Much like the country in which the league is based, the National Football League has long held a low-tolerance policy for the usage of marijuana. From Ricky Williams to Eugene Monroe to Josh Gordon, many football careers have been cut short due to suspensions for marijuana usage. However, just as America has begun to rethink its policies regarding the drug, so too has the NFL.
Marijuana Helps With Pain Relief. Players Always Knew This.
Many former players have come out over the years and admitted they both currently use marijuana to treat pain and used it back when they played. The game of football is one that is unequivocally American, but no matter how much we love the sport, we can’t deny how violent it is and the consequences the violence has on the bodies of the players. From regular aches and pains to concussions, players have always used marijuana to help with their pain relief, even though they were knowingly breaking league policy.
A Rising Concussion Problem
Concussions are nothing new for football. The word may be thrown out infinitely more today than it was even back in the 90s when guys like Dan Marino and Jim Kelly were slinging it, but players have been “knocked out of it” or “shaken up” playing the game of football ever since the sport was originally formed well over a century ago. The work of Dr. Bennet Omalu, whose story was turned into the 2015 Will Smith film, Concussion, is largely credited for bringing concussion and CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) talk to the forefront and making the issue a priority for the league.
NFL Awards $1 Million to Study Marijuana
The NFL announced on February 1, 2022 that they would be spending $1 million to help fund researchers at the University of California, San Diego and the University of Regina. The funding will go towards a study seeking to explore the impacts of cannabis and CBD on the pain management of elite athletes. This is a big step forward for the league.
Play a Sport? Looking for Pain Relief?
You don’t have to play in the big leagues to have big aches and pains. No matter what sport you play, if you’re leaving the field or court feeling like you’ve been hit by a truck, marijuana can help you with pain relief. At CannaLeaf Health, we’ve helped a lot of athletes in Maryland get their medical cards, and we can help you too.
