Football Legend Ricky Williams Calls On NFL To Embrace Marijuana For Player Recovery

Former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams says the National Football League (NFL) is making positive strides by becoming more favorable towards cannabis in recent years.

In an interview with TMZ Sports, he expressed his hopes for one of the major professional sports leagues in the U.S. and Canada to take another step forward and permit teams to allow players to use marijuana for post-game treatment.

The famous running back attended last September's Benzinga event in Chicago along with Calvin Johnson, Ben Wallace, Rob Sims and Al Harrington. The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference is returning to the Windy City this month.

In June, the NFL and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) jointly announced they would invest over $500 000 in the research of cannabidiol (CBD) as an alternative pain treatment for players suffering from concussions, a move prompted by the National Basketball Players Association's earlier decision to drop testing its players for cannabis. In a gesture to medical marijuana, the NFL announced in June 2021 that it was earmarking $1 million for research into the therapeutic potential of cannabis, CBD and other alternatives to opioids for treating pain.

Williams, who legally changed his name to Errick Miron last year, praised the league's newfound acceptance of cannabis. However, he emphasizes that if players were encouraged to use marijuana instead of pills for recovery, it could provide them significant advantages.

"I think the next step, though, is at the end of a game, if we're on the plane ride home, the trainer is walking down the aisle and has two capsule cases -- one of Ambien, and the other one of Vicodin," Williams said. "And he's walking down the aisle and saying, 'Do you need any of this, do you need any of this?'"

Highsman Cannabis Lifestyle Brand

Williams, who was suspended numerous times for violating the league's substance abuse policy, is now behind the cannabis lifestyle brand Highsman. In addition to a partnership with cannabis pre-roll brand Jeeter, Williams' cannabis brand has also ventured into the metaverse with the opening of Highsman House a year ago, the first virtual reality sports and cannabis experience powered by AltspaceVR.

"We have an authentic message, and people are growing some really amazing flower that can really help people feel better," Williams said.

The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, the place where deals get done, is returning to Chicago this Sept 27-28 for its 17th edition. Get your tickets today before prices increase and secure a spot at the epicenter of cannabis investment and branding.

Photo: Benzinga edit of images by Wikimedia Commons and 2H Media on Unsplash