Op-Ed: Tiki Barber’s take on marijuana research

About six years into my NFL career, a coach told us that we were all going to start taking blood tests to check our liver function. We were all healthy soccer players, mostly in our twenties. Why did we need liver function tests?

The coaches knew that the drugs that relieve our pain and injuries can put strain on our internal organs such as the liver and kidneys. There were opioids. There were also nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Some were prescription pain relievers and some were over the counter.

After these tests, I became much more careful with what I was putting into my body. As a footballer, you also want to stay on the pitch and keep your job. You take the medication that keeps you gambling. For gamers, then and now, opioids are a legal and accepted choice for pain relief. And guys pumped after the emotional roller coaster of a professional soccer game often resort to another drug to find a balance when they get home: alcohol.

However, after years on the field, many players I knew began to view marijuana as the safest and best intervention for pain relief and stress management.

Chronic pain

So I applaud the NFL and the NFL Players Association for making this joint announcement $ 1 million in research grants Research pain management and cannabis. The research could be of value far beyond the soccer field – estimated 20% of Americans living with chronic pain.

But research grants like that of the NFL and the NFL Players Association will only go so far if the federal government continues to use marijuana Schedule 1 drug. This classification includes dangerous and addicting drugs, including heroin. The federal government says cannabis has no recognized medical use and high potential for abuse. (Cocaine is also not a List 1 drug.)

Researchers studying marijuana risk losing their medical license because marijuana remains illegal at the federal level – despite medical cannabis legal in 36 states. The federal government goes on enforce restrictive regulations on marijuana research.

It seems to me that if the NFL – an all-American organization if there ever was – can fund marijuana research, the government can open the door to quality science. Scientists should be able to study the marijuana patients consume on a daily basis at legal alternative treatment centers. At the moment they can’t. Legal studies by health care researchers are severely restricted by state regulations. Researchers are hindered at every turn. The NFL and the NFL Players Association aim to objectively study the safety and effectiveness, as well as the effects of cannabis on performance. For research like this to be most effective, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s classification of marijuana must change.

Do not endorse for use

I am a volunteer on the advisory board of the New Jersey-based Cannabis Education and Research Institute (CERI) because the non-profit organization is committed to objective research. Our board of directors and advisory board of experts from science, medicine and politics support clinical studies on effectiveness, dose, administration routes and side effects.

I also joined because CERI is working to protect patient access to medicinal cannabis strains. That’s critical in New Jersey after voters decided last year to legalize adult marijuana. As New Jersey moves towards recreational marijuana, we fear the supply for medical patients will be limited. Quality research will be needed to support the drug market and learn more about what really works for patients who are suffering.

I am not suggesting that NFL players or anyone else should use medical marijuana for medicinal purposes. Personally, I am not a medical or recreational consumer. But I think we need to learn more about how people can benefit from this ancient botanical – whether they have cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, or a sports injury.

Public opinion about marijuana is developing rapidly. Recreational marijuana is legal 17 states, two territories and Washington, DC The narrative changes. The federal government’s classification of marijuana must also change.