Colgate, Sports Illustrated, BioSteel Nutrition Enter the CBD Market

Major companies are entering the CBD space every day, with famous athletic magazine Sports Illustrated, oral hygiene giant Colgate, and Canada’s BioSteel Nutrition being the latest additions.

Authentic Brands Group, the company that owns Sports Illustrated, said the brand will come out with a line of CBD-infused topical products in partnership with Sentia Wellness. The Sports Illustrated topicals will focus on active individuals, with the first product being a workout recovery cream slated to be released in February 2020.

Another big name entering the CBD sports market is Canadian cannabis giant Canopy Growth. The company owns BioSteel Sports Nutrition, a popular Canadian sports nutrition company whose drink recently became the official sports drink of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. BioSteel plans to release its CBD-infused drinks in the near future.

“CBD became something that NHL players and pro-athletes and a lot of people were turning to as a healthier alternative to the methods that they were previously using,” said Michael Cammalleri, one of the co-founders and co-CEOs of BioSteel Nutrition.

These news highlight CBD’s expansion into the sports arena, as a growing number of athletes, such as star ex-football player Rob Gronkowski, are endorsing CBD products as a safe, natural, healthy option for promoting recovery, relief, and other benefits.

CBD’s popularity is also causing sports governing bodies to change their stance towards the non-intoxicating cannabinoid and cannabis as a whole. For example, Major League Baseball recently removed marijuana (including both CBD and THC) off its list of drugs of abuse. This suggests that the NFL and other governing organizations may soon follow.

Meanwhile, in January, Colgate-Palmolive, one of the leaders in personal care, announced that it will acquire Hello Products, a company that recently came out with a line of CBD-infused oral care products.

The lineup includes CBD-infused toothpaste, mouthwashes, and lip balms, all of which are made with broad-spectrum (zero THC) hemp extract grown in the U.S. The company also sells cannabinoid-free products infused with hemp seed oil.

According to Colgate, the move was motivated by the appeal of hemp-based products with younger consumers.
News such as this highlights the growing interest of not only large companies but more importantly the public in hemp and CBD-infused products. What started out as a single product — CBD oil — is now expanding into CBD foods, beverages, cosmetics, and personal care products.