The National Football League (NFL) is going one step further by awarding funds to two cannabis research initiatives focused on the effectiveness of cannabis as a treatment for pain management.
The NFL announced in a February 1 press release that it will present Million dollars for different researchers In the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and University of Regina (UR), which is located in Canada. Both groups of researchers will focus on how cannabis helps with pain management in general, with some other studies aiming as well.
A statement on this issue was provided by Dr. Kevin Hill, co-chair, NFL-NFLPA, Joint Pain Management Committee, director of addiction psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. According to Dr. Hill, this decision to continue studying cannabis consumption for NFL players will yield positive results. “The NFL-NFLPA Joint Pain Management Committee is pleased with the results of this process. We have received more than 100 suggestions from leading clinicians and researchers from around the world.” The NFL is keen to advance the science of pain and performance management in an effort to improve health and safety players.”
Dr. Allen Sales, the NFL’s chief medical officer, also shared his thoughts on the topic, with the hope that these initiatives will be the basis for many studies to come. “As with the league’s broader approach to health and safety, we want to ensure that our players receive care that reflects the most recent medical consensus,” said Dr. “While the burden of proof is large for NFL players who wish to understand the impact of any medical decision on their performance, we are grateful to have been given the opportunity to fund these scientifically sound studies on cannabis use that may lead to the discovery of data-based evidence that could potentially affect the pain management of our players.”
NFL-NFLPA Joint Pain Management Committee (PMC) called for research proposals in June 2021The researchers are asked to “complement the knowledge of PMCs on pain management and athletic performance.” The committee received a total of 106 submissions, which were narrowed down to 10 finalists by the NFL Committee on Research and Innovation. After giving oral presentations and written details, the NFL selected the last two research groups.
The University of California study, “The Effects of Cannabis on Pain and Recovery from Sports-Related Injuries in Elite Athletes: A Randomized Clinical Trial,” was led by Dr. Thomas Marcotti, Mark Wallace, and other University colleagues. Their approach is to study the therapeutic and adverse effects of THC, CBD, or THC/CBD products by allowing participants to vaporize after game-related injuries. “Our team is excited to receive this funding to conduct a ‘real-time, real-time’ systematic study with professional athletes, which should shed further light on the many anecdotal reports that cannabis is beneficial in reducing post-competition pain,” Wallace said.
The UR study, called “Naturally Produced Cannabinoids for Pain Management, Neuroprotection from Concussion and Participation in Contact Sports,” will be led by Dr. Patrick Neary and other college researchers, as well as British Columbia. Their main goal is also to examine the effects of THC or CBD as a form of pain management, and how it reduces the need for opioid prescriptions. Second, it will also examine the “nerve-protective properties” of cannabis as a treatment for concussion injuries. “Prevention and treatment of concussion is the core of my research.
This is why I am excited to have the support of the NFL on this project,” shared Dr. Neri. Our multidisciplinary research team believes that the different cannabinoid combinations found in medical cannabis have the potential to benefit athletes suffering from the acute and long-term chronic effects of concussions. Our research will also serve to show that cannabis can be used as an alternative to opioids for pain management. Ultimately, this study has the potential to change not only the lives of current and former NFL players, but the lives of anyone who might have suffered a concussion. ”
The NFL press release explicitly states that the results of these studies “will have no bearing on the policy and co-managed program on abuse material under the current NFL-NFLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)”. ).”
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