Former NFL Star Says He Walks 35 Miles A Week Thanks To Cannabis: 'I Could Not Do That When I Was Taking 8 Pills A Day'

"Eventually, you get addicted to pain," says former NFL quarterback Charlie Batch, talking about his personal experience with pain management while playing professional football. In a recent appearance at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Miami, Batch opened up about his experiences and how it led him to become a cannabis investor and advocate.

Batch detailed the harsh reality of the constant and intense pain experienced by NFL players. "They continue to just pump out pain medication. It's just Toradol shots after Toradol shots, whatever that looks like," Batch said. This approach to pain management, as per Batch, creates an unhealthy cycle for athletes, as they often end up dependent on opioids for pain relief.

Batch experienced this first-hand as he neared the end of his professional career. "Pain was an issue. And of course, when you're watching a football game, there's a 100% chance that a player will be injured in that football game that you're watching," he said, "And you'd be surprised at the pain medications that they give afterward."

As his career wound down, Batch revealed that he was taking up to six to eight painkillers a day, a stark contrast to the recommended one to two. He shared a conversation he had with his wife, where she expressed her fears about his health. "She said, 'I'm nervous and I don't think you're at this pace right now. You're not going to have a kidney or liver in the next ten years.'"

Batch decided to abstain from cannabis during his playing career as it was against the collective bargaining agreement. "I never wanted to be that person suspended for games for taking it," he said. However, after retiring from the sport, he began to educate himself on the benefits of cannabis, largely encouraged by his wife.

She was the one who first introduced him to cannabis products. "She went out to California, educated herself, spent about a week out there and came back and said, 'You know what? I want you to try these particular products,'" he shared. Batch was having problems walking and sleeping, and he was irritable. The introduction to cannabis seemed like a revelation.

Batch noted how he experienced his body reacting differently after using cannabis products. "When I started that transition, it was like, wow. I started seeing my body react in different ways that it had never reacted before," he stated. These improvements led him to establish a regular regimen with cannabis, leading to significant changes in his life. "Now, here I am. All these years later, I walk 30 to 35 miles a week, something that I could not do prior to that happening."

Aspiring to learn more about the industry? Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference is scheduled to return to Chicago on September 27 and 28, with more information available at bzcannabis.com.

When he retired from the NFL, @CharlieBatch16's wife went to California. She came back and told him she wanted him to try #weed for pain.

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— Javier Hasse (@JavierHasse) June 1, 2023