Abstract

For decades, marijuana has been an illegal substance in Canada; however, it has recently been deemed legal for medical purposes. The 13 government approved private producers and eight cultivation only companies approved (no sales), have strict advertising regulations established by Health Canada. Promoting one’s medicinal marihuana business to patients with prescriptions, and to potential future patients, is a necessary business activity. This manuscript illustrates that medicinal companies have sponsored sport and that the growing and lucrative Canadian medicinal marihuana industry may seek to advertise through sport sponsorship. The guiding ethical question is: Should medicinal marihuana be promoted through sport advertisements/sponsorship? The “management by values” perspective by Van der Wal, de Graaf, and Lasthuizen (2008) is outlined to underscore debates on the topic. Canada’s courts have supported medicinal marihuana; sport in Canadian society must now determine where medicinal marihuana fits as it relates to sport sponsorship.