Smart weed brands can easily corner the coveted pickleball market—if they put in the right effort
Earlier this winter, Trulieve made national headlines as the first cannabis brand to sponsor pro pickleball. Specifically, the multi-state operator partnered with the United Pickleball Association (UPA), which is the parent company of the Carvana Pro Pickleball (PPA) Tour and Major League Pickleball (MLP), the latter of which already has Margaritaville as a marquee sponsor.
All parties have been mum on most details, other than to acknowledge that Trulieve has exclusivity in the cannabis category, and will be able to engage in “branding and digital integration.” According to Forbes, the company will get “sponsorship of 12 premier events across the PPA Tour and the MLP in Arizona, Florida, and Georgia,” all markets where it has considerable interests.
The announcement also noted how the collab will focus on health and wellness and whatnot, but that nonsense aside, what’s clear is that this is a total coup for Trulieve. Far be it from me to give props to one of the most despicable corporations in cannabis, whose irresponsibility in Massachusetts tied to the death of employee Lorna McMurrey at its Holyoke facility in 2022 led to the company leaving the commonwealth. But this was as solid a marijuana marketing maneuver as there is, and Trulieve arrived first in the arena.
As a reporter who is barely a businessman and who cares very little about the success of large brands that don’t advertise on my site, I don’t spend too much time giving out free marketing advice. Due to my job I know way more than most industry publicists, and I always feel like a sucker spoon-feeding so much obvious wisdom to the ignorant. With that said, I can no longer stand always hearing about the critical importance of the older demographic while also watching basically every brand—except for Trulieve, apparently—miss the boat on this one.
It’s all too freaking obvious. It’s not just hyperbole or people simply saying pickleball is popular; per a 2024 Sports & Fitness Industry Association report, it’s “the fastest-growing sport for the third straight year with approximately 13.6 million players in the US.” There’s been more than 200% growth since the pandemic. And as I’ve written in one of the most viral posts in the history of this site, pickleball is great for stoners.
While some of the coverage of the Trulieve sponsorship deal focused on pickleball’s increasing popularity with younger people, that’s beside my point. What’s far more important are the surveys showing that seniors are the fastest-growing canna demo. And seniors, in case you haven’t noticed, are on the pickleball court. My public club alone has more than 700 members, most of whom are over 60. On any given spring, summer, or fall day, there will be about a hundred people out there swinging.
And this is the part that most marketing pros won’t want to hear, because it requires actual work. You will have to contact and visit these players and clubs—through dedicated apps like TeamReach, social media, and most of all in person. At some of the spots where I play, public and private alike, I’ve seen paddle and equipment businesses drop off samples, plus sports drink, energy bar, and nonalcoholic beer brands, restaurants, and even a CBD store sponsor tournaments—but nothing from the half-dozen dispensaries nearby.
This oversight is especially insane since aging boomers are an unbelievably important demo. Not only because of their disposable income, spare time, and skyrocketing interest, but also because of how impressionable they are. Every time I’m on the court I hear about some new vape, edible, or preroll that one of my sixtysomething friends swears by thanks to a compelling budtender. Oftentimes, it’s garbage, but I rarely burst their bubble. My snobbery is no match for the power of good marketing.
The good news is that all of that attention can instead be directed toward some—any—other willing weed brand. Forget about the Trulieve approach and the pro tours; the majority of people who actually play the game don’t watch pickle on cable. To reach them, you just have to show the hell up with a bagful of shirts, towels, water bottles, glasses, or—best of all—balls with your company’s logo. Throw in a few deal codes, and you will make customers for life.
Finally, though I shouldn’t have to say this in 2025, anybody thinking even faintly that cannabis sponsorship poses a danger to children or anything of that sort can pound sand. Better yet, they can pound a beer or boozy beverage at any professional pickleball event from Vegas to Naples, even though they still can’t smoke a joint while hanging courtside.
