Athletes having been taking advantage of the natural healing properties of cannabis behind the sports scene for a very long time. With some sort of cannabis legalization being passed in over half of the United States, it’s no wonder athletes are starting to invest in the cannabis business. Several have saved money from time spent playing in the NFL, and they’re looking to prolong their retirement with wise investments. We’re currently in the Green Rush, and several former NFL players have announced they’re getting involved in the industry.

1. Joe Montana

Joe Montana, a Hall of Fame quarterback who played for the San Francisco 49ers, recently announced his investment firm, Liquid 2 Ventures, is involved in a $75 million investment in the cannabis industry. California based cannabis company Caliva will be using the invested funds to grow their company. Their plans for expansion include a farm, another retail location, and their own delivery service.

2. Terrell Davis

Terrell Davis, former running back and Hall of Famer for the Denver Broncos, used this year’s Super Bowl as the most opportune time to announce his partnership with Defy, a CBD infused sports drink. Davis says CBD helped him during his time spent playing in the NFL. He believes CBD can help athletes in sports and that’s one of the main reasons he decided to get involved with cannabis.

3. Jonathan Casillas

Jonathan Casillas is a two time Super Bowl Champion and former Captain of the New York Giants. He’s been getting involved with cannabis after retiring due to injuries. He co-hosted the 2018 Cannabis Business Awards in Denver, CO, and now he’s got his own CBD product line. Casillas is launching Jade’s Garden, a hemp derived CBD line named after his daughter.    

4. Tiki Barber

Tiki Barber was one of the New York Giants’ star running backs–now he’s running businesses. Last year he became co-founder of the investment firm Grove Group Management. The firm plans to focus on startups in the cannabis industry. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, where adult use legalization has been passed countrywide, the firm is already investing and looking for cannabis startups with potential to grow.  

Antonio DeRose

Antonio is the Co-Founder and COO of Green House Healthy, a health and wellness company promoting cannabis as part of a healthy and active lifestyle. He is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, competitive trail runner, freelance writer and speaker. His company creates healthy experiences through educational and athletic events, teaching cannabis positive fitness and nutrition classes, and providing promotion and media services. Antonio has several years of experience with cannabis, including having worked on an all organic outdoor farm with 6000 plants, from seed to sale. In 2017, he became the first male to complete an entire 420 Games National Tour, a traveling athletic event series focused on de-stigmatizing the lazy stoner stereotype. He is also an official NORML Athlete, representing NORML Athletics.