Aurora Cannabis starts deal with UFC®, launches CBD products for MMA fighters under the ROAR Sports brand

Mixed martial arts fighters will soon be allowed to test cannabidiol or CBD products thanks to a new partnership between Aurora Cannabis and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®).

New studies follow to promote science in the field of CBD use, health and well-being of athletes and to stimulate product development under the new American sports performance brand ROAR Sports.

The Canadian marijuana company and the leading mixed martial arts martial arts organization said on Wednesday evening that they are planning to a joint clinical research program to the potential benefits of CBD.

The program aims to investigate the use of CBD as a treatment for pain, inflammation, wound healing and recovery for fighters, these well-known companies said in a statement.

Becomes CBD one of the most popular new wellness trends for its sedative benefits. The extract comes from hemp, the sister plant to marijuana, which does not contain THC, the chemical that provides the "high" in humans.

Congress in the United States legalized hemp last December and opened the floodgates for marijuana growers and supplement makers to advertise creams, sprays and similar products containing CBD. Even Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) and CVS Health have jumped on the fast train.

However, the Food and Drug Administration in America does not yet allow CBD and food and beverages and has recently a warning letter was sent to American grower Curaleaf Holdings for selling products online claiming to treat cancer, Alzheimer's disease, opioid withdrawal, pain and fear of pets, and other conditions or illnesses.

The multi-phase clinical study will take place at the UFC Performance Institute. Active UFC athletes may volunteer to help set up peer-reviewed, publishable research.

"Our partnership with UFC is about committed to the science that will educate and advocate," Aurora (ACB) CEO Terry Booth said in a statement. "We will work together to change the way people think, change the industry and launch the first hemp-derived CBD products backed by scientific research."

All products will comply with the UFC's anti-doping program, which complies with World Anti-Doping Agency and US Department of Agriculture regulations, the two cooperating companies said.

UFC President Dana White called the deal 'groundbreaking' for sports and humanity in general.

"If you think about it, the amount of money we can put into this deal to do testing and research with our athletes will be comparable to the NFL, NBA and football," said White. "And ultimately it also makes a difference for other people to train or have to deal with chronic pain every day."

If the investigation goes well, each new product will be sold under the company's new ROAR Sports brand and referred to as the "official CBD product of UFC."

The announcement, which came after the market closed last Wednesday, did not really lead to a lift of the Aurora shares. In Thursday morning trading, shares fell by 5 cents to $ 6,50.

Read more on Barrons (EN, source) and Yahoo Finance (EN, source)