The National Football League (NFL), in partnership with Canadian researchers, is conducting a clinical study to determine the safety and effectiveness of CBD in pain management and concussion neuroprotection. These are important issues for football players who suffer injuries during the course of their game.
Phase 1 will test 35 participants who will either receive a CBD-rich cannabis or placebo extract. The goal is to determine if the daily use of CBD is “safe, well tolerated and free from adverse physiological and mental dysfunction”.
In recent years, the NFL has invested hundreds of thousands in research to investigate the therapeutic potential for the non-intoxicating cannabis cannabinoid. This includes funding studies on CBD as an alternative opioid.
Researchers at the University of Regina, in collaboration with NFL, will conduct this study to determine the “optimal dose” of cannabidiol which can be consumed safely on a daily base. The CBD dose will begin at five milligrams of CBD per kilogram, increasing to 30 milligrams.
notice states: “This study aims to investigate the anti-inflammatory and neurological protection of the CBD formulation in order to determine if it can be safely used daily during periods of intense exercise (resistance training) during the off-season before competition.”
The report states that “specifically, the investigators are going to investigate the pharmacokinetics, physiological and psychological effects of CBD.” The investigators hypothesize the CBD formulations are non-intoxicating, safe, well tolerated and do not cause negative physiological or psychological dysfunction.
The NFL announced in 2022 that it would fund the project, as well as another study at the University of California San Diego. The league has agreed to spend one million dollars on cannabis trials.
The NFL and its Players Union separately announced last summer that they will be awarding a second round of funding for independent research to support the therapeutic benefit of CBD as an alternative pain treatment to opioids to players with concussions.
The NFL commissioner and the players’ union presented the funding plan to stakeholders and players in June 2022. In 2020 , the joint NFL-NFLPA Committee also held two CBD informational forums.
In 2020, as part of an agreement on collective bargaining, the NFL’s policy for drug testing changed demonstrably. The policy stipulates that no player will be suspended from a game for a positive test for marijuana or any other drug.
As the movement to legalize cannabis at state level continues, other sports leagues have adopted similar revised policies.
A new proposal in collegiate athletics would eliminate marijuana from the list substances that are included in the drug screening of National Collegiate Athletic Association championship competitions. Officials will vote on this matter in June.
The plan would be based on a change that raised the threshold of THC for college athletes to align NCAA rules with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) standards.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship announced last month it was removing marijuana officially from its newly revised banned substances list . This is also building on a previous reform.
The National Basketball Association and its players’ union signed a collective agreement last month that removed marijuana from the list of banned substances. It also lays down rules allowing the players to promote and invest in cannabis brands, with certain exceptions.
Nevada’s sports regulators decided last year that they would submit a regulatory amendment proposal to the Governor to protect athletes against being punished for using or possessing cannabis as per state law.
The New York Media Softball League, which includes teams from The Wall Street Journal High Times and BuzzFeed in its ranks, announced last July that a sponsoring deal would be launched with a Kentucky CBD company.
The collaboration idea was influenced by Major League Baseball’s (MLB) moves and by certain teams such as the Kansas City Royals, and Chicago Cubs who have recently partnered up with CBD businesses.
MLB announced its league-wide collaboration with a popular CBD product in 2022. Charlotte’s Web Holdings signed a deal to become “Official Cbd of MLB” with the league.
In spite of this, the World Anti-Doping Agency has been criticized for its continued cannabis ban. In an August opinion piece, members of a panel at the World Anti-Doping Agency said that athletes who use marijuana violate the “spirit” of sport and are therefore unfit to be role models.
After the U.S. Sha’Carri Richison, a runner from the United States, was banned from competing in Olympic events in 2021 due to a positive THC result.
After the suspension, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said that international marijuana rules “must be changed,” both the White House and Joe Biden himself indicated it was time to implement new policies. Congress lawmakers amplified this message.
A Study Shows That States that Legalize Marijuana Have Increased College Basketball Recruitment
Image element provided by Marco Verch.
The post NFL Partners On New Study Using Cannabis CBD To Treat Pain and Protect Concussions first appeared on Marijuana Moment.
