{"componentChunkName":"component---common-build-tags-template-js","path":"/tag/opiods/","result":{"data":{"allArticle":{"edges":[{"node":{"id":"Article_1983-markdown","title":"The NFL and Medical Marijuana: One Should Adopt the Other","slug":"the-nfl-and-medical-marijuana-one-should-adopt-the-other","content":"Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard something\nabout concussions, traumatic brain injuries and the NFL in the news\nlately. The topic has become heated after multiple NFL players have died\nfrom conditions directly related to severe brain damage, also known as\nchronic traumatic encephalopathy -- which is often the result of years\nspent taking hard hits during a football career.\n\nIn light of [recent player\ndeaths](http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/new-87-deceased-nfl-players-test-positive-for-brain-disease/),\nthe NFL is revising many of its policies, including its 2010 Policy and\nProgram for Substance Abuse. As the door cracks open for the NFL to make\nsome necessary updates, many are wondering whether adopting medical\nmarijuana could be a smart move for the organization. The answer is yes,\nand here's why.\n\n**The NFL's Current Policy and Program for Substance Abuse and its Shortcomings**\n\nAccording to the 2010 document, the NFL demands that any player who uses\nmedical marijuana will be suspended and forfeit play. While this\nprotocol used to enjoy a high level of support, that support has wavered\nsignificantly in recent months.\n\nHere's why: obviously, NFL players get hurt. When you have dozens of big\nmen on a field running at one another full-speed with their heads down,\nthat's bound to happen. Unfortunately, the NFL's current policies limit\nmany of the treatment options players can use to alleviate the pain\nassociated with their injuries. This is one of the reasons that 90\npercent of NFL players continue to suffer chronic pain even when they\naren't playing.\n\nIn an attempt to cope with their injuries, many players turn to\nprescription painkillers. Unfortunately, certain types of painkillers\ncan be highly addictive and the NFL has seen a dramatic increase in the\nabuse of opioid-based painkillers in recent years. Fortunately, there's\na better way.\n\n**The Case for Cannabis: How Medical Marijuana can Help NFL Players Cope**\n\nWhile the NFL has been busy imposing strict limitations on its players\nthrough the Policy and Program for Substance Abuse, it has missed\nnoticing a highly effective, natural treatment that doesn't pose the\naddiction or abuse risks of opioid-based painkillers. This treatment is\nmedical marijuana.\n\nMedical marijuana has been used for centuries to treat things like\n[chronic\npain](https://hellomd.com/articles/new-research-proves-marijuana-effectively-controls-chronic-pain,\n[insomnia](https://hellomd.com/articles/3-popular-questions-about-marijuana-and-insomnia-answered)\nand [eating\ndisorders](https://hellomd.com/articles/medical-matchmaking-cannabis-and-anorexia).\nMedical marijuana compounds are safe and non-addictive and they have the\npotential to revolutionize the way the NFL deals with injuries.\n\nCannabis works just as well -- if not better -- than many pharmaceutical\ntreatments, *without* all of the dangerous side effects. For example,\nstudies have shown that cannabis works [as well as\ncodeine](http://www.bmj.com/content/323/7303/13.full) for various\nmusculoskeletal injuries. As a bonus, the administration of medical\ncannabis actually makes small amounts of opiates [*more*\neffective](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14706563), so NFL players\nwho need supplemental care can take less of their prescription\npainkillers and still achieve the same result. NFL players are currently\naddicted to opioids at nearly [four times the\nrate](http://www.drugandalcoholdependence.com/article/S0376-8716%2811%2900002-0/abstract)\nof the general population and, if adopted by the NFL, medical marijuana\nstands a chance to help reduce those numbers.\n\nThe effects of cannabis don't stop with muscle pain though. It's also a\npowerful anti-inflammatory agent that can help decrease the currently\nrampant use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) such as\nibuprofen and Toradol (an NSAID that thins the blood and drastically\nincreases the risk of head injuries) within the NFL. Excess use of\nNSAIDs is currently tied to such dire outcomes as kidney failure and\npronounced liver damage, as was seen in former Seattle Seahawks safety\nKenny Easley, who sued the NFL before undergoing a kidney transplant\nprocedure.\n\nIt's clear that the traditional symptom-management methods used by the\nNFL just aren't cutting it. In addition to presenting a whole host of\nunsafe side effects, many of these drugs simply aren't that effective.\nBecause of this, medical cannabis has emerged as a much safer and more\nefficient alternative.\n\n**The Neuroprotective Qualities of Cannabis: How Medical Marijuana Protects the Brain**\n\nOne of the most common injuries NFL players face is concussions and,\ncurrently, there's no real way to protect players' brains -- aside from\nhelmets. If the NFL was to adopt medical marijuana, however, players\nwould have access to something that no drug on the market offers:\nneuroprotection.\n\nFor decades, cannabis has been shown to offer significant\n[neuroprotective\nqualities](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12387700), which could\nprotect players from the damaging consequences of concussions.\nAdditionally, when medical marijuana is used, it stimulates the body's\nendocannabinoid system (ECS), which has been shown to [decrease the\neffects](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23960212) associated with\ntraumatic brain injuries (TBI). This can help keep NFL players healthy\nthroughout their careers.\n\nFinally, cannabis stimulates the central nervous system (CNS) in a way\nthat has been shown to fight the development of Parkinson's disease,\nAlzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which\ncurrently affect NFL players at rates several times higher than the rest\nof the population.\n\n**The Verdict: What is the NFL Waiting for?**\n\nIf you're like me, you're probably wondering why the NFL hasn't already\nadopted medical marijuana. That's a great question. Thanks to all the\nin-depth research proving that marijuana is a safe and effective\nalternative to opioids and NSAIDs, it seems obvious that the\norganization would have embraced it years ago. Unfortunately, that's not\nthe case.\n\nWhile adopting medical marijuana would help the NFL protect the health\nand safety of its players, it's likely that we won't see players\ningesting edibles anytime soon. The reason boils down to red tape and\nstigma associated with cannabis. While it may be years before the NFL\nembraces medical cannabis, it's clear that this simple treatment can\nlargely replace dangerous, addictive pharmaceuticals and keep players\nsafer and healthier.\n\n[Photo Credit](https://www.flickr.com/photos/edlabordems/5017369455/in/photolist-8Dnk8V-fpZHqf-oLTAeB-8DniCT-p2me39-fpKu5r-fpKsr2-oLTN8M-oLTQYh-fpZKeA-fpKsXa-fpZHx1-fpKsGa-fpZHQo-fpZJVf-fpZHhE-fpZJoA-fpKsJa-fpZJ41-fVBLas-fpKsyH-fpKtGD-fpZJa3-fpKtS4-fpKtc4-fpZJPq-fpZJjq-q85ePo-fVBSJS-fVBQHC-o3dc6s-fpZHmo-fpKtDn-fpZK3Q-fpZHUU-fpZJEC-fpKtsi-p2m4pw-fpKsTM-q7LJ7v-fVBR4s-fpKt4t-fVC5rr-fVBGKn-fpZHzU-p47PPp-fpZJdq-9d5tMq-4bEYSs-pbcEoa)","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.4184397163120568,"src":"/static/75d534b4d21b92414e2395328765a1c8/ee604/67cc318161ffb8ab02520a4f1a637957.png","srcSet":"/static/75d534b4d21b92414e2395328765a1c8/69585/67cc318161ffb8ab02520a4f1a637957.png 200w,\n/static/75d534b4d21b92414e2395328765a1c8/497c6/67cc318161ffb8ab02520a4f1a637957.png 400w,\n/static/75d534b4d21b92414e2395328765a1c8/ee604/67cc318161ffb8ab02520a4f1a637957.png 800w,\n/static/75d534b4d21b92414e2395328765a1c8/44155/67cc318161ffb8ab02520a4f1a637957.png 999w","srcWebp":"/static/75d534b4d21b92414e2395328765a1c8/58556/67cc318161ffb8ab02520a4f1a637957.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/75d534b4d21b92414e2395328765a1c8/61e93/67cc318161ffb8ab02520a4f1a637957.webp 200w,\n/static/75d534b4d21b92414e2395328765a1c8/1f5c5/67cc318161ffb8ab02520a4f1a637957.webp 400w,\n/static/75d534b4d21b92414e2395328765a1c8/58556/67cc318161ffb8ab02520a4f1a637957.webp 800w,\n/static/75d534b4d21b92414e2395328765a1c8/485a2/67cc318161ffb8ab02520a4f1a637957.webp 999w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}}]}},"pageContext":{"limit":12,"skip":0,"numPages":1,"currentPage":1,"id":5588,"name":"Opiods","slug":"opiods","country":"US"}},"staticQueryHashes":["3949754563","4179947113","4202924991"]}