Scrolling through my newsfeed the other day I saw that CBS had rejected a Super Bowl ad that endorsed the benefits of medical marijuana-and it really got me to thinking about how far behind the media and professional sports are in regards to the medicinal uses of marijuana. Now I’m not saying that Brady and Gronk should be smoking doobies on the sideline with a bag of Funyuns, but I am serious when I say that there are significant benefits to the medicinal and monitored use of cannabis, and it’s time for the higher-ups in professional sports to educate themselves. As more research comes out, it appears that marijuana should be considered in the treatment of athletes. I’m not talking about the Ricky Williams “I got high and forgot I wasn’t supposed to get high” mind altering THC component of marijuana. I’m talking about cannabidiol, which does not have the hallucinogenic properties many associate with marijuana. It does, however, have numerous benefits. So time to rustle some feathers and give you my top reasons why medical marijuana-or rather cannabidiol- should be legalized in sports.
It is safer than opioids when used in the appropriate setting. We hear about “The Opioid Crisis” everyday, with many people becoming dependent on or even overdosing on narcotic pain relievers. This includes prominent athletes like Brett Favre, who states he was taking up to 14 Vicodin at a time. (Luckily he was saved by Copper Fit). But seriously, this narcotic crisis has moved into high school and college athletics as well, with horror stories of young athletes turning to heroin after becoming hooked on opioids after injuries. So instead of just villainizing physicians trying to help those in pain, why not give them a safer alternative to add to their arsenal?
Cannabidiol has shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and may help with recovery. This means less time dealing with nagging injuries and day to day soreness from the repeated physical stressors that athletes endure.
Research models and pathways show that cannabidiol may have a neuroprotective role, ie. protecting the brain. Are you listening NFL? Traumatic brain injury and CTE have been at the forefront of the league for several years now and finding any way to reduce this risk has to be acknowledged. How about throwing some money into research to prevent these life altering injuries before they occur? You can do better than just moving up the kick off line.
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is already starting to make its way into pain relief and recovery in other sports. I have seen CBD supplements touted on triathlon forums, and The World Anti-Doping Agency has removed cannabidiol from its list of banned substances.
And maybe, just maybe, it can help avoid scenes like these:
Bud Kilmer could still have a job today. More research needs to be done for sure, but we need to remove the stigma from marijuana in order to utilize it for its beneficial properties, and that includes pain management in athletes.
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