As younger consumers rethink their relationship with alcohol, retailers like SWADE Cannabis are betting cannabis can build its own place in sports culture, starting with the watch party.
When the FIFA World Cup arrived in Kansas City this summer, it brought the kind of energy the tournament always generates. Bars opened early, fans in matching scarves filled the sidewalks, and for several weeks, much of the metro planned its days around kickoff times.
SWADE Cannabis, the Missouri retailer owned by BeLeaf Medical Co., saw an opportunity in that energy. For years, operators across legal markets have been searching for ways to move cannabis beyond the retail transaction and into shared social experiences. On July 11, as the tournament reaches the quarterfinals, SWADE Cannabis is hosting a free, cannabis-friendly watch party at The Tree Room in Kansas City, complete with designated consumption areas and a room built for soccer fans.
“For decades, beverage brands have been a staple of sports culture, giving fans a way to gather, celebrate, and be part of the experience,” said Brandon Cavanagh, Senior Director of Marketing at SWADE Cannabis. “We believe cannabis deserves a place in that conversation, too.”
It is a meaningful claim, and the data behind it has grown stronger in recent years.
The Ground Is Already Shifting
The change begins with how people drink. Gen Z is consuming less alcohol than any generation in recent memory, and a significant share of those consumers are turning to cannabis and non-alcoholic alternatives instead. The shift has drawn attention from alcohol companies, which increasingly view cannabis as part of the broader competition for consumers’ leisure spending.
The substitution effect is measurable. In a University at Buffalo study, adults who began using cannabis beverages cut their weekly alcohol consumption roughly in half, from about seven drinks a week …
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Author: High Times / High Times
