Scotty Nguyen Goes Potty with CBD Deal

May 30th, 2018 | by Kaycee James

Poker pro Scotty Nguyen has launched his own disposable vape pen after partnering with cannabis and CBD producer, Infused MFG.

Scotty Nguyen.

Charismatic poker pro Scotty Nguyen seen here playing in a WPT event has launched his own brand of CBD oil. (Image: World Poker Tour)

Announced on May 28, the deal will see Nguyen become the face of the brand’s Canna Hemp™ range as well as two signature creations: the Focus Baby Vape Pen and Focus Baby Elixir.

The products were officially launched on the opening day of the 2018 World Series of Poker (WSOP) and will be available to adults in Nevada.

As per the press release, the Focus Baby products are a play on Nguyen’s famous catchphrases and the CBD oil will feature a “special blend of terpenes selected for their acute mental concentration properties.”

Nguyen on the CBD Bandwagon

CBD oil has become popular over the last two years thanks to its reported medicinal qualities. Essentially the non-psychoactive form of cannabis, the oils a traditionally inhaled through a vape pen and can help with concentration, mood and pain relieve.

While Nguyen’s latest sponsorship deal may seem somewhat strange, the cannabis industry is booming in Nevada. Recreational sales of marijuana were made legal in 2017 and the state made $30 million in tax revenue thanks to retailers recording $195 million in sales in the first six months after legalization.

With companies looking for a way into the market, Infused MFG has looked to one of poker’s vibrant characters. However, Nguyen isn’t the first poker pro to dip sample what the cannabis business has to offer.

Three years before Nevada authorized the sale of recreational marijuana, vendors selling it for medical purposes were granted licenses to operate within the state. Among the 26 residents approved for a dispensary license was Phil Ivey.

New Opportunities for Poker Players?

Although further details of his venture got lost in the ether, the potential links with poker and the industry don’t appear to have been lost on the team at Infused MFG. Whether the deal will be the first of many remains to be seen.

One thing that is certain though is that sponsorship deals for poker players are now harder to come by. Unlike the early noughties when major sites were sponsoring large numbers of players, today’s landscape is a lot less bountiful.

For operators such as PokerStars, using mainstream stars like Kevin Hart and Usain Bolt has become the norm in recent years. This, in turn, has left little in the way of opportunities for professional poker players.

With Nguyen thinking outside of the box, it could usher in a new wave of deals for those with a penchant for CBD oil.

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