As more former NFL players speak on the medicinal benefits of cannabis, it grants others the safety to step forward and join the ranks. The latest former football athlete to announce his pro-cannabis stance is Willis McGahee, the once-prolific running back.
The American Medical Marijuana Physicians Association will host “The NFL and Medical Cannabis Conference” in May of this year, with the aim “to merge two highly controversial and popular topics, connecting traditional western medicine and medical marijuana in a professional, educational environment.”
This conference helped physicians expand and update existing knowledge and skills regarding ever-increasingly sophisticated diagnostic and practice guidelines, to share new ideas for evaluation and treatment techniques, and to increase the practitioner’s knowledge and ability to act and advocate for patients within the current medical legislative and regulatory environment.
McGahee, who hasn’t previously announced any association with the cannabis community, will speak as part of a roundtable discussion with a panel of former players about using marijuana to treat medical conditions. Joining McGahee is Treyous Jarrells, the former Colorado State running back who quit football to continue using marijuana.
Dr. Bennett Omalu, the doctor responsible for discovering CTE and portrayed by Will Smith in Concussion, will serve as the conference’s keynote speaker.
McGahee played for the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, and Denver Broncos throughout his career. As an NFL player, McGahee carried the ball 2,095 times for 8,474 yards and scored 70 TDs both rushing and receiving.
