CBD use across professional sports has become an exciting topic for discussion as more Americans become aware of the compound’s benefits.
CBD is a cannabis compound related to THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Industrial hemp, the source of CBD, was legalized at the end of 2018 and pro athletes have advocated for its incorporation into their leagues in the time since.
Now, the National Football League Players Association and the NFL Pain Management Committee have announced they are entering discussions to consider allowing players to use cannabis products
"The NFL-NFLPA Pain Management Committee is a jointly formed committee tasked with providing advice to the league and union regarding recent developments in the area of pain management for elite athletes," the league and the players' union said in a joint statement. [1]
THC and some CBD products are currently outlawed under NFL league drug testing rules, as some full-spectrum hemp products contain trace amounts of THC as high as 0.3%.
Still, as CBD has grown more prevalent, prominent sports figures have called for the acceptance of hemp to ease recoveries from workouts and injuries.
Among these is Rob Gronkowski, former tight end of the New England Patriots who has made a splash in his retirement by promoting the use of CBD for chronic pain and injury recovery. He’s started a new partnership with the company CBD Medic. [2]
“Once I retired, I looked for better and more natural ways to recover and discovered CBDMEDIC. These products have helped me safely manage pain better than anything else I’ve tried. Building on my own experience with CBDMEDIC for pain, I’m inspired to work with the company to introduce new CBD products to the market.” [2]
Now, the NFL will listen to more voices like Gronkowski’s.
"The Committee has been asked to brief the parties on the current state of pain management and alternative therapies, including cannabis, cannabinoids and CBD,” the NFL statement said.
“The Committee invited manufacturers of CBD products to share their research today so the Committee may hear and consider the possible scientific evidence base for CBD use as a pain management alternative.” [1]
Sources
[2] https://www.nothingbuthemp.net/post/former-patriots-star-rob-gronkowski-turns-to-cbd
[3] https://www.nothingbuthemp.net/post/from-the-nba-to-the-mlb-cannabis-makes-news-in-the-sports-world
