Matt Maurer interviewed by StratCann on strict rules surrounding Cannabis marketing during the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Matt Maurer, Chair of our Cannabis Law and Franchise Law Groups, was interviewed by StratCann on the strict rules surrounding Cannabis marketing, especially during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is expected to draw millions of viewers and hundreds of thousands of visitors.

“The federal Cannabis Act contains a blanket prohibition on promotion to begin with, unless the promotion is permitted by the legislation. So, at the outset you are starting from a position where you are looking for exceptions to utilize,” said Matt Maurer, Chair of the Cannabis Law Group at Torkin Manes.

Maurer added that event-based advertising creates additional hurdles because global sporting events are inherently broad and public-facing.

“For example, there is an outright prohibition on using cannabis promotions in conjunction with facility advertising. Another example would be the fact that certain exceptions would not be available because those exceptions require, among other things, that the advertisements can only be seen by adults, which would be essentially impossible with the World Cup.”

The restrictions go beyond direct sponsorships or stadium advertising. According to Maurer, even indirectly referencing the emotions and lifestyle associations surrounding major events can create legal risk for cannabis companies.

“Probably the biggest grey area would be where brands are trying to indirectly play off of the World Cup for their own advertising (as opposed to inking advertising agreements directly with FIFA, apparel companies, etc., all of which would be nearly impossible) and whether the advertising they use is deemed to be offside,” he said. “[This is] by virtue of the fact that it associates the brand with, or evokes a positive or negative emotion about or image of, a way of life such as one that includes glamour, recreation, excitement, vitality, risk or daring.”

Read the full article on StratCann's website.