Gilbert “Berner” Milam Jr. never thought the University of Southern California would say yes. When the founder and CEO of the cannabis brand Cookies first heard his business team was trying to sign a sponsorship deal with USC football, he immediately thought “that would never happen,” he recently said in an interview with SFGATE.

Marketing deals for marijuana companies are a veritable minefield — heavy hitters like Google and Facebook block them outright, and Instagram has gone so far as to shut down Berner’s personal account — which has nearly 2 million followers — for almost a month this summer for allegedly violating the network’s ban on promoting cannabis. The historically restrictive NCAA has long followed suit — official advertising guidelines still explicitly list “marijuana” as not allowed in college sports partnerships.

And yet, this month, Cookies and USC announced a three-year sponsorship deal that will put the Cookies name both on official USC merchandise and across the Trojans iconic Coliseum during games, according to Cookies President Parker Berling. It’s the first time a college team has partnered with a cannabis company in the NCAA’s history. And while everyone involved is quick to point out the deal is technically with Cookies’ CBD and wellness brand, promotions will feature the exact same Cookies logo that has become a global name in the marijuana business. There won’t be any distinction for fans in the stands.

Gilbert Anthony Milam Jr., AKA Burner, is the co-founder and CEO of Cookies.

How the Cookies deal works under the NCAA’s promotional rules isn’t exactly clear — neither the NCAA nor USC would say if marijuana companies are now free to advertise at collegiate sports — but there will “absolutely” be more cannabis companies advertising with college sports, according to Jim Andrews, an adjunct professor at Northwestern University and sports marketing expert.

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad

“They are really under pressure to find new sources of revenue, and this is one that is potentially going to be very large,” Andrews told SFGATE.

With college sports hungry for more marketing money (especially in the name, image, likeness era), Cookies likely just unleashed a flood........

© SFGate