THE SCENE

High Fly

Major League Baseball should embrace cannabis.

TEXT DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

The people who run Major League Baseball do not like baseball. Find me a fan who disagrees with that statement. The people who run baseball want it to be the NBA or some type of arena sport (and I say that as someone who loves the fl ow and beauty and raw power of the NBA; it’s just a diff erent game). They want to end games in a hurry with the gimmick of putting a runner on second base in extra innings. They want to upend the strategy of the game by keeping pitchers who are getting lit up on the mound. These are old guys who think they know what the kids want. These are marketers who are neglecting the very essence of what makes their product so damn good.

Baseball is a long, slow, then suddenly thrilling, intensely complicated love aff air. It’s lyric poetry. It’s action movies before CGI (Think: Raiders of the Lost Arc or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid). It’s an old-time game that persists in a world of stats and deep analysis. It endures. But don’t think it’s boring or out of synch with the digital age. It is international and inclusive; the biggest sensation in the game is Japanese, and most clubhouses chatter as much in Spanish as English. It’s a game that can be broken down by new geeky analytics like barrel rate and xFIP (expected fi elding independent pitching). At the same time, it gives the fi nger to stats over the short term—while we can place a percentage on every outcome, we can’t predict what will happen in any one at bat. There’s always the chance a light-hitting utility infi elder can go deep against a Cy Young winner. Baseball is full of passion and the dreams and bat fl ips of a new generation of players making it where giants once tread. But the people who run baseball want to change the game in ways that break its natural fl ow because they think baseball needs to appeal to low attention spans. I say, expand our attention. Embrace what’s beautiful about the game. Give the fans weed.

Baseball could use responsible cannabis. And after the rant above, I hope you believe that when I say that, I do it as a fan of the game. Getting high might actually help some fans slow down, see more, relax into simple rhythms punctuated by intense surges of emotion. And it might bring the newcomers that those baseball-hating bigwigs so desperately want in the seats. One of the reasons responsible cannabis use is so popular is that it gives us the chance to slow down, to take the edge off . As does baseball: sit down in that seat, feel the breeze of a summer evening, fi nd the rhythms, observe the subtleties of how fi elders position according to a hitter’s tendencies or how a runner digs in a heel before stealing a base. Relax. And it’s a little easier to ease into this vibe with a 5mg gummy.

I’m not saying the players should be stoned. Though as legalization continues to sweep the US, many of them are seeking relief in CBD and THC from the aches and injuries of a 162-game season in a sport that requires tricky bursts of athleticism. For all my griping about the people who run the sport, since 2020, Major League Baseball has allowed players

to use cannabis as long as they are not under the infl uence during a game (and they cannot be sponsored by or endorse cannabis brands). Furthermore, cannabis is no longer listed as a banned substance by MLB, where it used to be considered in the same category as opioids and cocaine. Many baseball players are addicted to dangerous painkillers (including Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs who died of an overdose of drugs including oxycodone), and the league realized that legal cannabis could be a safe option for those seeking relief.

So why not let the fans enjoy it? Consuming cannabis during games would only add to spectators’ enjoyment of the sport—and it’s not as if baseball has shied away from alcohol. It’s a fi ne thing to enjoy a cold beer in the cheap seats, so why not a gummy? The teams would profi t on the concession (and lord knows owners who seem more interested in money than winning—think the Colorado Rockies—would like that). It would bring in new fans and maybe enhance their ability to sit and enjoy the game. Sure, the stoner stigma stands in the way of mainstream appreciation of cannabis, and this is supposed to be a family game—but stoned spectators don’t usually shout obscenities and spill beer on your kid.

No matter if you agree with me on controlled, responsible, legal cannabis at baseball games or not, I do hope you go to the ballpark this year and think about it. Enjoy the passing moment of a lazy fl y ball, the joy of the hero-shot home run, and learn a new stat. Think about how baseball can become a game that continues into the future, without changing what’s great about the game.

One of the reasons responsible cannabis use is so popular is that it gives us the chance to slow down, to take the edge off. As does baseball.

Risk Management

What you don’t know can hurt you.

Every business owner knows about risk; it is a constant presence in their lives. The specter of risk drives critical business decisions, from funding and hiring to liability coverage.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the fast-changing and continually evolving cannabis industry. Cannabis is one of the most highly scrutinized industries in the country, so operators owe it to themselves to ensure that they have properly protected their investment. That’s where the National Cannabis Risk Management Association (NCRMA) comes in.

As the nation’s only dedicated risk management association focused solely on cannabis, NCRMA brings a level of expertise to its members that enables long-term sustainability and success. It provides the education, support, and expertise necessary to mitigate potential threats and help cannabis industry professionals keep their businesses safe, compliant, and thriving.

NCRMA lives its mission statement: Making our members better through education, support, and expertise.

“Our level of expertise spans from seed to the consumer with a team of consultants bringing a combined 75 years of experience in property and liability, risk, cannabis operations, occupational safety, compliance, and agriculture,” says NCRMA Chief Risk Management Offi cer Alex Hearding. “This culmination of experience and expertise allows us to offer one-ofa-kind tools and cannabis-specifi c solutions designed to improve overall business results, optimize daily operational effi ciencies, decrease unnecessary expenses, and increase the bottom line.” Through the use of the NCRMA’s proprietary cloud-based platform, CRP2TM (Cannabis Risk Prevention PlatformTM), its consultants are equipped to quickly identify potential threats through a scorecard and detailed report. These results allow the NCRMA to address risks in a holistic manner and create customized solutions that minimize the potential for business interruptions.

Recognizing the explosive growth in the cannabis industry, NCRMA has regional offi ces and vetted service partners across the country, which work directly with NCRMA members to provide knowledge, profi ciency, and support—and much more.

NCRMA’s Chronic Risk podcast offers detailed insights from cannabis industry leaders. Through its innovative association-owned captive model, NCRMA has a network of Appointed Brokers who offer insurance products and coverages. Then, there is NCRM Academy—an online learning platform that provides members access to over 30 different courses on all aspects of cannabis operations. All of this combined ensures that your business is prepared and your risks addressed.

“A common cannabis industry myth is that by having insurance, you are properly managing your risks, when in reality, insurance is only a small part of the risk management framework,” says NCRMA Chairman Rocco Petrilli. “Having a fi rm grasp over risk management is vital to the success of any business.” “A common cannabis industry myth is that by having insurance, you are properly managing your risks, when in reality, insurance is only a small part of the risk management framework.”

—NCRMA Chairman Rocco Petrilli

National Cannabis Risk Management Association

The nation’s only cannabis risk management association ncrma.net

Building Real Community

This dispensary is making a difference.

As the cannabis space continues to expand in Michigan since marijuana became fully legal in 2019, the options for consumers have never been better. New grow facilities and dispensaries continually come online, each offering something different than their competitors. But it can be diffi cult to discern who actually is a positive community member through all the noise. That’s why you should look to RAIR for all your cannabis needs.

RAIR is a vertical operation that controls all of its products from seed to sale. That means that you can trust each of its award-winning products—fl ower, edibles, vape cartridges, and more—to deliver the effects it promises each and every time. RAIR has placed in every competition it has entered in Michigan with two fi rst place fi nishes. Quality is the primary objective with each product and community interaction.

One of the main reasons for RAIR’s success over the last 18 months is its commitment to diversity and inclusion across all facets of its business. Women lead each of its divisions, and over 65% of RAIR’s staff are women. Bringing people of color into leadership roles is a primary focus, and recently several have been promoted—not because they fi t some profi le but because of their talents. This commitment to the community has gone hand in hand with the success of each of RAIR’s three dispensaries—and two more are planned for opening this year in Lowell and Kalamazoo to further meet the needs of RAIR’s neighbors.

This focus on the community is why RAIR refused to participate in any of the negative attacks being launched against the caregiver industry across the state. RAIR believes that everyone deserves a place at the cannabis table.

“We feel that one of the main reasons that the cannabis industry even exists in Michigan is due to the work of the caregivers,” says Patrick Frakes, RAIR’s chief operating offi cer. “They were the trailblazers who laid the foundation for legal cannabis and should be treated with respect. We support them fully.”

You rarely see a company in any industry working so hard to partner with its consumers. From building the next cannabis industry leaders to providing an exceptional product, RAIR is trying to be different.

RAIR

Cannabis Dispensary rairco.com