Rob Gronkowski's next move: CBD pitchman
Former New England Patriots star Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski is getting into the CBD game.
The retired Pats tight end announced on Tuesday that he has joined Abacus Health Products as a spokesman for its cannabis-derived CBDMEDIC pain relief products.
“I’m excited to partner with Abacus — a company that I truly believe in, and start a new chapter of my career as an advocate for CBD in recovery,” Gronkowski said.
Gronk won three Super Bowls with the Patriots, but he also sat out 29 regular-season games during his NFL career due to various injuries.
“During my career, I pushed myself while recovering from nine surgeries and countless injuries,” he said. “I was in near constant pain and needed to make a change. Once I retired, I looked for better and more natural ways to recover and discovered CBDMEDIC. These products have helped me safely manage pain better than anything else I’ve tried. Building on my own experience with CBDMEDIC for pain, I’m inspired to work with the company to introduce new CBD products to the market.”
During a news conference, Gronkowski said he would appeal to various sports’ governing bodies to allow players to use CBD.
Abacus makes its over-the-counter topical medications with CBD, or cannabidiol, a cannabis extract that doesn’t cause a high, but is essential for medical marijuana. Its legal status is a little iffy, varying from state to state.
“We’re proud to parent with one of football’s greatest tight ends of all times,” Abacus CEO Perry Antelman said. “Gronk’s passion for living life to the fullest while maintaining a health, natural and pain-free lifestyle aligns perfectly with the mission of our company. Abacus is focused on providing safe, natural and effective relief for millions of Americans in need of recovery.”
Rob Gronkowski, CBDMEDIC (Source: Abacus Health Products Inc.)
The company didn’t disclose how much it’s paying Gronk, but it did say he’ll get 302,835 subordinate voting shares in the business, with the option to buy another 36,555 at $15 per share.
Gronkowski has dipped his toes into a number of different businesses. His Gronk Fitness sells workout equipment. He partnered with a party bus company to rent out an officially-branded “Gronk Bus.” He also sells Gronk apparel.