Front Runner series, targeted panel discussions for licensees. These half-day workshops drill down into the official LCB numbers, parsing the wholesale and retail marijuana sales data into salient consumable chunks. MJBA’s David Rheins then leads panel discussions with the industry’s leading authorities – licensees, subject matter experts, and government regulators – and facilitates audience Q&A. Highlights of these panels are currently made available on YouTube via MJBA’s Marijuana Channel One, with full-length downloads of the seminars, in addition to live webinars, in the works.

“Relationships in the industry are everything,” Yauger explained.  Through organizations like the MJBA we have been able to network with other companies in the industry and grow very quickly.”

Canna-Technologists Adam Mauro, Leaf Logix, Eric Ogden, WeedTraQR, and Brian Yauger, TetraTrak at an MJBA mixer

Canna-Technologists Adam Mauro, Leaf Logix, Eric Ogden, WeedTraQR, and Brian Yauger, TetraTrak at an MJBA mixer

On the print front, Front Runner has teamed with Seattle-based Marijuana Venture Magazine to publish a monthly snapshot of Washington’s cannabis marketplace, and is in development with several other syndicated media programs.

Last week, as MJNewsNetwork was preparing this profile, Fox Sports was in town to profile Yauger. The story of how an all-American jock went from college coaching to cannabis is topical. Sports and cannabis is making national headlines, and trending up the twitersphere these days, with a number of high profile athletes from the NFL, NBA, NHL and UFC calling for the removal of the ban on medical cannabis.  Just last month, Yauger was a featured panelist at MJBA’s “Game On: The Business of Sports and Cannabis,” alongside NBA All-Star Cliff Robinson, and in other ways sees a convergence of his old sports and new cannabis careers.

NBA All-Star Cliff Robinson, Marc Belsher, Sliverback Advisors, and Yauger panelists at Game On: The Business of Sports and Cannabis in Portland

NBA All-Star Cliff Robinson, Marc Belsher, Sliverback Advisors, and Yauger panelists at Game On: The Business of Sports and Cannabis in Portland

 

Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan’s son Payton Ryan will be coming to work for TetraTrak after he graduates from college in May.   “Every football fan is familiar with the Ryan family,” Yauger said.   “The Ryan family is to NFL football what the Kennedy’s, Clinton’s, and Bushes are to politics.  Rob Ryan gave me my start in coaching and was my mentor.  We want to do the same thing with his nephew Payton.”

The cannabis technology field is super competitive, and the business intelligence segment of the marketplace is filled with first rate players.  Denver-based BDS, Washington, DC-based Frontier and Seattle-based Headset only the most prominent of the canna-tech firms seeking to build go-to metrics and analysis for this dynamic new marketplace.  All the competition motivates Yauger to push that much harder, “I work 70-90 hours most weeks, and not one minute of it has felt like work.  Building Front Runner and MJTicker and watching my little company that started out of necessity grow and become relevant in the industry has been so much fun.  I can’t wait to take it to the next level.”

 

NFL Super Bowl Champion Leonard Marshall To Keynote CWCBExpo in NYC June 16

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NEW JERSEY:  Despite its status as an officially banned substance, the use of medical cannabis as a treatment for professional athletes — particularly NFL Football players — suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is known to be widespread. A number of high-profile NFLers have come out of the cannabis closet of late, and are calling on the league to rethink its pot policy.  Adding his personal perspective as a successful business entrepreneur and former champion NFL player with CTE symptoms, Leonard Marshall will address the topic as a keynote speaker at the Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition, (CWCBExpo) in New York City, June 15-17, 1 2016.

The former defensive lineman will deliver his keynote on Thursday, June 16, 2016 and moderate a panel on “CTE, Concussions and CBD.” Joining Marshall in the all-star panel discussion are Charlie Adams, NFL wide receiver who played for the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans; Eben Britton, a NFL guard and tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears and currently a free agent; Riley D. Cote a former professional ice hockey player (NHL) with the Philadelphia Flyers; Nate Jackson a former NFL wide receiver who played six seasons with the Denver Broncos; and Heather Jackson, CEO of Realm of Caring.

“I am ecstatic to be participating in CWCBExpo and keynoting and moderating the all-star thought leadership panel. With my background and experience in football and with CTE, I’ll be able to bring a first-hand perspective to this important topic.  I look forward to addressing this issue in such a professional and well planned forum along with the other athletes,” said Leonard Marshall.

“Jump!!  Each individual walking the planet daily forms an estimate of him or herself. This estimate shapes into whom he or she shall be.  You can be no more than you believe you are and you can do no more than you believe you can. For it is belief that creates power in man and it is belief, which stimulates success.  Be driven and unafraid to jump at the next opportunity that is presented!” Marshall further commented.

As a NFL defensive lineman for twelve seasons, Marshall played for the New York Giants, New York Jets and Washington Redskins. During his playing career Leonard was on two Super Bowl Championship teams, was selected to appear in three Pro Bowls and was named All NFL twice.   Marshall is currently the Director of Strategic Initiatives/Brand Ambassador for the publicly traded Original SoupMan, Inc., and Managing Partner of Playbook Solutions Group Advisors, LLC, a $50 million franchise income fund.

“We are honored to have the charismatic Leonard Marshall as a Keynote Speaker at CWCBExpo NY.  As a champion football player, CTE advocate and successful entrepreneur, his unique insight, tenacity against the odds, and proven business acumen is the perfect fit for our event that elevates the discussion, awareness and advancements of the benefits of medical marijuana and a legalized cannabis industry,” said Christine Ianuzzi, Managing Partner and Show Director of CWCBExpo events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pro Athletes to Discuss CTE and Cannabis At New York Trade Show & Conference

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NEW YORK: A number of high profile professional athletes will discuss sports and cannabis on a panel at the upcoming Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition (CWCBExpo) on June 16, 2016 at the Jacob K  Javits Convention Center.

According to event promoters, pro athletes from the NFL and NHL will provide frank insight on how legally using cannabis has helped them manage pain, become less reliant on prescription painkillers, and not affect their playing performance.  This thought-leadership panel “CTE, Concussions and CBD;” will feature: Charlie Adams, formerly Denver Broncos and Houston Texans; Eben Britton, NFL guard and tackle for Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears and current free agent; Riley D. Cote, former professional ice hockey player with the Philadelphia Flyers; and former Denver Broncos wide receiver Nathan Ross “Nate” Jackson.

Joining the cannabis sports discussion will be Heather Jackson, CEO of Realm of Caring, a non-profit and advocacy group that provide support services and resources to those using cannabinoid products.

“In talking to many NFL players, I have heard a reoccurring theme, and that is ‘protect the shield.’   The NFL will now have an opportunity to protect their players, and I consider that a much more valiant effort.  Research into CTE will help all neurodegenerative disorders, so a project like this is exciting to me personally and professionally,” added Ms. Jackson, of Realm of Caring.

“CTE, Concussions and CBD,” thought-leadership panel is part of the comprehensive educational agenda that is presented at CWCBExpo NY.   Conference delegates can participate in Add-On Workshops, June 15, that provide all-day education on business, career and investment fundamentals.  There will also be over 70 sessions with vetted industry experts and pioneers in the 2-day conference (June 16-17) that includes a headlining keynote speaker, the thought-leadership panels, regulatory updates, NY dispensary and includes session tracks focused on Creating Your Business, Running Your Business, High Finance, Opportunities, and Trends in High Growth Areas.  On Friday, June 17, the thought-leadership panel at CWCBExpo NY will be “Industrial Hemp: Made in America,” spotlighting this plant that can transform the agricultural and manufacturing landscape.

Featured exhibitors participating in CWCBExpo NY include Amercanex, Apeks, Cannabis Career Institute, Carp Law, Clover Leaf University, Conviron, Forever Flowering Greenhouses, Gradujuana, Helderpad, HighNY, Hiller, PC, Incredibles, International Cannabis Association, Labscape, Jane, Medicine Man, MJ Freeway, MJIC, Nexus Corporation, Potbotics, The Cannabis Co Operative, Transcend Lighting, True Leaf, and many others.  CWCBExpo NY is also partnering with leading advocacy groups, associations, and media partners including the Marijuana Business Association and MJNewsNetwork.com.

Discounted conference rates are now being offered for advance registration.  For more information on the Cannabis World Congress & Business Expo in New York, June 15-17, (CWCBExpo in NY) visit: http://www.cwcbexpo.com/new-york-expo.    For sponsoring or exhibiting information contact the CWCBExpo sales teams at sreuter@leexpos.comor click here:

MJBA Portland Hosts “Game On: The Business of Sports and Cannabis” Panel 3/2/16

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OREGON: At last month’s Cannabis Collaborative Conference in Portland, NBA All-Star Cliff Robinson announced the creation of his cannabis brand, “Uncle Spliffy.”  The announcement garnered a tremendous among of media attention, and served to highlight the many intersections between sports and cannabis.

On Wednesday, March 2nd, 6-8:30PM at On Deck Sports Bar in Portland, Oregon, the Marijuana Business Association (MJBA) will host a panel discussion, “Game On: The Business of Sports and Cannabis.”  Sponsored by CannaGuard Security,  the professional education event will explore the many business opportunities that are manifesting around the intersection of sports and cannabis, including celebrity endorsements; cannabis as a performance enhancement; cannabis as part of a natural, healthy lifestyle; and medical marijuana as sports medicine.

NBA All-Star Cliff Robinson will kick off “Game On: The Business of Sports and Cannabis”  by debuting his “Uncle Spliffy” cannabis brand. Then MJBA Founder David Rheins will moderate a VIP Panel discussion featuring Uncle Spliffy’s Linda Miller, Matt Enos, Fore Twenty Golf, Marc Belsher, Silverback Advisory Group; and College football coach turned cannabis technologist Brian Yauger, Front Runner as we discuss exciting business opportunities that are manifesting at the intersection of sports and cannabis.

MJBA Professional Education Seminars are well known for bringing together top players in from the cannabis industry, for the sharing of reliable, actionable business intelligence.