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#2- Cannabis is a safer, more effective treatment for chronic pain, and many athletes struggle with prescription opioids and pain pills.
Professional sports organizations in America follow the precedent set by the pharmaceutical company in regards to treating athletes. Like millions of other Americans, these athletes must consult with team and personal doctors about specific ailments they deal with on the job, and as a result they are given prescriptions to pharmaceutical drugs. Like millions of other Americans, there are athletes who have legitimate health concerns that must be addressed, and it is far too easy for these people to be given opiate prescriptions for them to grow dependent on. And when the pain is chronic, the dependency levels for these drugs go up with time.
Former NFL player Eben Britton spoke with three other former NFL players who advocate for cannabis during a video for HERB.co. Some of the most striking comments of the 10 minute conversation came when Britton addressed the NFL’s culture of players popping pills. Since players are legally prescribed pain medication by doctors, it becomes very easy for players to not only get themselves hooked on opioids, but for teammates to develop addictions as well.
“I mean they were doing little envelopes of vicodin on the plane, after the games, before the games. And you know for me, I realized I would take these pills and I’d just feel insane. You know my rage and my anger was like on a hair-trigger-right at the surface…especially after times when I was put on IR (injury reserve) with my back surgery or my shoulder surgery. I couldn’t get dressed on my own. I couldn’t tie my shoes. And then you’re taking these pills that are exacerbating your state.”
-Eben Britton (Herb.co https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=zMFEpkoZo-o @ 1:06)
While it is clear that there is a medical need for opiate prescriptions depending on the athlete’s condition (such as Gordon Hayward’s surgery), to suggest that preventing professional athletes from safely accessing alternative medicines such as cannabis is a better precedent for sports organizations to set is absurd. There is no fatal dosage of cannabis, and the side effects are far less dangerous than those of opioids. More importantly, if a patient and their doctor deems it is medically worth prescribing cannabis for health benefits that have been scientifically proven, why should a sports organization stop them from prescribing it? Why should sports organizations be allowed to say to their athletes, “its either our way or the high way.” No pun intended.
