The marriage is “not surprising,” but “the quality of the brand tie-through is very important,” according to Emily Paxhia, managing director at Poseidon Investment Management. Recent examples have included Green Thumb Industries‘ fall 2023 concert called “The Miracle in Mundelein” in Illinois, which will return this September, as well as ongoing music-centric activations from brand Rythm and frequent music sponsorships in Florida from Sunburn Cannabis.

There will be more such collaborations as organizers look for new sponsorship dollars, per Paxhia and other industry experts. And MariMed’s deal could be a harbinger of things to come, with competitors likely heartened by the stepped-up interest from Main Street USA events and destinations.

“I want to see cannabis brands at TD Garden where the Celtics and Bruins play and at Gillette Stadium, home of the Patriots,” O’Malley said. “It all puts cannabis on the map and helps take the stigma away.”