Chicago’s United Center is stepping into new territory for live events, becoming the first major U.S. arena to offer cannabis drinks at its concessions.
The arena — home of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks — announced Tuesday a multi-year partnership with Rythm, a hemp-derived THC beverage company that makes Rythm- and Señorita-branded drinks, to sell the cans at concerts and live events.
The beverages will be available for adults 21 and older and sold alongside alcohol and soft drinks.
“We’re seeing consumers choose this at the liquor store, at venues, at restaurants, and so it’s a time when consumers are looking for alternatives,” said Ben Kovler, CEO of Green Thumb Industries, which owns a stake in Rythm.
“We know consumers want them,” Kovler said. “They believe in no hangovers, they want the alternative.”
Consumer interest in hemp-derived THC products has been steadily rising in recent years. According to a study conducted by consumer researcher Brightfield Group and cited by Bernstein, 14% of U.S. adults reported using some type of hemp-derived THC product in the first quarter of 2025, up from just 8% a year earlier.
“As we continue to evolve offerings for our guests, RYTHM’s Chicago roots made its beverage line a natural fit for the United Center experience,” said Joe Myhra, United Center’s chief operating officer in a press release.
The drinks will be available during concerts at the venue starting in early February and will serve as a test case for cannabis in mainstream venues even as lawmakers debate tightening rules around the category over safety concerns.
Kovler said the product sales will be aligned with safety and compliance measures in line with Illinois law, though the company didn’t specify serving limits or monitoring protocols.
“The American consumer is very familiar with self-dosing a drink, and self-moderating,” Kovler said, “unlike a [THC] gummy — it’s hard for most Americans to eat only one gummy.”
THC regulation turmoil
Last year, Congress passed a funding bill that included a THC cap effectively banning most hemp-derived THC products — the same category now being sold at the United Center — starting in November.
Public health advocates argued the market had outpaced regulation, while industry groups warned a sweeping ban could disrupt billions in consumer sales.
That legislation was followed by revisions to the 2018 Farm Bill, which added exclusions to the federal definition of hemp. In effect, the changes closed the so-called “hemp loophole” and could make many hemp-based THC beverages in a matter of a months, barring further policy shifts.
Lawmakers in both chambers of Congress have already introduced legislation to keep intoxicating hemp products legal until 2028. A separate bipartisan bill was also submitted that would set a regulatory framework for intoxicating hemp beverages and CBD products, giving the industry hope for change before the current expiration.
“The timing in government and rules is never good and is never clear,” said Kovler. “It remains murky, but we’re guided by the consumer, and that gives us a lot of confidence betting on this now.”
Adding to the policy shakeup, the Trump administration last year moved to reclassify cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act — a shift that sent cannabis stocks higher and raised questions about taxation, banking access and federal oversight.
While rescheduling primarily affects state-legal marijuana businesses rather than hemp-derived products, it signals growing willingness in Washington to revisit decades-old cannabis policy.
If policy momentum continues, analysts say the door could swing open to more cannabis-related products entering mainstream venues, but with some risk.
“Investing in cannabis remains a volatile and challenging endeavor, and one that is not for the faint-of-heart,” Bernstein analyst Nadine Sarwat wrote in a recent research note.
