Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Derrick Morgan says he has never been diagnosed with a concussion.
Yet as the 27-year-old prepared for the relatively quiet months between his sixth and seventh NFL seasons, he had two priorities: working toward his MBA at the University of Miami, and finding a way to preserve his brain so that whatever he learns will stay there.
"A lot of the information coming out about concussion research and CTE caught my attention," he told For The Win last week. "You hear about a lot of former players suffering from depression and dementia. Or the suicides. That's the glaring extreme end. You don't hear as much about the guys suffering from those ailments, but not to such an extreme.
"I realized I had to be as proactive as I could be."
Morgan, who has played defensive end and linebacker for the Tennessee Titans, became the second active NFL player, with free agent offensive lineman Eugene Monroe, to advocate for more research into cannabis and its possible impact on the brain. He first spoke about his decision with Yahoo's Katie Couric.
Unlike Monroe, who has also advocated for marijuana as a pain reliever, Morgan is mostly intrigued by further study of a non-psychoactive element in cannabis called cannabidiol, or CBD, which in very preliminary animal studies has shown the ability to protect and heal the brain.
He has donated money toward two upcoming studies - to be conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Pennsylvania - meant to examine the impact of cannabis on current and former NFL players, and is hoping the league and players association will do the same.
"The NFL carries such huge weight, wields such influence," he said. "They could and should be a leader in this. If there's any evidence that this could help players, they owe it to us to explore it."
Marijuana is a banned substance under the collectively bargained NFL drug policy. And even though products focused on delivering CBD contain only a small percentage of THC, the element in marijuana that gets you high, they could still produce a positive drug test.
"We're sponsored by alcohol and beer companies, their logos are everywhere, and look at the damage that does," Morgan said. "It's crazy to me that the stigma behind marijuana appears to be preventing further study into cannabis."
Both the league and the players' association have said they contemplate changes to the drug policy based on feedback from teams of doctors, and that those doctors have not recommended any adjustment to the marijuana policy.
Though two of the NFL's top people did request a conference call with the Hopkins and Penn researchers, the league says it currently has no plans to financially support the research.
The players association has not responded to questions about whether it plans to help fund cannabis research.
Monroe and Morgan are both dismayed by the prevalence of highly addictive opioid painkillers throughout the league, and have echoed a group of former players - led by quarterback Jake Plummer and offensive lineman Kyle Turley - in pushing the league to research the use of cannabis as an alternative.
The fundraising for the studies was undertaken by Realm of Caring, a cannabis advocacy group, and CW Hemp, which markets cannabis extracts.
The first study will track current players through the upcoming season, monitoring any and all substances players consume, any injuries they incur and the path toward recovery from those injuries. That study will be built on long interviews before and after the season, brief questionnaires during the season and a review of medical records.
The other study will be based on a questionnaire filled out by former NFL players to ascertain whether they're using any sort of cannabis product or traditional opioid painkillers. Researchers will then attempt to track outcomes of that usage.
Ryan Vandrey, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins, was careful to note that these studies won't begin to answer whether marijuana or cannabis can definitevely help NFL players.
"We're basically just looking for signals to tell us what type of research needs to come next," he said. "We're not looking for answers because we still need to figure out what the questions are. We're looking for basic information to form a hypothesis that can be tested in a more controlled study."
The researchers, he said, have been dismayed at the lack of science surrounding the debate about the legalization of marijuana.
"Public information is being driven by anecdote and passionate individuals who have a stake in this," he said. "We're not advocates. We're not anti-marijuana, either. We're scientists looking to collect some real data that can be informative."
Morgan had his own anecdotal experience, visiting with Realm of Caring and talking to parents whose children's seizures were apparently cured by a product called Charlotte's Web. (Realm of Caring was started by the brothers who own the company selling Charlotte's Web, as well as two mothers who say their children were saved by the product.)
"To see the way that these people had their lives changed, and to know that there have been studies showing that cannabis might be a neuro-protectant," Morgan said, "how can the league not want to look into that?
Monroe was cut by the Ravens after beginning his public advocacy for cannabis, and has said his outspokenness played a part in losing his job (he was also due $6.5 million, missed most of last season due to injury and the Ravens selected tackle Ronnie Stanley No. 6 overall in the draft). Morgan says he fears no such repercussions. He plans to play football for as long as he can - while acknowledging he'll receive and deliver hundreds of brain-wracking sub-concussive hits each year he continues - and simply wants every option for relief explored.
"All I'm asking for is more research," he said. "It's a legitimate ask. I'm a league employee and there are inherent risks that we're aware of, but let's be proactive. Given all the trauma we endure, this is the least they could do."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Derrick Morgan Doesn't Want To Get High, He Wants To Save His Brain
Author: Chris Korman
Contact: For The Win
Photo Credit: Matt McClain
Website: For The Win
Yet as the 27-year-old prepared for the relatively quiet months between his sixth and seventh NFL seasons, he had two priorities: working toward his MBA at the University of Miami, and finding a way to preserve his brain so that whatever he learns will stay there.
"A lot of the information coming out about concussion research and CTE caught my attention," he told For The Win last week. "You hear about a lot of former players suffering from depression and dementia. Or the suicides. That's the glaring extreme end. You don't hear as much about the guys suffering from those ailments, but not to such an extreme.
"I realized I had to be as proactive as I could be."
Morgan, who has played defensive end and linebacker for the Tennessee Titans, became the second active NFL player, with free agent offensive lineman Eugene Monroe, to advocate for more research into cannabis and its possible impact on the brain. He first spoke about his decision with Yahoo's Katie Couric.
Unlike Monroe, who has also advocated for marijuana as a pain reliever, Morgan is mostly intrigued by further study of a non-psychoactive element in cannabis called cannabidiol, or CBD, which in very preliminary animal studies has shown the ability to protect and heal the brain.
He has donated money toward two upcoming studies - to be conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Pennsylvania - meant to examine the impact of cannabis on current and former NFL players, and is hoping the league and players association will do the same.
"The NFL carries such huge weight, wields such influence," he said. "They could and should be a leader in this. If there's any evidence that this could help players, they owe it to us to explore it."
Marijuana is a banned substance under the collectively bargained NFL drug policy. And even though products focused on delivering CBD contain only a small percentage of THC, the element in marijuana that gets you high, they could still produce a positive drug test.
"We're sponsored by alcohol and beer companies, their logos are everywhere, and look at the damage that does," Morgan said. "It's crazy to me that the stigma behind marijuana appears to be preventing further study into cannabis."
Both the league and the players' association have said they contemplate changes to the drug policy based on feedback from teams of doctors, and that those doctors have not recommended any adjustment to the marijuana policy.
Though two of the NFL's top people did request a conference call with the Hopkins and Penn researchers, the league says it currently has no plans to financially support the research.
The players association has not responded to questions about whether it plans to help fund cannabis research.
Monroe and Morgan are both dismayed by the prevalence of highly addictive opioid painkillers throughout the league, and have echoed a group of former players - led by quarterback Jake Plummer and offensive lineman Kyle Turley - in pushing the league to research the use of cannabis as an alternative.
The fundraising for the studies was undertaken by Realm of Caring, a cannabis advocacy group, and CW Hemp, which markets cannabis extracts.
The first study will track current players through the upcoming season, monitoring any and all substances players consume, any injuries they incur and the path toward recovery from those injuries. That study will be built on long interviews before and after the season, brief questionnaires during the season and a review of medical records.
The other study will be based on a questionnaire filled out by former NFL players to ascertain whether they're using any sort of cannabis product or traditional opioid painkillers. Researchers will then attempt to track outcomes of that usage.
Ryan Vandrey, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins, was careful to note that these studies won't begin to answer whether marijuana or cannabis can definitevely help NFL players.
"We're basically just looking for signals to tell us what type of research needs to come next," he said. "We're not looking for answers because we still need to figure out what the questions are. We're looking for basic information to form a hypothesis that can be tested in a more controlled study."
The researchers, he said, have been dismayed at the lack of science surrounding the debate about the legalization of marijuana.
"Public information is being driven by anecdote and passionate individuals who have a stake in this," he said. "We're not advocates. We're not anti-marijuana, either. We're scientists looking to collect some real data that can be informative."
Morgan had his own anecdotal experience, visiting with Realm of Caring and talking to parents whose children's seizures were apparently cured by a product called Charlotte's Web. (Realm of Caring was started by the brothers who own the company selling Charlotte's Web, as well as two mothers who say their children were saved by the product.)
"To see the way that these people had their lives changed, and to know that there have been studies showing that cannabis might be a neuro-protectant," Morgan said, "how can the league not want to look into that?
Monroe was cut by the Ravens after beginning his public advocacy for cannabis, and has said his outspokenness played a part in losing his job (he was also due $6.5 million, missed most of last season due to injury and the Ravens selected tackle Ronnie Stanley No. 6 overall in the draft). Morgan says he fears no such repercussions. He plans to play football for as long as he can - while acknowledging he'll receive and deliver hundreds of brain-wracking sub-concussive hits each year he continues - and simply wants every option for relief explored.
"All I'm asking for is more research," he said. "It's a legitimate ask. I'm a league employee and there are inherent risks that we're aware of, but let's be proactive. Given all the trauma we endure, this is the least they could do."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Derrick Morgan Doesn't Want To Get High, He Wants To Save His Brain
Author: Chris Korman
Contact: For The Win
Photo Credit: Matt McClain
Website: For The Win
