NFL Researches Cannabis and Pain Management
NFL Researches Cannabis and Pain Management
Written by Joshua Higgins
Feb 24, 2022
The National Football League(NFL) has just awarded $1 million to fund research involving the effects of medical marajuana on injured football players. The University of California San Diego and the University of Regina are researching “the effects of cannabinoids on pain management and neuroprotection from concussion in elite football players, respectively”, according to NFL.com.
On February 1st, the NFL made the shocking decision to give away 1 million dollars for research on cannabinoids and its effect on pain. This decision was so shocking because the NFL has always been strict on their drug rules. And there have been many players suspended because of testing positive for the drug they spent a million dollars for research on. But it appears new rules have surfaced on cannabis. Associated Press (2022) claims after the most recent labor deal players don't get suspended after testing positive for marijuana, but can be fined depending on the amount of times they test positive.
Some people saw this as unfair for the people who had been suspended before. One of the league's most infamous players, known for marijuana abuse, is Josh Gordon. Josh Gordon was drafted in the second round by the Cleveland Browns. Throughout his time with the Browns he was constantly battling his drug addiction. His addiction started in middle school where he started self medicating with xanax, codeine, and marijuana. This all contributed to the downfall of Josh Gordon. He was expelled from multiple middle schools, and a highschool, and after highschool he joined a gang and became a drug dealer. He barely pushed through college at Baylor, failing multiple drug tests and receiving multiple suspensions. He got drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2012. His rookie season was the only season that Gordon played in all 16 games. After that he was receiving suspension after suspension due to failed drug tests. Gordon faced multiple seasons where he wasn't able to play, but he decided to attend a rehab facility and eventually returned to playing. In 2018, the Browns were scared of Gordon having another relapse and was traded to the Patriots in exchange for a 5th round draft pick. The Patriots cracked down on Gordon and benched him for lateness. Gordon stepped away from the field to focus on mental health. From there on out Gordon never played consistently, and was signed to multiple different teams.
Another question that comes up in this debate is about the effects on testosterone and performance. A study conducted by doctorsdada.com concluded that cannabis use is tied to lower testosterone in men. It blocks the release of GnRH(gonadotropin-releasing hormone) which leads to lower LH, which leads to lower testosterone levels. This also raises the question of even if it does reduce pain in patients, should it be used at the expense of lower testosterone? These studies were only done on patients who were regular long term smokers of pot though, so it’s different from a few time usage of medical marajuana in high performance athletes.
In all, we believe that the NFL made the right decision in awarding these teams in their research. It might be a game changer in how pain is managed in the league and it might change how long injury times are. We don’t know how far away cannabis use in the NFL is from becoming a reality, but we believe it’s close.
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