The Oakland Ballers, an independent professional baseball team based in Oakland, California, will stage a family-friendly cannabis-themed game night on July 31, marking a first in professional baseball.
A partnership with Oaksterdam University
The team has teamed up with Oaksterdam University, the nation’s first cannabis college, to celebrate the legal cannabis industry during a live game. In honor of the collaboration, the Ballers will temporarily rebrand as the Oaksterdam Blazers, donning special uniforms that bear the new moniker.
The event, dubbed Grateful Dead Night, will feature a tour bus that departs at 10 a.m. PT for adults 21 and older, taking participants to a local dispensary and a lounge crawl showcasing Oakland-certified cannabis businesses.
Organizers stress that the ballpark itself will remain suitable for families, with all cannabis-related activations requiring age verification and offered on an opt-in basis.
Oakland’s cannabis heritage
Oakland has been at the forefront of marijuana policy for decades, from becoming the first U.S. city in 2004 to permit and regulate medical cannabis dispensaries, to helping launch California’s medical marijuana program in 1996 and the state’s recreational market in 2016.
The Ballers’ initiative reflects the city’s ongoing role as a hub of cannabis entrepreneurship, highlighting the community leaders and advocates who built the local industry.
While other teams have dabbled in cannabis partnerships — such as the Portland Pickles selling THC products in 2024 and MLB’s 2022 sponsorship with a CBD company — the Ballers’ event is the first to blend a live game with a full-scale, family-oriented cannabis experience.
Tickets for the lounge crawl are limited, and the tour bus experience aims to showcase the entrepreneurs and advocates who have shaped Oakland’s legal cannabis landscape.