Here’s where Kansas City Royals CBD lodge came from & what’s next at Kauffman Stadium

Dan Huerter had a “very primitive” understanding of what CBD (cannabidiol) was until a friend invited him to the grand opening of Ambary Gardens, a CBD company in Evergreen, Colorado.

What he experienced at that event changed his life. Now he’s hoping to change the lives of others in Kansas City and beyond — and the Kansas City Royals are helping him.

A Shawnee Mission West grad and 2012 University of Kansas alum, Huerter thought he’d “ride off into the sunset” after scoring a job right out of college at Perceptive Software.

Fast forward 11 years and Huerter is CEO of Pure Spectrum CBD, a company he co-founded in 2015 that produces and sells oil, tincture and other phytocannabinoid products. On June 6, Pure Spectrum announced a new multiyear partnership with the Royals, making it the franchise’s “trusted wellness provider.”

“We have a history with working with athletes and sports franchises, and so I had a lot of teams reach out and I walked through the process with a lot of them. And the Royals ended up being the clear choice for us as a company,” Huerter told The Star. “I was very happy that they ended up becoming the obvious choice because it’s a little bit more personal growing up around here that we were able to get the deal done.”

The Royals agreement opened Pure Spectrum Lodge at Kauffman Stadium, which Pure Spectrum is using to provide fans with a cool, shaded place to learn about their endocannabinoid system and the benefits of CBD.

Pure Spectrum will also be the presenting partner for several Royals community events. It already sponsored the Big Slick Celebrity Softball Game on June 2 and “Yoga Day at the K” on June 4, which saw over 250 fans participate in a class led by Power Life Yoga.

Reflecting on the years of cultivation that led to this deal, Huerter explained that working with a Perceptive Software client, Regis University, in Denver resulted in his trip to the Ambary Gardens opening, where he met two people: a war veteran and a boy.

The veteran struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder; getting out of his house and coming to speak at the event was a huge milestone for him, which Huerter said was aided by a CBD product the veteran had discovered.

The child had Dravet Syndrome — a rare form of epilepsy that Huerter said was causing 60 to 70 seizures daily — until he found that same CBD product and reduced his daily seizures tenfold.

“And that was enough for me to be like, ‘Whoa, this is crazy,’” Huerter said.

These stories impressed on Huerter that not only was CBD different from THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, but CBD could help many people. He had no plans of giving up his main job but wanted to help educate people about the benefits of CBD.

He started by filing for an LLC and selling Ambary Gardens’ CBD oil to friends and family in the Kansas City area. His side gig brought more stories from people the product helped.

Through his own curiosity and research, he learned for the first time about the body’s endocannabinoid system and its importance in regulating other systems.

“And that was my lightbulb moment of like, ‘OK, I gotta go all in.’ And so I asked my job if I could move to Colorado and would basically spend nights and weekends starting up the company and trying to get it off the ground,” said Huerter, who eventually quit his software job around late 2016 to focus fully on CBD.

In further research, Huerter discovered U.S. government patent 6630507, which posits that cannabis has medicinal value as a neuroprotectant. Well aware of the NFL’s dilemma on the topic of CTE, pro football became his first focus.

However, the NFL has remained restrictive in its CBD policies, preventing potential partnerships with companies like Pure Spectrum. MLB, meanwhile, has taken steps to promote CBD and help destigmatize its usage.

MLB removed cannabis products from its banned substance list in December 2019. In June 2022, it began allowing teams to partner with CBD companies whose products are National Science Foundation Certified for Sport. MLB became the first major professional sports league to partner with a CBD company, Charlotte’s Web, in October 2022.

“I applaud the MLB for taking another look and adjusting their stance on it after more and more data came out,” Huerter said. “And so I’m obviously a huge believer in CBD. I’ve seen more miracle stories than I could ever say.”

Multiple clubs contacted Huerter once MLB began allowing deals, but Huerter said the Royals quickly set themselves apart after initiating a conversation in September 2022.

The Royals took the time to listen to and understand Huerter’s vision for his company and the partnership. They also connected him with other Royals partners like Community America Credit Union CEO Lisa Ginter, who encouraged him to think about how he could leverage the partnership for community benefit.

Huerter saw a need in the Midwest of a prevalent brand that was a good representation of the CBD industry, which made linking up with the Royals all the more sensible.

The Royals’ in-house advertising firm, Pine Tar Collective, has also worked with Pure Spectrum’s marketing team; Pure Spectrum does a half-inning digital takeover of advertisements at Kauffman Stadium during each game.

Huerter also credits Pine Tar Collective for bringing the Pure Spectrum Lodge to life. Located in the “Outfield Experience” by Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ and Sluggerrr’s Mini Golf, the lodge is equipped with misting fans, a television and turf flooring fit for kids to run and play on.

“It was something that we talked about as we were getting the deal done, and until I saw it in person, I didn’t really grasp the concept,” Huerter said. “We went back there and there was a whole family there. And they were celebrating their grandma’s 85th birthday and they were so appreciative of the spot, just so appreciative of somewhere where they could go get comfortable out of the sun for a second, cool down, the kids could still run around and get the energy out of them.

“I didn’t realize it was going to be that impactful.”

Huerter, who has moved back to Kansas City, said he hopes to be at the lodge as often as possible to personally teach people about their endocannabinoid system and CBD. The venue is solely informative for now but could sell CBD products in the future.

MLB amended its policies further on June 5 to allow CBD in stadiums and the Chicago Cubs were first to take advantage, partnering with MYND Drinks, a CBD beverage company.

The Royals are also giving Huerter opportunities to speak to players about the benefits of CBD, which could lead to additional endorsements.

Pure Spectrum’s next public programming affair is Ag Night on Aug. 1, which will recognize cannabis farmers and encourage fans to think about additional potential uses for cannabis. At a future Bark at the Park night, Pure Spectrum will sponsor a pet adoption event to benefit the KC Pet Project.

As for what else might be possible in the next five to 10 years, Huerter said he hopes the NFL and NBA will open up to CBD sponsorship agreements. The Denver Broncos and Oklahoma City Thunder are among teams that Huerter said have reached out to learn more about Pure Spectrum. Huerter is especially interested in partnering with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The main focus, though, remains on intentional community engagement and education, largely made possible by the Royals’ reach.

“I have gotten plenty of flack of like, ‘Well, why didn’t you partner with a winning team? Wouldn’t that be better for you?’” Huerter said. “I love Kansas City, and didn’t I love Kansas City as much growing up here. I couldn’t wait to get out of here. But after you leave and come back you realize, ‘Oh wow, this place is special.’

“It’s great to really start to dig our roots deep here in Kansas City and hopefully start to be known as a Colorado-Kansas City company.”