NFL Considers Research on Cannabis Pain Relief
The purpose of the research is to provide the NFL Pain Management Committee - NFLPA with additional knowledge about cannabis pain relief and improved athletic performance for League players.
The National Football League (NFL) and the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) have decided to study how the hemp plant or its various derivatives can work as an alternative to various types of pain relievers, as well as how to use plants can influence the performance of professional athletes. In particular, the leadership of the above structures approved the search for specialists who can conduct research on this topic. A planned NFL documentary study of the therapeutic properties of cannabis is titled “The Potential Therapeutic Role of Drugs and Non-Drug Interventions Considered Complementary to Traditional Postoperative Treatment of Orthopedic Pain in NFL Football Players”.
In evaluating new therapies, NFL officials are interested in how cannabis can work as an alternative to opiate pain relievers, which have proven to be hazardous to athletes' health and addictive, and whether using cannabis's therapeutic properties will impact athletic performance. Among other things, researchers are challenged to determine how the hemp plant can help in the treatment of postoperative pain.
In 2020, the NFL-NFLPA has hosted a series of information forums on the therapeutic potential of drug-free cannabinoids in order to gain as much information as possible on the basis of medicinal uses of the plant. Representatives of the NFL-NFLPA Committee, following the outreach activities, stated that “CBD is a promising compound, but its use in the United States exceeds that of research at this time. Much of the CBD hype is based on animal studies. "
The next step in gaining knowledge about the possibilities of using the therapeutic properties of cannabis is to study the methods and algorithms for its use or the use of certain derivatives of the plant in the interests of the League players, as well as the results demonstrated by professional athletes.
An official statement published by the NFL to the media asserts that the purpose of this type of intervention is “to identify professionals who currently have the ability to conduct this kind of research aimed at gaining additional knowledge by the“ NFL Pain Management Committee - NFLPA ”about the help of cannabis, as well as the improvement of the athletic performance of the League's players ”.
Commentary of the specialists of the Association "Ukrainian technical hemp"
The decision of the NFL officials clearly demonstrates that the hemp plant, as well as its individual derivatives, is recognized as a treatment for pain. In order to make any final decisions on this issue, the NFL is ready to fund research on the therapeutic properties of cannabis and, if positive results of the experiments are obtained, use the plant or its derivatives in the course of treatment or rehabilitation.
The position of the NFL-NFLPA is identical to that of other major US sports organizations. Major League Baseball (MLB) functionaries have removed cannabis from the category of prohibited substances and at the moment, ratsseniya can be used everywhere by players, except for the periods of matches. The leadership of the National Basketball Association (NBA) says it will not pursue players or coaches if they become aware of the use of the therapeutic properties of cannabis.
In our country, there is a positive experience of using the therapeutic properties of cannabis for the treatment of professional injuries of athletes, a significant improvement in their results, as well as the rehabilitation of their mental and physical condition in the post-competition period. This information has already been communicated to the listeners of the Hemp University during the round tables “ Use of cannabinoids in the treatment of severe / chronic diseases ” and “ Cannabinoid therapy ”. New information on this topic received during 2019-2020. about the possibilities of using the hemp plant to significantly improve the results demonstrated by professional athletes, as well as the feasibility of its use for the treatment of occupational injuries / diseases and the use of individual components of cannabis to improve the emotional and physical state of people leading an active lifestyle or undergoing significant physical stress will be brought to the audience 6- th stream of " Hemp University " during the round table " Problems and prospects of the use of therapeutically active elements of hemp as a basis for nutraceuticals, medicinal cosmetics, animal feed or other products with medicinal plant properties ."