NFL Embraces CBD – Why Is This Happening?

The National Football League recently announced that it would be launching a research effort to see how cannabis and CBD can treat players. Bold TV spoke to PureKana CEO, Kathy Casey, to discuss CBD and its potential health benefits. For the full Q&A, check out the video!

Q. How can CBD help football players?

A. Football can be very taxing both on players’ physical and mental health, and there is some research that suggests CBD can potentially support both stress and pain. 

While Rob Gronkowski and Terrell Davis publicly endorse CBD products, the league is still hesitant to incorporate them. Research still needs to be done on CBD health benefits, and it’s still a little bit in the ambiguous space of the FDA. THC is not yet federally legal. The research hasn’t really kept up with the science, so it’s just the NFL being cautious. 

Q. Why is the NFL shifting it attitude toward cannabis? 

A. While the league often used to come down hard on cannabis, the NBA stopped testing for cannabis completely in 2020, which may have helped the NFL change its mind. In an interview of retired NFL players, 26% used opioids in the last 30 days. Unfortunately, nearly 50% of them would admit that they’re using them in a way unprescribed. So, this is a call of action by the NFL to support athletes so that they won’t become chronically dependent on pharmaceuticals.

Q. What should we know before incorporating CBD into our lives?

A. There are actually approximately 4,000 brands across the United States; it’s a very saturated market. But of those many brands, there’s only about 10 of them that do more than about $10 million a year. Those tend to be the brands that have great research and protocols around safety. You want to do your research and find brands that are at the forefront of safety and innovation.

For more on this topic, check this out.