Vermont Green Football Club has announced a partnership with Burlington-based cannabis dispensary Ceres Collaborative. The partnership aims to raise funds and awareness for criminal justice reform through donations to the Last Prisoner Project, and strengthen the relationship between the club and the local cannabis industry.
The Last Prisoner Project was founded in 2019 out of the belief that no one should remain incarcerated or suffer the collateral consequences of offenses that are now legal. The non-profit brought together a group of justice-impacted individuals, policy and education experts, and leaders in the worlds of criminal justice and drug policy reform to work to end the fundamental injustice that is America’s policy of cannabis prohibition and the War on Drugs.
“Vermont Green FC is delighted to partner with Ceres Collaborative, a local dispensary that shares our commitment to environmental justice through criminal justice reform advocacy.” said Sam Glickman, Vermont Green FC co-founder. “Ceres are not only aligned with our mission goals, but they also develop wonderful products, including the CBD Salve that prioritizes muscle recovery from exercise and physical activity.”
Ceres Collaborative and Vermont Green FC have developed two co-branded products: a CBD salve and “Vermont Greens,” a restorative blend sold in pre-roll 3-packs. Both products are available at Ceres’ Downtown Burlington location and online. 1% of sales will be donated to Last Prisoner Project to help fight for cannabis prisoners’ freedoms.
“We are deeply proud to partner with the World’s greatest football club, The Vermont Green! During our initial meeting, we realized that we share values and decided to team-up on something bigger. We developed two products with a focus on restoring and recovering the body after physical exercise.” said Russ Todia, COO at Ceres Collaborative. “Since backing meaningful causes is a shared passion, we joined with our partners at Last Prisoner Project to donate a portion of sales to support cannabis justice.”
“We are eager to use this partnership as an opportunity to ignite more meaningful conversations about cannabis in sports,” said Glickman. “In the sports industry specifically, we believe an openness around the topic can help destigmatize its use by athletes. We know that cannabis products have numerous clean and safe benefits for the physical and mental well-being of athletes, and they should have the ability to utilize these benefits without risking their careers. We’re excited to be at the forefront of these conversations.”