FOXBORO -- Rob Gronkowski may be done with football -- at least, for now -- but his connection with Gillette Stadium has grown even stronger.
Two months after announcing his partnership with CBDMedic, a subsidiary of Abacus Health Products, the recently-retired New England Patriots tight end announced the company's new partnership with Gillette Stadium and Patriot Place. Gronk was joined by Abacus Health Products CEO Perry Antelman in making the announcement at Gillette on Friday.
Antelman explained the plans for the new partnership.
"Sports fans and athletes alike won't be able to miss signs of Rob Gronkowski and the CBDMedic products that have helped him recover from the multiple injuries of his football career," Antelman said. "One, you'll see new signage around the outside of the stadium. We're taking this message to new heights, literally. The iconic water tower of the stadium and Patriots Place will feature the CBDMedic logo and will be visible to the millions of fans that attend games here."
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"Two, fans will also be able to get free product," said Antelman. "Sample product will be handed out to the tens of thousands of fans here at every game.
"Three, we'll have a gigantic billboard on the side of the stadium, at the entrance of the stadium, and for the Gillette Stadium and Patriots Place logos, they will also be used on our advertising nationally."
"These are just the first steps," Antelman added. "We're going to continue to take it to higher levels as we continue with our advocacy."
Gronkowski spoke at length about the health benefits of CBD when he initially announced his partnership with CBDMedic in August. The three-time Super Bowl champion reiterated his desire to have CBD readily available to players and hopes CBDMedic's joint venture with Gillette Stadium and Patriot Place will help make that happen one day.
"I remember wishing I had access to alternative, more natural medications to manage my pain during that time," Gronkowski said. "That's why the partership between CBDMedic, Patriot Place, and Gillette Stadium means a lot to me. Because it takes it to a whole new level of what it's all about. It shows the support of one of the leading sports organizations from around the country for athletes and millions of people suffering from pain."
Since cannabis of any kind is banned by the NFL, CBDMedic's products and signage can only be present on the outskirts of Gillette Stadium. As for whether Antelman and Abacus Health Products are working on fixing that, that's in the NFL's hands.
"This is up to the NFL," Antelman said. "I know that they are working on studying alternative medications to help the athletes -- they're always working to help the athletes -- we hear that it is coming around. Whether that's six months, 12 months, or 18 months, we don't know yet. But when it does come around, we're hoping that we'll be one of the first to be in the stadium."
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