GET YOUR MEDICAL CARD
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard something about concussions, traumatic brain injuries and the NFL in the news lately. The topic has become heated after multiple NFL players have died from conditions directly related to severe brain damage, also known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy -- which is often the result of years spent taking hard hits during a football career.
In light of recent player deaths, the NFL is revising many of its policies, including its 2010 Policy and Program for Substance Abuse. As the door cracks open for the NFL to make some necessary updates, many are wondering whether adopting medical marijuana could be a smart move for the organization. The answer is yes, and here's why.
The NFL's Current Policy and Program for Substance Abuse and its Shortcomings
According to the 2010 document, the NFL demands that any player who uses medical marijuana will be suspended and forfeit play. While this protocol used to enjoy a high level of support, that support has wavered significantly in recent months.
Here's why: obviously, NFL players get hurt. When you have dozens of big men on a field running at one another full-speed with their heads down, that's bound to happen. Unfortunately, the NFL's current policies limit many of the treatment options players can use to alleviate the pain associated with their injuries. This is one of the reasons that 90 percent of NFL players continue to suffer chronic pain even when they aren't playing.
In an attempt to cope with their injuries, many players turn to prescription painkillers. Unfortunately, certain types of painkillers can be highly addictive and the NFL has seen a dramatic increase in the abuse of opioid-based painkillers in recent years. Fortunately, there's a better way.
The Case for Cannabis: How Medical Marijuana can Help NFL Players Cope
While the NFL has been busy imposing strict limitations on its players through the Policy and Program for Substance Abuse, it has missed noticing a highly effective, natural treatment that doesn't pose the addiction or abuse risks of opioid-based painkillers. This treatment is medical marijuana.
Medical marijuana has been used for centuries to treat things like chronic pain, insomnia and eating disorders. Medical marijuana compounds are safe and non-addictive and they have the potential to revolutionize the way the NFL deals with injuries.
Cannabis works just as well -- if not better -- than many pharmaceutical treatments, without all of the dangerous side effects. For example, studies have shown that cannabis works as well as codeine for various musculoskeletal injuries. As a bonus, the administration of medical cannabis actually makes small amounts of opiates more effective, so NFL players who need supplemental care can take less of their prescription painkillers and still achieve the same result. NFL players are currently addicted to opioids at nearly four times the rate of the general population and, if adopted by the NFL, medical marijuana stands a chance to help reduce those numbers.
The effects of cannabis don't stop with muscle pain though. It's also a powerful anti-inflammatory agent that can help decrease the currently rampant use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and Toradol (an NSAID that thins the blood and drastically increases the risk of head injuries) within the NFL. Excess use of NSAIDs is currently tied to such dire outcomes as kidney failure and pronounced liver damage, as was seen in former Seattle Seahawks safety Kenny Easley, who sued the NFL before undergoing a kidney transplant procedure.
It's clear that the traditional symptom-management methods used by the NFL just aren't cutting it. In addition to presenting a whole host of unsafe side effects, many of these drugs simply aren't that effective. Because of this, medical cannabis has emerged as a much safer and more efficient alternative.
The Neuroprotective Qualities of Cannabis: How Medical Marijuana Protects the Brain
One of the most common injuries NFL players face is concussions and, currently, there's no real way to protect players' brains -- aside from helmets. If the NFL was to adopt medical marijuana, however, players would have access to something that no drug on the market offers: neuroprotection.
For decades, cannabis has been shown to offer significant neuroprotective qualities, which could protect players from the damaging consequences of concussions. Additionally, when medical marijuana is used, it stimulates the body's endocannabinoid system (ECS), which has been shown to decrease the effects associated with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). This can help keep NFL players healthy throughout their careers.
Finally, cannabis stimulates the central nervous system (CNS) in a way that has been shown to fight the development of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which currently affect NFL players at rates several times higher than the rest of the population.
The Verdict: What is the NFL Waiting for?
If you're like me, you're probably wondering why the NFL hasn't already adopted medical marijuana. That's a great question. Thanks to all the in-depth research proving that marijuana is a safe and effective alternative to opioids and NSAIDs, it seems obvious that the organization would have embraced it years ago. Unfortunately, that's not the case.
While adopting medical marijuana would help the NFL protect the health and safety of its players, it's likely that we won't see players ingesting edibles anytime soon. The reason boils down to red tape and stigma associated with cannabis. While it may be years before the NFL embraces medical cannabis, it's clear that this simple treatment can largely replace dangerous, addictive pharmaceuticals and keep players safer and healthier.
