What we know about Lofa Tatupu’s yet-to-be announced CBD business

Lofa Tatupu #51 of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates as he enters the field before the game against the New England Patriots on December 7, 2008 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington. (Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Former Seahawk linebacker Lofa Tatupu left the field a while ago. Now he’s starting a new business venture, but is saying very little about it. But while chatting with KIRO Nights this week, he dropped a few hints about what he’s been up to.

“It’s called ZoneIn Balance,” KIRO Nights Gee Scott said this week. “It’s a form of CBD. It’s going to be hitting the markets pretty soon. It’s what everybody has been talking about.”

Tatupu was drafted by the Seahawks in the second round in 2005 as a linebacker. He played for Seattle from 2005 to 2010. He also came on as an assistant linebackers coach for the Seahawks in 2015-2016.

Attitude, positivity, and art of being grateful with Lofa Tatupu

While Tatupu can’t say much about his new business venture just yet, what is known is that CBD is the product. While chatting with KIRO Nights recently, he briefly provided a few more hints.

I’m not allowed to talk about it for another two weeks. October 16-17 we will be rolling out in full. We got about 12 athletes on board with us that will be forward facing.

It’s something I’ve been taking. CBD, full spectrum hemp, derived from hemp, is something I’ve been taking for about three years now … the last time you saw me, I was 275 when I was coaching. Now I’m 235. When you talk about things like that, those kind of changes, people start to listen. But it’s nothing compared to how I feel.

CBD — Cannabidiol oil — that is popping up on the market is derived from industrial hemp. It is not derived from marijuana which has been its own growing market with states like Washington approving recreational uses in recent years. CBD is not psychoactive, meaning it cannot get a person high. THC, on the other hand, is the chemical in marijuana that results in a high. There is no THC in industrial hemp.

According to the ZoneIn website, “Balance” is its brand of CBD oil that is “trusted by athletes.” The product description states: “ZoneIn CBD is used by elite and former pro athletes that treat their bodies with the highest level of care.”

The about us page for ZoneIn notes that the company is co-founded by Tatupu, and briefly states how it helps with athletic recovery and “target mind-body-movement so you can ZoneIn.”