NFL Investigates CBD and Marijuana Pain Relief Alternatives for Players

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Playing professional football in the NFL can lead to fame and fortune, but it can also lead to serious injuries and the significant pain that accompanies them. Now, the National Football League and the NFL Players Association want to explore how marijuana and its components, including CBD, can provide an alternative to opiates for pain treatment. They also want to find out how cannabis use might affect football players’ athletic performance.

In February 2021, the NFL published a request for information, seeking investigators to “carry out studies aimed at supplementing the NFL-NFLPA Pain Management Committee’s (‘PMC’) knowledge about pain management and athletic performance in NFL players.” The notice identified three key areas of interest, including NFL players cannabis CBD alternative for pain:

Cannabidiol CBD used for Athletes.

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The NFL and the Players’ Association already held two informational forums on CBD in 2020 to explore more about the current status of the CBD industry in North America. The Pain Management Committee, a joint effort of the NFL and NFLPA said that NFL cannabis CBD showed promise as a potential treatment for some kinds of pain, the “hype about CBD” exceeds the level of scientific support at present. They pointed out that most CBD promotion is based on animal studies rather than measurable human effects.

The plants over pills cannabis movement has recognized the serious risks that can accompany opioid treatment, with both CBD and THC cannabis products offering potential for pain relief. Outside of pain treatment for athletes, a plants over pills cannabis approach has also focused on harm reduction for people at risk of opioid misuse or dependency, providing a safer alternative for pain relief.

In the request, the NFL notes that it is not promising to fund any particular research but wants to identify qualified scientists in the case that research projects on NFL cannabis CBD are brought forward. The request for information is open until March 31 for submissions.

The NFL is changing its cannabis and drug policies overall, in line with the changes taking place in other major professional leagues. The newest collective bargaining agreement in football threw out game suspensions for positive drug tests, changing the focus to evaluation and treatment rather than punishment. The change does not differentiate between cannabis and other recreational drugs.

Laboratory sample of urine for drugs or substance test.

In 2019, Major League Baseball removed cannabis from its list of prohibited substances, meaning that baseball players may use cannabis without the threat of sanctions or discipline. However, they may not play or otherwise work while enjoying the effects of marijuana and they are still barred from accepting sponsorship deals with cannabis companies.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Basketball Association created a temporary policy barring random drug tests for marijuana. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in December 2020 that this change may soon become permanent, with the league reaching out only to players that indicate dependency or substance misuse rather than casual use of cannabis.