MMA’s relationship with cannabis is usually framed around suspensions and policy debates, but a quieter story is playing out in gyms and event halls: fighters using their platforms to raise money and awareness for cannabis education and patient rights.
One of the clearest examples is the legacy of Elias Theodorou. The Canadian middleweight was the first professional MMA fighter to receive a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for medical cannabis, after years of campaigning with athletic commissions to recognize cannabis as medicine. Before his passing in 2022, Theodorou directed that his estate help launch two not-for-profit organizations, the Theodorou Foundation and Higher Access, seeded to provide educational content and resources for patients struggling to navigate the medical and health-care system, including access to medical cannabis. Fundraising watch parties and memorial events in his name continue to support this work, turning his advocacy into a long-term funding stream for education-driven initiatives.
At the grassroots level, cannabis-friendly grappling promotions have become a surprising hub for charity and education. High Rollerz, a jiu-jitsu promotion built around normalizing cannabis use among high-level athletes, stages tournaments where competitors often consume before matches to show that responsible cannabis use can coexist with elite performance. Several of its showcase cards have doubled as fundraisers, such as “War Games: Veteran’s Night,” which raised money for the We Defy Foundation, a nonprofit that uses jiu-jitsu to support military veterans, and other events held in support of programs like Adopt A Cop BJJ. While these charities are focused on veterans and community policing, the cannabis-themed format invites conversations about policy, stigma, and safe use every time the mats are rolled out.
No discussion of MMA and cannabis education is complete without Nick and Nate Diaz. The Diaz brothers have spent years openly using and discussing cannabis, turning press conferences and social media into impromptu teaching moments about recovery, inflammation and the limits of outdated anti-doping rules. Through their company Game Up Nutrition, they promote hemp-derived CBD products and partner with events in the martial arts community, aligning with platforms and media that aim to “burn the stigma” and answer basic consumer questions about cannabinoids. While not every collaboration is a formal charity, many appearances and branded tournaments mix ticket sales, raffles or giveaways with donations to causes in the broader cannabis-justice and education space.
Those causes increasingly include national nonprofits such as the Last Prisoner Project, which focuses on legal intervention, education and criminal-justice reform for people still incarcerated over cannabis offenses. As cannabis becomes mainstream in combat sports sponsorship, more fighters and brands are tying seminars, meet-and-greets and autograph signings to fundraisers for organizations like this, blending fight culture with a message about policy, history and harm reduction.
Read more: Cannabis Celebrities and Influencers Sparking Change Through Charity
For fans, these efforts matter. The same fighters who once risked suspensions for testing positive are now front-lining events where proceeds support patient education, reform campaigns and community programs. Their charity work doesn’t just raise money; it turns MMA cards, grappling shows and merch drops into live classrooms where the conversation about cannabis gets a little more informed—and a lot harder to ignore.
Learn More: Why More Fighters Turn to Cannabis for Pain, Rest, and Recovery