FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OAKLAND, Calif. — On July 31, the Oakland Ballers will take the field as the Oaksterdam Blazers, marking the first time any professional baseball team has openly aligned itself with the cannabis industry at a live game. It’s a milestone six decades in the making for an industry old enough now to have kids of its own, sitting in the stands.
The Ballers aren’t just any team taking this leap. Fresh off a 73-23 season that broke the Pioneer League’s modern-era win record and ended in a championship-clinching win before a sellout crowd of 4,100 at Raimondi Park, the reigning champs earned a key to the city from the Mayor. Now they’ll wear that pride on their back, taking the field in Oaksterdam Blazers jerseys for an industry everyone else is still afraid to name.
The Ballers’ “Grateful Dead Night” bills itself as the first cannabis-industry-affiliated event in American professional sports to build a hard line between its 21+ programming and its family ballpark experience. Organizers say that structure and separation are the point, not a footnote.
“Oakland and Oaksterdam have always moved first on the things everyone else is too nervous to touch,” says Dale Sky Jones, Chancellor and CEO of Oaksterdam University. “People resist it, then they live with it, then one day nobody remembers why it was controversial at all. That’s what’s happening with cannabis and family life right now. The same adults who use cannabis responsibly are the ones coaching their kids’ teams, on PTA, and showing up to school pickup. We’re not asking anyone to pretend that cannabis and kids mix. We’re showing how an industry holds both things at once: adults doing adult things in adult spaces, and a baseball game everyone’s family can enjoy.”
The concept began as an online April Fool’s joke, but the overwhelmingly positive response convinced the team that Oakland’s relationship to this industry was no joke. The Ballers recently released a line of Oakland Blazers merchandise, with a portion of proceeds from each sale going to Oaksterdam’s Non-profit for Education (the ONE). Now, taking it a step further, the team will assume its alt-identity and play a game as the Oaksterdam Blazers on Friday, July 31.
“We thought this was a one-day joke. Then the internet did what the internet does and turned it into a public demand,” said Oakland Ballers CEO Paul Freedman. “At a certain point, we had two choices: disappoint thousands of fans or create a cannabis-themed baseball identity. Obviously, we chose the more responsible option. Partnering with Oaksterdam made it even easier. The Oakland Blazers are a celebration of Oakland creativity, Oakland culture, and the fact that sometimes the best business strategy is admitting your April Fools’ joke was better than your actual plans. We’re especially proud that merchandise sales will help support The ONE and Oaksterdam’s work expanding education and opportunity in the community that helped build this industry.”
The day starts at 10 a.m. with a 21+ dispensary “lounge crawl,” shuttling fans between City of Oakland-certified equity businesses on the Emerald Farms Tour Bus. Many of the stops carry the Oakland Legendary mark, the city’s certification for cannabis brands founded by operators most impacted by the War on Drugs, a program Oaksterdam co-sponsors as part of its longstanding commitment to the community that built this industry. At 4:45 p.m., separate 21+ and family-friendly shuttles deliver fans to Raimondi Park, where first pitch is at 6:35 p.m., with the Ballers on the field in full Oaksterdam Blazers uniform, backed by Grateful Dead tribute band, Dead Enough. The Ballers are seeking sponsorship from industry and community partners to support both halves of the day.
Tickets are now available for July 31, 2026, at Raimondi Park, 1689 20th St., Oakland, CA 94607. Blazers merchandise is available in the team store. Full event details and sponsorship information: https://oaksterdam.com/blazers/
For media inquiries, please contact Angela Bacca, media@oaksterdamuniversity.com. Branding assets are available for download here.
About the Oakland Ballers:
The Oakland Ballers, affectionately known as the B’s, are Oakland’s one and only professional baseball team—and one of the most exciting stories in all of sports. Born from a fan-led movement to ensure professional baseball never leaves The Town, the Ballers represent what’s possible when a community builds something together. In just their first two seasons, the Ballers have made history. The team shattered the Pioneer Baseball League’s modern-era wins record, finishing 73–23 on the way to becoming the 2025 PBL Champions, an achievement that earned them a Key to the City from Mayor Barbara Lee. Along the way, the Ballers built a brand-new ballpark in historic West Oakland, welcomed more than 220,000 fans to Raimondi Park, and sent ten players on to Major League Baseball organizations. They also made league history as the first team to start a female pitcher and were named Trailblazers of the Year by Assemblymember Mia Bonta at the annual AD18 Awards.
About Oaksterdam University:
Oaksterdam University is the global leader in cannabis education, providing the highest-quality training to entrepreneurs, regulators, academics, and individuals interested in careers in the cannabis industry. Over 100,000 alumni from 116 countries have become influential advocates, business and legislative leaders, and many of the industry’s “firsts.” Oaksterdam experts established the modern standards and business practices that define today’s cannabis industry and led the movement to relegalize and regulate cannabis. OU offers certifications for individual learners seeking careers in the cannabis industry, customizable, state-specific workforce training, and help for entrepreneurs navigating the complex landscape of licensing and compliance. Visit Oaksterdam.com for more information.
Note: The Oakland Legendary Cannabis Awareness Campaign, sponsored by the City of Oakland and created by Oaksterdam University in collaboration with the Equity Trade Network, established the nation’s first certification mark identifying cannabis businesses owned by operators most impacted by the War on Drugs. A directory of verified equity operators is available at www.legendary.green.
