Poll: Do you think Cannabis should be prescribed for "after game" pain in the NFL?
“The soul of the NFL may have an unlikely savior – cannabis. A growing number of former and current NFL players are turning to a hemp extract that experts say stimulates brain function, enhances physical recovery, reduces anxiety and depression, and may counteract the effects of concussions.” - Excerpt from the press release on “When the Bright Lights Fade” campaign
I can still remember the days when Darvocet and Percocet were freely handed out after football games to help us manage our pain. We never got a prescription for those painkillers and we never had to go to a pharmacy to get those drugs. They were handed out by our very own drug cartel. I know that sounds harsh, and things have changed quite a lot since the time I played in the NFL, but the fact is, many players were hooked on these painkillers not only when they played, but in some cases long after the cheering stopped - and the bright lights faded.
Darvocet was eventually banned by the FDA because it was giving people heart attacks. But Percocet is still on the market. The warning label on that drug says: MISUSE OF NARCOTIC MEDICATION CAN CAUSE ADDICTION, OVERDOSE, OR DEATH!
Former NFL players sued the NFL over this issue which alleged that "The NFL directly and indirectly supplied players with and encouraged players to use opioids to manage pain before, during and after games in a manner the NFL knew or should have known constituted a misuse of the medications and violated Federal drug laws." The lawsuit was dismissed when the Judge overseeing the case ruled that preemption – using the provisions outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement - was the proper venue for resolving disputes. That ruling effectively killed the prescription drug lawsuit and it was one of the main reasons why we settled with the NFL in the Concussion litigation. Preemption would have killed our case too!
So what does all this have to do with the wacky tabbacky!
Well, first of all, when was the last time you heard about someone dying from an overdose of marijuana? It's never happened.....and it never will. On the other hand, opioid painkillers, like Vicodin and Percocet, accounted for 68% of Emergency Room overdose patients.
The NFL still bans the use of marijuana by its players, but there is a growing body of evidence that the “evil weed” isn't so bad after all. Twenty-four states and Washington DC have already legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes and voters in 20 more states could potentially legalize some form of cannabis use in the November 2016 elections. The war on weed is over - and the pot heads have won!
I don't condone the use of Marijuana for recreational purposes, although it is a much better drug of choice when compared to alcohol, which accounts for about 2.5 million annual deaths worldwide and painkiller overdoses that kill more than one american every hour. Isn't it time to explore all the possibilities of this plant, and stop demonizing, fining, suspending and banning NFL players for using it it to relieve pain?
Yes, some players will use the herb recreationally, but that's true of alcohol too. Obviously, you don't want players running around on the football field while they're stoned, because that could lead to more injuries, but I think most players are smart enough to know that you can't play the game when your high. Using it after a game to relieve pain is a different story. It might be a banned substance but it's still coveted by NFL players as an invaluable painkiller.
Shouldn't the NFL, at the very least, look at the idea of allowing players to get medical prescriptions of cannabis for pain relief? Isn't that preferable to the Percocets and Pills that can cause permanent damage, addiction, overdoses and death?
This gets me to the second point of my article. The Realm of Caring Foundation is launching “When the Bright Lights Fade”, a campaign to raise funds for a series of studies exploring the use of one of the non-euphoric ingredients in Marijuana - cannabidiol (known as CBD). There is promosing research showing that it can help treat and prevent the onset of symptoms associated with CTE and traumatic brain injury.
The Realm of Caring Foundation makes the following statement regarding their campaign and the studies they will be conducting: “This campaign is not about advocating for professional athletes to use cannabinoids recreationally, but rather to encourage the exploration of new options that could lead to solving the epidemic in the NFL that currently exists. This campaign will NOT be an attack on the NFL or its current cannabinoid policy, but rather a platform to identify this as a real problem that must be addressed NOW and an opportunity to explore a potential solution to the problem.”
You can read the Press release on this initiative here: When the Bright Lights Fade
Here’s a video of the initiative “When The Bright Lights Fade” – narrated by Academy and Grammy award winning Melissa Etheridge and featuring former NFL players Plummer, Nate Jackson, Charlie Adams, Tatum Bell, and Reuben Droughns:
It's hard to believe that a simple weed might be the best answer to pain relief and for helping players that have CTE and traumatic brain injury.
"Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction" - Bob Marley
