Yo, what’s good? My name’s Dan and I’m here to talk to you about medical marijuana in the NFL. You heard right, the NFL and cannabis are coming together to explore the potential benefits of the herb for players. And they’re not just talking about getting high, they’re talking about the real therapeutic effects that can help players deal with injuries and pain.
Now, we all know that cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, but that’s not stopping the NFL from putting their money where their mouth is. They’re donating a cool $1 million to researchers so they can study the effects of cannabis on athletes without worrying about breaking any laws.
But why is this such a big deal? Well, for starters, cannabis has been known to have anti-inflammatory and pain-killing properties. And let’s be real, NFL players take a beating on a regular basis. They need something to help them deal with all that pain and discomfort.
The thing is, the NFL is not just doing this for the players who are currently in the league. They’re also doing it for retired players who suffer from chronic pain and other conditions that come with playing football. These players often turn to addictive opioids for relief, which can be dangerous and lead to addiction.
But cannabis could be a safer alternative. Studies have shown that cannabinoids in cannabis can bind to receptors in our bodies and help modulate pain signaling. THC, for example, can bind to a receptor called CB1 in the nervous system, which can help regulate pain.
And it’s not just pain relief that cannabis can offer. Researchers are also studying the potential effects of cannabis on traumatic brain injury (TBI). Retired NFL players are at a much higher risk of developing conditions like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which can cause short-term memory loss, changes in mood, confusion and disorientation, thinking difficulties, slurred speech, and Parkinsonism. It’s a serious condition that needs to be addressed.
But cannabis could offer some hope. Former NFL star Calvin Johnson is donating money to his own medical cannabis company Primitive so they can develop a treatment for CTE. And it’s not just CTE that cannabis can potentially help with. Researchers are also looking at how cannabis can help with fracture healing and osteoarthritis (OA).
All of this research could lead to major changes in how we view cannabis in sports. And it’s not just the NFL that’s getting on board. The NBA, NHL, and MMA are also looking into how cannabis can benefit their athletes.
So if you’re a fan of football or sports in general, keep an eye out for any new developments on this front. Cannabis could be a game-changer when it comes to how we treat injuries and pain in athletes. And who knows, maybe one day we’ll see NFL players smoking up before a game instead of taking shots of whiskey!
