NFL Players Push For Cannabis Alternative To Opioids For Chronic Pain

Opioid addiction is becoming a deadly epidemic in the U.S. and players in the National Football League are especially at risk from the multiple injuries they over their careers.

Now, a group of current and former players is funding a study on a potential opioid alternative – cannabis oil, made in the Bay Area – to help alleviate the pain brought about by a football career.

Injuries like those suffered by retired offensive tackle Kyle Turley often come with a lifetime of pain, usually treated by opiates. “I need a new right hip, I need two right knees. I have got a plate and ten screws in my right ankle,“ said Turley. “I am bone-on-bone in every joint.”

The pain is usually treated by opioids such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and codeine. A 2011 study found that former NFL players were three times as likely to abuse prescription pain medication as the general population.

It’s estimated some 400 NFL...

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