Many retired athletes have admitted to being addicted to prescription opioids exposed to them during their playing careers. Recently, more and more of these athletes are advocating for the use of Cannabidiol (CBD) to be allowed to athletes as a substitution to addicting painkillers.
CBD is a non-intoxicating form of Marijuana found in cannabis. After tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), (CBD) is the second-most abundant cannabinoid in the plant, and has many potential therapeutic benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety and seizure-suppressant properties. CBD use is legal for medicinal use in 33 states including California, but remains apart of anti-drug rules in most professional and college sports.
Former NFL tight-end Rob Gronkowksi of the New England Patriots, battled injuries his entire career and has partnered with a CBD manufacturer Abacus, becoming an advocate for CBD use for athletes at an event announcing the partnership. Gronk said the use of CBD has changed his life for the better.
“I am advocating for CBD use to be acceptable to be used for recovery,” Gronkowski said. “For the first time in more than a decade, I am pain-free and that is a big deal.”
Consistent opioid use can severely damage the Liver and addiction, which possibly can lead to overdose. In the United States, over 15,000 people die per year from pain medication overdose, more than Heroin and Cocaine combined.
Southwestern College Head athletic trainer Dennis Petrucci said his staff avoids giving SC athletes pain killers for long periods of time.
“Pain Killers as far as I know are typically hard on the liver, more than any other organ in the body,” Petrucci said. “Typically, we try not to have anyone on any pain meds that we know of long-term.”
Petrucci said CBD does show promise, but more studies need to happen before it is allowed. However, he did point to one study that showed a lot of positive for CBD use.
“I read a really good study kind of grouped it in with the CBD category. A few years ago, that had to do with concussions specifically” he said. “It was actually Marijuana because it had the THC component added to it but they actually saw some neurological regeneration with that part of it. It did not have it without the THC which is what we call the CBD. I think there is a lot of room there, but there are just not enough studies to really validate that.”
Petrucci said he would not recommend CBD to athletes because he needs more conclusive evidence to justify it being useful.
“Everything I do is evidence based so I read studies and not just read a study there is a difference between a good and a bad study”, Petrucci said. “Would I recommend CBD to someone? No, you know people come to me, looking at me for medical advice because of what I do and not knowing all of the benefits, long term, as well as short term of what CBD can or cannot do is not prudent or, ethical for me to just go and say ‘well it sounds good, go ahead and try this’.”.
Petrucci said the training staff has contemplated participating in a study on CBD use with Southwestern College athletes.
“A company based out of Colorado, reached out to us wanting to do a study specifically with concussions and inflammation in the brain with the use of CBD,” he said. “The first part of it would have mouth pieces that can measure the amount of an impact a hit would be. The second part of the study would be we’d have some kids that take the oil every single day, and then the other kids that did not. Ones that did take it, we would hopefully be able to get some good measurements of it, it is a study, we do not know how that would unfold either.”
A study done by Harvard University showed signs that CBD has a variety of health benefits.
“In numerous studies, CBD was able to reduce the number of seizures, and in some cases, it was able to stop them altogether.”
It has also been proven to help people with mental health issues as well.
“CBD is commonly used to address anxiety, and for patients who suffer through the misery of insomnia, studies suggest that CBD may help with both falling asleep and staying asleep,” they concluded. CBD may offer an option for treating different types of chronic pain. CBD applied on the skin could help lower pain and inflammation due to arthritis.”
CBD’s calming properties can help athletes calm down after a stressful or physical game, so that they sleep pain-free. Similarly, CBD can help athletes cope with the pressures of competition, with its ability to help alleviate anxiety and stress. It can as well help the athletes recover from pain that they have in their bodies.
Athletes have remarked how CBD use has improved their lives, rather than taking opioid based medication. Before CBD, many athletes took Pills which cause them to become addicted, and leave long lasting ill-effects on their bodies. With CBD becoming popular for athletes to use, many stated that it has changed their lives for the better and want to see CBD become legalized in all of the states, and becoming widely accepted in professional sports.
