Key Takeaways
- The Las Vegas Vlasic Classic raises funds and awareness for cannabis prisoners and their families, emphasizing the ongoing impact of prohibition.
- Organized by Vlasic Labs, the tournament supports organizations like Freedom Grow, which assists those affected by incarceration.
- Randy Lanier, a former racing champion and cannabis prisoner advocate, highlights the personal connection to the cause.
- Jarred Shaw’s case illustrates international discrepancies in cannabis laws, emphasizing support for his family through the event.
- The 2025 Vlasic Classic donated $29,250 to Freedom Grow, showcasing the industry’s commitment to helping those still disadvantaged by past laws.
The cannabis industry has spent the better part of the last decade celebrating legalization, expanding into new markets, and building businesses around a plant that once operated almost entirely outside the law. Yet while companies continue to grow and new opportunities emerge, thousands of people and families remain affected by the criminal penalties that helped define cannabis prohibition for generations.
That contradiction is one of the reasons the Las Vegas Vlasic Classic deserves attention.
Held October 10, 2026, at the historic Las Vegas Country Club, the charity golf tournament organized by Vlasic Labs brought together cannabis industry supporters around a mission that extends well beyond the golf course. Presented by GrowGeneration, the event was organized to raise money and awareness for cannabis prisoners and their families, with Freedom Grow, The Forgotten Prisoner, and former professional basketball player Jarred Shaw among its designated beneficiaries.
For Beard Bros Media, participating as a media sponsor represents an extension of the work we have been involved in for years. We have watched the cannabis industry evolve from a community fighting for basic access into a multibillion-dollar legal marketplace. Along the way, we have continued advocating for people whose lives were disrupted by the same prohibition policies that created so much of the industry’s history.
The Vlasic Classic offers an opportunity for businesses that benefit from legalization to help support those still living with its consequences.
The Vlasic Classic Brings Cannabis Culture and Charitable Giving Together
The Vlasic Classic began with an idea that feels particularly relevant to cannabis: bring people together, build relationships, and use those connections to support individuals who need help.
Organized by Vlasic Labs, the hemp wellness company led by Willy Vlasic and his family, the tournament series has expanded across Missouri, Michigan, and Nevada. Its charitable mission focuses on supporting nonviolent cannabis prisoners, assisting families, and helping individuals rebuild their lives following incarceration.
The Las Vegas tournament continued that mission with a day of golf, industry networking, charitable fundraising, and an awards celebration. Participants and sponsors helped support the designated beneficiaries through tournament registration, sponsorship contributions, raffles, and on-course activities.
For an industry accustomed to conferences, trade shows, and networking events, the format offers something different. Cannabis professionals can spend time together outside the traditional business environment while contributing to organizations addressing problems that industry growth alone cannot resolve.
There is nothing wrong with having a good time while supporting an important cause. In fact, finding creative ways to encourage participation is one of the strengths of the Vlasic Classic.
The golf creates the gathering. The charitable mission gives that gathering a lasting purpose.
Freedom Grow: Supporting Cannabis Prisoners and Their Families
For us here at Beard Bros, one of the most meaningful parts of the Las Vegas Vlasic Classic is its continued support for Freedom Grow.
Freedom Grow is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting cannabis prisoners and their families while advocating for freedom and second chances. Its work addresses an uncomfortable reality: changes to cannabis laws do not automatically repair the damage caused by incarceration.
A person serving a lengthy prison sentence remains separated from their children and loved ones regardless of how many dispensaries open nearby. Families continue to face financial hardship, emotional strain, and the daily challenges of maintaining relationships across prison walls.
Freedom Grow was established to provide direct assistance while keeping these individuals and their circumstances visible.
Through its Wish Program, the organization helps incarcerated individuals access commissary funds, reading materials, family outreach, and other support intended to make daily life behind bars more manageable. These efforts also help maintain connections between prisoners and the people waiting for them at home.
Commissary assistance might seem relatively small compared with the enormous financial challenges of the legal cannabis industry, but for someone incarcerated, it can make a meaningful difference. Having money available for essential items or the ability to communicate with family members provides a degree of dignity and comfort in an environment where personal choices are severely restricted.
These are practical needs that charitable fundraising can help address.
Beard Bros has worked alongside Freedom Grow because we believe the cannabis community has an ongoing responsibility to the people who helped shape its history, including those who paid an extraordinary personal price.
The Las Vegas Vlasic Classic is another opportunity to turn that responsibility into meaningful financial support.
Randy Lanier: From Racing Champion to Cannabis Prisoner Advocate
Among the people closely associated with Freedom Grow is Randy Lanier, whose personal history offers one of the most compelling examples of why the organization’s work matters.
Lanier won the 1984 IMSA Camel GT championship and earned Rookie of the Year honors at the 1986 Indianapolis 500 before his racing career was derailed by a federal marijuana trafficking prosecution. He received a life sentence without parole in 1988 and ultimately spent approximately 27 years incarcerated before his release in 2014.
Today, Randy serves as CEO of Freedom Grow, dedicating much of his work to helping people experiencing the same hardships he once faced.
His experience adds a deeply personal dimension to the organization’s advocacy. Randy understands what it means to lose decades of freedom, to watch the outside world change while remaining incarcerated, and to confront the challenges of returning to society after an extraordinarily long prison sentence.
His story has been documented through the Netflix series Bad Sport and his memoir, Survival of the Fastest. What makes his current work especially significant is his decision to use that experience to support others rather than leave the past behind.
For Beard Bros, Randy is an important connection between cannabis history and the ongoing responsibility to help those still affected by prohibition.
He also brings something invaluable to fundraising initiatives like the Vlasic Classic: the perspective of someone who knows firsthand what charitable assistance and public advocacy can mean to an incarcerated person.
Jarred Shaw’s Case Demonstrates Why the Fight Extends Beyond America
One of the central beneficiaries of the 2026 Las Vegas Vlasic Classic is Jarred Shaw, a former American professional basketball player serving a 26-month prison sentence in Indonesia over cannabis gummies he obtained while living and playing basketball overseas.
Shaw has Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory condition, and reportedly used cannabis to manage symptoms. He was arrested in May 2025 after ordering gummies while playing in the Indonesian Basketball League. Prosecutors initially pursued charges carrying the possibility of a death sentence before his eventual conviction and 26-month sentence.
His case has attracted attention because of the severity of the initial legal jeopardy and concerns surrounding his health while incarcerated.
According to statements from his advocates, Shaw has experienced significant weight loss and difficulty obtaining the nutrition and medical care needed to manage his condition.
The Forgotten Prisoner, founded by Donte West, has worked to bring attention to Shaw’s circumstances and pursue humanitarian assistance. Fundraising through the Vlasic Classic is intended to help Shaw and his family while supporting continued advocacy surrounding his case.
For cannabis consumers in the United States, where medical and adult-use programs now operate across much of the country, Shaw’s situation illustrates how dramatically laws and penalties can differ internationally.
Legal access in one jurisdiction offers no protection against criminal penalties in another. Those differences can carry enormous consequences, particularly for patients who rely on cannabis for symptom management.
The broader cannabis community has an opportunity to support Shaw’s family while advocates work toward securing his safe return to the United States.
The Las Vegas Vlasic Classic provided another platform to keep that effort visible.
Vlasic Classic Donated $29,250 to Freedom Grow in 2025, Helping Cannabis Prisoners and Their Families
The impact of the Vlasic Classic extends well beyond the golf course, and the numbers from 2025 demonstrate exactly why events like this deserve the cannabis industry’s support.
In 2025 alone, the Vlasic Classic contributed $29,250 directly to Freedom Grow, providing meaningful financial support to an organization dedicated to helping cannabis prisoners and their families. For an all-volunteer nonprofit operating in a space where resources are often limited and the need for assistance remains significant, that contribution represents far more than a successful fundraising campaign.
Freedom Grow works directly with incarcerated individuals and their loved ones, providing commissary assistance, reading materials, family support, and other resources that help people navigate the hardships of incarceration. Every dollar contributed helps the organization continue providing services to individuals whose lives remain affected by cannabis prohibition.
For Beard Bros Media, the $29,250 donation to Freedom Grow is one of the most important accomplishments to recognize from last year’s Vlasic Classic events. We have seen firsthand how difficult it can be for nonprofit organizations focused on cannabis prisoners to secure consistent financial support, particularly as much of the industry’s attention has shifted toward market expansion, regulatory reform, and commercial profitability.
The Vlasic Classic has demonstrated that industry gatherings can produce measurable benefits for the people who helped shape cannabis history but have not shared in the opportunities created by legalization.
The tournament series raised a reported $65,000 for charitable initiatives in 2025, including $16,250 for the Last Prisoner Project, $5,000 for Project Mission Green, and $1,300 in direct educational assistance for Deshaun Durham following his release from incarceration. These contributions supported several efforts focused on addressing the lasting consequences of prohibition.
Across its tournaments in Missouri, Michigan, and Nevada, the Vlasic Classic had raised more than $165,000 for second-chance initiatives before the October 2026 Las Vegas event.
Those figures reflect a sustained commitment from Vlasic Labs, its sponsors, participating businesses, and the individuals who recognize that the cannabis industry’s responsibilities should extend beyond the marketplace.
For Freedom Grow, the nearly $30,000 received in 2025 provides a compelling example of what happens when cannabis businesses direct their resources toward the people who still need help.
That is a contribution worth celebrating, and it is one of the reasons Beard Bros Media is proud to stand behind the Vlasic Classic as a media sponsor.
Why Beard Bros Media Is Proud to Support the Las Vegas Vlasic Classic
As a media sponsor of the Las Vegas Vlasic Classic, Beard Bros Media sees the tournament as another opportunity to use our platform for something we have consistently advocated: remembering the people who remain incarcerated for cannabis while the legal marketplace grows around them.
Our involvement with Freedom Grow and our longstanding coverage of cannabis policy, culture, and prohibition have reinforced the importance of keeping these stories in front of the public.
People like Randy Lanier remind us of the decades that have already been lost. Cases like Jarred Shaw’s demonstrate that the consequences of prohibition are continuing today, sometimes far beyond America’s borders.
The Vlasic Classic brings those issues into an environment where cannabis entrepreneurs, executives, and advocates can build relationships around a shared charitable mission.
We appreciate Willy Vlasic, the Vlasic Labs team, presenting sponsor GrowGeneration, supporting brands including Matrix, Deep Roots, and Rythm, and everyone who contributes to making these tournaments possible.
The industry’s success should create opportunities to support people who were affected by the laws under which that industry once operated.
And while a golf tournament cannot single-handedly resolve the complicated legal circumstances surrounding cannabis incarceration, it can raise money for prisoners and their families, strengthen nonprofit organizations, and bring much-needed attention to individual cases.
For Freedom Grow, those contributions translate into continued assistance for people whose needs do not disappear when the headlines move on.
For Beard Bros Media, helping amplify that work is an important part of our responsibility to the community that built this industry.
The scorecards eventually get turned in, the clubs go back in the bag, and everybody heads home. For the people Freedom Grow supports, getting home is the entire point.
Support Freedom Grow and the Vlasic Classic Mission
Those interested in helping can learn more about the organizations and initiatives connected to the tournament.
- Freedom Grow: Support cannabis prisoners and their families through direct assistance and advocacy.
- The Vlasic Classic: Learn about the national charity golf tournament series and future opportunities to participate.
- The Forgotten Prisoner: Learn more about efforts supporting Jarred Shaw and other families affected by incarceration.
- Vlasic Classic on Instagram: Follow tournament news and community activities.
- Randy Lanier on Instagram: Follow Randy’s cannabis justice advocacy.
- Freedom Grow on Instagram: Follow updates about prisoners and the organization’s work.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Las Vegas Vlasic Classic is a charity golf tournament organized by Vlasic Labs and held at the historic Las Vegas Country Club on October 10, 2026. Presented by GrowGeneration, the event raises money and awareness for cannabis prisoners and their families, with Freedom Grow, The Forgotten Prisoner, and former professional basketball player Jarred Shaw among its designated beneficiaries.
Freedom Grow is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting cannabis prisoners and their families while advocating for freedom and second chances. Through its Wish Program, the organization provides commissary funds, reading materials, family outreach, and other support designed to make daily life behind bars more manageable and to maintain connections between incarcerated individuals and their loved ones.
Randy Lanier is a former racing champion who won the 1984 IMSA Camel GT championship and earned Rookie of the Year honors at the 1986 Indianapolis 500 before being sentenced to life without parole following a federal marijuana trafficking prosecution. He served approximately 27 years before his release in 2014 and now serves as CEO of Freedom Grow, using his experience to support others facing similar hardships.
Jarred Shaw is a former American professional basketball player serving a 26-month prison sentence in Indonesia for cannabis gummies he obtained while playing overseas. Shaw has Crohn’s disease and reportedly used cannabis to manage his symptoms. His case, supported by The Forgotten Prisoner, highlights how dramatically cannabis laws and penalties can differ internationally and the humanitarian concerns surrounding his incarceration.
In 2025 alone, the Vlasic Classic contributed $29,250 to Freedom Grow, along with $16,250 to the Last Prisoner Project, $5,000 to Project Mission Green, and $1,300 in direct educational assistance for Deshaun Durham. Across its tournaments in Missouri, Michigan, and Nevada, the Vlasic Classic had raised more than $165,000 for second-chance initiatives before the October 2026 Las Vegas event.
