The NFL is looking into CBD, cannabis, and other non-pharmaceutical options to help players recover and deal with pain.
Cannabis (or weed) is currently a banned substance in the NFL. For a while, it was because weed was illegal everywhere in the United States, but as states started to legalize it, the NFL stood firm on the issue.
The NFL and NFLPA have requested information about pain management in the league, and how pain killers affect the on-field performance.
1) The potential therapeutic role of medications and non-pharmacological interventions and that are considered to be alternatives to opioids in routine pain management of NFL players. Medications may include but are not limited to, cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (“CBD”)
2) The impact of cannabis or cannabinoids on athletic performance in NFL players
3) The potential therapeutic role of medications and non-pharmacological interventions that are considered adjunctive to routine post-surgical orthopedic pain management in NFL football players
via NFL.com
The NFL has made it very clear that this is the opening stage for the process, and has not been to study it themselves, but this is a good first step. The NFL has banned Josh Gordon what feels like 100 times for his weed use.
The perception of weed has changed so much in the last 10 years. It is not the same “gateway drug” as it was made out to be, it is a legitimate, natural pain remedy that is healthier than many other things people smoke.
The NFL formed the pain management committee in 2019 to help teams and organizations change the way they look at pain management. The goal, for now, is the find alternatives to prescription drugs that have been shoved down players’ throats to combat pain and get them back on the field as soon as possible.
TL//DR; The NFL is looking into CBD and other ways to help the players manage pain.
