United Center Makes History as First Major U.S. Arena To Sell Cannabis-Infused Drinks

Chicago’s United Center is charting a new course for live entertainment venues, announcing on Tuesday that it will become the first major arena in the United States to offer hemp-derived cannabis beverages at its concession stands.The arena, home to the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, has entered into a multi-year partnership with Rythm, a hemp-derived THC beverage company. Under the agreement, Rythm- and Señorita-branded cans will be sold at concerts and live events starting in early February. “This partnership is a major milestone for the city of Chicago, and we are proud to partner with the United Center to offer Illinois’ leading THC beverages,” Rythm Chairman Ben Kovler said in a statement. “Bringing Señorita and Rythm to the United Center reflects a simple truth: consumers want non-alcoholic options, and leading venues are responding.”The beverages will be available exclusively to adults 21 and older and will be sold alongside traditional alcohol and soft drinks. While the drinks come in servings up to 25 mg of THC, the arena will sell versions that have just 5 mg. The company did not specify serving limits.“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,” Mr. Kovler said. “We know consumers want them. They believe in no hangovers, they want the alternative.”Alcohol consumption has declined across the board, a Gallup survey late last year found. The poll found 54 percent of U.S. adults say they drink alcoholic beverages such as liquor, wine or beer, the lowest rate in the past three decades. The largest drops came among Generation Z, born from 1997 to 2012, and Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996.On the other hand, THC use has been rising, as cannabis and its active ingredient is legal to people 21 and older in 40 of 50 states for medical use and 24 states for recreational use. According to a study by consumer researcher Brightfield Group, 14 percent of American adults reported using some type of hemp-derived THC product in the first quarter of 2025, nearly doubling from the previous year.The United Center’s decision serves as a significant test case for cannabis in mainstream venues, even as the legal landscape surrounding hemp-derived THC remains volatile. Revisions to the 2018 Farm Bill and recent funding bills passed by Congress aim to close the so-called “hemp loophole,” potentially initiating caps on THC that could ban these very products by November.

United Center Makes History as First Major U.S. Arena To Sell Cannabis-Infused Drinks

United Center Makes History as First Major U.S. Arena To Sell Cannabis-Infused Drinks

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