NRL 2024: Dolphins sponsor Alternaleaf covered up after Therapeutic Goods Administration launch legal action
Just hours before they took the field in Darwin, the Dolphins were told they must cover up new front-of-jersey sponsor Alternaleaf, after the Therapeutic Goods Administration commenced legal action.
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The Dolphins will have to keep taping over their new front-of-jersey sponsor, a medicinal cannabis clinic, after the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) commenced legal action against its parent company.
The Dolphins covered up Alternaleaf’s logo, which appears on the sternum of the jersey, in Friday night’s game against Parramatta in Darwin. But given the hot and humid conditions the tape had fallen off the jersey of a number of players during the match.
It’s understood the Dolphins were only made aware of the need to cover up the logo only hours before kick-off in Darwin in a bid to be compliant under the Therapeutic Goods Administration Act.
The TGA commenced legal proceedings against Montu, the company which owns Alternaleaf and is described as Australia’s largest medical cannabis clinic”, on Thursday.
The TGA prohibits the advertising of prescription medicinal cannabis and has alleged that Montu has potentially breached that obligation under the Therapeutic Goods Act.
While the TGA’s claim against Montu does not mention the Dolphins’ sponsorship agreement, a spokesman for the NRL club has told this masthead it will continue to tape over the Alternaleaf’s logo until the matter is resolved.
Given the protracted nature of some legal proceedings, the Dolphins could be forced to remove the sponsor entirely, in the meantime.
An NRL spokesman told this masthead that the governing body has insisted to the Dolphins that the club remain in compliance with TGA legislation while legal action is ongoing.
The NRL, including its broadcasters Fox Sports and Nine, were made aware of the potential to be in breach of the Therapeutic Goods Act, which prevents the advertising of prescription cannabis in any media “visible to the public such as stadiums, sports jerseys, billboards, magazines, websites, broadcasts and social media.”
The TGA does not prohibit partnerships between sporting teams and companies like Montu and Alternaleaf but does outlaw any advertising of prescription medicinal cannabis.
It’s understood the TGA will monitor Dolphins games and the broadcast of those matches.
“It is alleged that Montu and Alternaleaf unlawfully advertised medicinal cannabis using terms including ‘medical cannabis’ and ‘plant medicine’ to promote the Alternaleaf online clinic, which enabled patients to purchase prescription-only medicines after completing an online consultation process,” a TGA statement said on Thursday.
In March, the Dolphins announced their sponsorship with Alternaleaf, making the club the first sporting franchise in Australia to partner with a medicinal cannabis company.
The groundbreaking deal was set to extend over the next two seasons.
Cannabis products are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency without an exemption and the partnership is not related to medical treatment for Dolphins players.
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Originally published as NRL 2024: Dolphins sponsor Alternaleaf covered up after Therapeutic Goods Administration launch legal action
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