Cactus League Spring Training & Cannabis Tourism

Last verified: April 2026

The Cactus League by the Numbers

Fifteen MLB teams play roughly 220 spring training games across 10 stadiums in the Phoenix metro every February and March. The 2025 Cactus League drew:

• 1,695,480 fans
• $764 million in estimated economic impact (per a study by ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business)
• 60% of attendees from outside Arizona — a major driver of cannabis tourism

Out-of-state visitors spent $400 million+ in 2023. Spring training is the busiest cannabis tourism period in the Valley, especially for dispensaries near ballparks (Salt River Fields/Talking Stick, Tempe Diablo, Surprise Stadium, Goodyear Ballpark, Camelback Ranch, Hohokam, Sloan Park, Peoria Sports Complex).

The Ten Cactus League Stadiums and Their Teams (2026)

Cannabis & Cactus League Stadiums

Cannabis is prohibited inside every Cactus League stadium — MLB leaguewide policy plus stadium clear-bag rules. This includes flower, vapes, edibles, and concentrates, regardless of Arizona’s adult-use law.

Bag-screening at gates varies by stadium but generally includes:

• Clear-bag policy (only clear plastic bags up to specified dimensions)
• Visual or hand inspection of bags
• Magnetometer or wand at some venues

Salt River Fields — Tribal Land Twist

Salt River Fields at Talking Stick is on SRPMIC tribal land. Recreational cannabis is legal on SRPMIC land under tribal law since May 1, 2023 (mirroring Arizona Prop 207 rules). However, the stadium itself enforces no-cannabis under MLB and stadium policies. Cannabis on the way to the stadium is legal under tribal law (and Arizona state law); cannabis once inside the stadium is prohibited.

Salt River Fields parking lots are also on tribal land — tailgating is generally permitted, but cannabis consumption (smoking, vaping) remains illegal under Arizona’s Smoke-Free Arizona Act and SRPMIC ordinance. See our Salt River page.

Tailgating

Tailgating outside Cactus League stadiums is generally permitted in stadium parking lots but cannabis consumption (smoking, vaping) remains illegal under the Smoke-Free Arizona Act. Possession in vehicles in legal amounts (1 oz / 5 g concentrate per 14 days) is fine, but consumption is not.

Practical: most fans who consume before games do so off-stadium-property — in their hotel room, vacation rental, or private residence — and arrive at the stadium not actively impaired.

Cannabis Around the Cactus League Stadiums

Each Cactus League stadium has dispensaries within a 5–15 minute drive. Notable proximity:

• Salt River Fields: Multiple Scottsdale and Phoenix dispensaries within 10–15 min
• Sloan Park / Hohokam: Mint Mesa, Trulieve North Mesa, JARS Mesa within 5–10 min
• Tempe Diablo: Mint Tempe (24-hour), Sunday Goods Tempe, Trulieve Tempe within 5 min
• Camelback Ranch: Trulieve Avondale, Sol Flower Glendale, Arizona Organix within 10 min
• Peoria Sports Complex: JARS Peoria, Sol Flower Peoria, Trulieve Peoria within 5–10 min
• Surprise Stadium: Sol Flower and several smaller operators within 10 min
• Goodyear Ballpark: Trulieve Goodyear within 5 min
• Scottsdale Stadium: Multiple Scottsdale operators within 5–10 min

Heat Storage Reality

Cactus League runs February through March. Phoenix temperatures in February typically range from the 50s (overnight) to the high 60s and 70s (daytime); March warms into the 80s. Heat-storage risk is much lower than May–September, but late-March games can still hit 85–90°F in the afternoon. Do not leave edibles or vapes in a parked car even in spring training afternoon heat. See our Parked Car Warning.

Practical Tips for Visiting Spring Training Fans

• Buy at a dispensary near your hotel, not the dispensary nearest the stadium. Dispensaries near Cactus League stadiums get crowded during spring training; nearer-hotel options are less crowded.
• Bring cash. Most Valley dispensaries are cash or debit-only.
• Order online for express pickup. Most chain dispensaries (Mint, Trulieve, Curaleaf, Sunday Goods) offer this.
• Use rideshare or Waymo to and from the stadium. Cactus League games + alcohol or cannabis + driving = serious DUI exposure. Arizona is an "any detectable amount" THC DUI state.
• Do not fly home with cannabis. See our Sky Harbor page.