3 hours ago
2
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Oakland Ballers, an independent professional baseball team in Oakland, California, says it will host a "family-friendly" cannabis game night on July 31.
The team is partnering with Oaksterdam University, the nation's first cannabis college, for the event held on "Grateful Dead Night." The team will temporarily rebrand as the "Oaksterdam Blazers" and wear uniforms featuring the moniker.
"The game marks a historic first in professional baseball, as the Ballers become the first professional team to partner with and celebrate the legal cannabis industry during a live game," the team wrote in a press announcement in June.
FORMER MLB OWNER CLAIMS 'DESPICABLE' SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS ARE THE REASON THE A'S LEFT OAKLAND
Oakland Ballers play Ogden Raptors during Opening Night at Raimondi Park in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
The event originally began as an April Fools' Day joke, the team said, but enthusiastic fan response drove leadership to turn the stunt into reality.
According to the organization, the July 31 event will be "safe, inclusive and age-appropriate." Adults 21 and older are invited to board a tour bus at 10 a.m. PT to visit a local dispensary and participate in a lounge crawl featuring Oakland-certified cannabis businesses.
"More than a party bus, the experience will highlight the entrepreneurs, advocates and community leaders who fought to build Oakland’s legal cannabis industry and continue to shape its future today. For those looking to experience the full day, this is the place to start," the team said.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES TAP DRAG QUEEN AS GUEST SPLASHER IN KID-FRIENDLY BIRD BATH ZONE FOR PRIDE NIGHT
Oakland Ballers' Jake Dahle greets a young fan before B's inaugural home opener at Raimondi Park in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
The Ballers emphasized that while the lounge crawl is strictly for adults, the goal at the ballpark is to create an environment that remains suitable for families.
"Any content activations connected to the cannabis industry will be opt-in and require 21+ verification," the team added.
Oaksterdam University also promoted the event on its website, calling it the "first family-friendly cannabis industry event in America."
"Oakland Will Never Quit" banner hangs on a fence during Oakland Ballers' inaugural home opener against YOLO High Wheelers at Raimondi Park in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE
Although the event is being billed as a historic first, other professional sports teams have formally partnered with cannabis industries in the past. In 2024, the Portland Pickles became the first U.S. sports team to sell THC products at a live sporting event, according to the team.
MLB also became the first major professional sports league to sign a sponsorship agreement with a CBD company in 2022.
The Oakland Ballers did not immediately return Fox News Digital's request for comment.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The event highlights the California city's long history at the center of the marijuana legalization movement.
California became the first U.S. state to legalize pot for medical use in 1996. In 2004, Oakland made history by becoming the first U.S. city to formally permit and regulate medical cannabis dispensaries. In 2016, California voters legalized recreational marijuana use for adults statewide through Proposition 64.
Kristine Parks is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Read more.
English (US) ·