NFL Funds Cannabis Research For Pain Relief

The cannabis industry may finally have found a partner in the major league sports arena. Though the NFL generates $15-$18 billion annually, the cannabis industry in the United States is estimated to be valued at pumping $130 billion on an annual basis into the U.S. economy by 2024. The coming together of the two behemoth industries may finally signal a normalization of the clinical benefits of cannabis. 

The NFL Players Association has come together with the pain management committee of the NFL to provide a $1 million grant for funding research into pain management and cannabinoids. 

Per the official document, “proposals from investigators who have the current capability to carry out studies aimed at supplementing the PMC’s knowledge about pain management and athletic performance in elite football players,” is on the table. The NFL is looking for proposals that explore:

1. the effects of cannabinoids on pain in elite football players (post-surgical and/or in daily pain management)
2. the effects of non-pharmacologic treatments on pain in elite football players (postsurgical and/or in daily pain management)
3. the effects of cannabis or cannabinoids on athletic performance (e.g., psychomotor, reaction time, cardiorespiratory function) in elite football players.”

The research stems from the league wanting to find further alternatives to opioid-based pain management. Exploring whether substances such as marijuana or CBD can replace opioids for routine pain management in players is one layer of the study – whereas they are also looking into the impact of cannabinoids on athletic performance.

Players are constantly looking for treatment options that can improve their quality of life but they are also concerned about the impact these treatments can have on their performance.If elite athletes will be using CBD to treat pain, the league needs to make sure it’s both safe, and efficacious. Therefore the NFL aims to find out – is cannabis safe for pain management? And does it work? The league wants to see research about how cannabis may interact with other medications.

The joint NFL-NFLPA committee held two informational forums on CBD in 2020. Additionally, the committee has heard mixed results from players about using marijuana to treat pain. The main concerns are the risk for liver toxicity and interactions with other medications. However, while the findings were not definitive, it was determined that the non-intoxicating (no THC) cannabis compound showed promise in the treatment of some forms of pain. 

As players are actual stakeholders in the study, it’s their interest in trying to find answers to questions that people have had for a number of years but science has always been stymied by the illegal status of the drug.

Despite promises of reform in cannabis research, federally approved marijuana studies in the U.S. have only been allowed at the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA). NIDA’s research mandate has historically existed only to reinforce why cannabis is so harmful, thus validating its status as a Schedule I controlled substance. A large research study facilitated and funded by a major sports league such as the NFL signals positive change has finally come. The NFL is big business and their ability to put pressure on the government to advance marijuana research in the US, looks to help scientifically determine whether cannabis is ultimately beneficial to humans, let alone elite athletes.

Though the league is not changing its marijuana policy, as part of a collective bargaining agreement, the NFL’s drug testing policy has also finally changed. Under the new policy, players will not face the possibility of being suspended from games over positive marijuana tests.

A newly formed commission between the NFL and the league’s players union will award up to five grants around Thanksgiving. Pre-proposal applications are due by July 31.

It is well documented that there are novel anti-inflammatory qualities of cannabinoids. Chronic pain sufferers such as those suffering from arthritis, sports injuries etc. have benefited from its pain management properties without having to use opioids. The components of marijuana that pain studies put the focus on are cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

CBD acts to reduce pain by acting on different biological processes within the body by acting as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and analgesic. Studies show that CBD increases the body’s levels of anandamide – a chemical associated with regulating pain. CBD may also be able to reduce the number of immune cells that build up in the spinal column – thereby also resulting in a reduction of inflammation, and therefore pain.

Patients suffering from pain due to chronic illness or sports injury can contact the team at Miami’s LifeCannMD. Finding the right product for any pain management program can be overwhelming. Medical Marijuana patients who are looking into CBD products or strains for pain control should consult with Dr. Fernando Fandino-Sende at Florida’s top-rated medical marijuana referral clinic. 

Lifecann has served over 3,000 satisfied patients. For more information, please visit www.lifecannmd.com, email health@lifecannmd.com or call (833) 543-3226.