The National Football League (NFL) is taking another step forward 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 press release on February 1 that it would be presenting $1 million to two different researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and University of Regina (UR), which is located in Canada. Both researcher groups will be focusing on how cannabinoids can aid in general pain management, with a few other goal studies as well.
A statement on the matter was provided from Dr. Kevin Hill, Co-Chair, NFL-NFLPA Joint Pain Management Committee, Director of Addiction Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. According to Dr. Hill, this decision to further study cannabis consumption for NFL players will yield positive results. “The NFL-NFLPA Joint Pain Management Committee is thrilled with the results of this process. We received over 100 proposals from top clinicians and researchers from around the world,” said Dr. Hill. “The NFL is eager to advance the science of pain management and performance in an effort to improve the health and safety of the players.”
NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills also shared his thoughts on the topic, with hope that these initiatives could be the foundation of many more studies to come. “As with the league’s broader approach to health and safety, we want to ensure that our players are receiving care that reflects the most up-to-date medical consensus,” said Dr. Sills. “While the burden of proof is high for NFL players who want to understand the impact of any medical decision on their performance, we are grateful that we have the