Snowboarder Ross Rebagliati, Rick Wershe, AKA "White Boy Rick" Honored At JARS Cannabis Rail Jam

The first annual JARS Rail Jam competition took place on Saturday in Owosso, Michigan to honor two victims of the War on Drugs. 

Hosting 400+ attendees, the event was open to all participants and spectators over 18 at the 90-foot course with three unique metal rail features for 20+ ski and snowboard competitors to twist, turn, mount and slide on. 

In collaboration with two high-profile industry heroes, Ross Rebagliati and Rick Wershe Jr., (aka “White Boy Rick”), JARS Cannabis led the way.

“JARS Cannabis is all about creating experiential moments and events that touch upon consumer passion points,” said JARS' marketing director, Stefanie Michels. “Cannabis and snowboarding have always been linked. They were both born from the counterculture, and today, both have gone mainstream. That’s what our JARS Rail Jam is about - celebrating cultural progress and human achievement.”

Ross Rebagliati

When snowboarding debuted at the Olympics in 1998, it was rocked with controversy when the first gold medalist in the sport, Ross Rebagliati tested positive for cannabis. While he was able to keep his medal, Rebagliati bore the brunt of late-night talk show jokes, was placed on the international no-fly list and lost numerous lucrative opportunities for corporate sponsorships.

“While I’m a victim of the failed war on drugs, I’m no longer the outlaw on the mountain. I’m finally reclaiming my sports and cannabis legacy,” explained Rebagliati, who was a guest judge at Saturday's event. “I really applaud JARS for being one of the first cannabis companies to openly embrace the relationship between sports and cannabis. Far from being a 'performance enhancer' in the traditional sense of the phrase, cannabis helps athletes with performance anxiety, muscle recovery, and focus, among other things. It’s beautiful to see companies like JARS acknowledge that. Together, we’re slowly changing the course of history.”

Michigan’s Rick Wershe Jr., aka “White Boy Rick”

Hired to work as an informant for the FBI and uncovering the largest police corruption scandal in Detroit history at just 15 years old, Wershe became known as the longest-serving non-violent juvenile offender in Michigan history after serving over 32 years in prison for non-violent drug offenses allegedly committed while he was a minor. Wershe is an outspoken advocate for prisoners affected by the injustices of the War on Drugs, which he calls “the biggest sham that has ever existed in America.”

Upon his release in July of 2020, Wershe partnered with Pleasantrees Cannabis Company to launch his official cannabis brand, “The 8th,” which refers to a standard measurement for cannabis, but also to the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution that prohibits “cruel and unusual punishment,” which Wershe says he and many other drug prisoners were and still are subjected to.

Photo courtesy of Jars Cannabis