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The folks at O.penVAPE, a Colorado-based manufacturer of vaporizer devices, cartridges and other marijuana-related products, were disappointed when the Denver Broncos declined to consider their proposal to purchase naming rights for Mile High Stadium.
But that doesn't mean that representatives of the firm are putting distance between them and the NFL — or at least former NFL players who advocate for the use of medical cannabis.
The company is announcing a new event: the O.penVAPE Open, a charity golf tournament taking place on Monday, September 12. And a number of former NFL players will be on hand, participating in foursomes.
No names are being shared yet; they'll be revealed soon. However, O.penVAPE has close relationships with a number of ex-pro footballers, including Lance Johnstone, a former defensive end with the Oakland Raiders and the Minnesota Vikings, who was prominently featured in the initial press release about the Mile High Stadium-naming proposal.
A spokesman for the Gridiron Cannabis Coalition, Johnstone was quoted as saying, “The NFL has the opportunity to be a leader in the sports industry to address pain management. I believe many active and retired players would appreciate working with O.penVAPE to support scientific research, dispel the stigmas of using cannabis, and provide safer treatment alternatives to league players.”
The idea of a cannabis company staging a charity golf tournament isn't new. As we've reported, the Clinic Charity Classic has raised thousands of dollars for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's Colorado-Wyoming chapter in recent years. But the NFL connection is a new twist — and one that should demonstrate how many former players are ready to speak up about medical cannabis.
The tournament is scheduled to take place on Monday, September 12, at the Meridian Golf Club, 9742 South Meridian Boulevard in Englewood, and all proceeds are earmarked for the Flowering Hope Foundation, described as "a 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to create opportunities for patients to receive a better quality of life and peace of mind through safe access to life-changing medication."
For more additional details, visit the Growing Hope Foundation.