A three-year study funded by the National Football League has been approved to investigate the potential of CBD for preventing concussions in players.
The study, which will also explore whether cannabinoids can be used as an alternative to opioids for pain management, hopes to address an unmet need among athletes at risk of head injuries on the field.
Researchers at the University of Regina in Canada received $500,000 to conduct the study which has now received approval from Health Canada and is to begin recruiting participants this month.A second project at the University of California San Diego also received $500,000 to study the effects of cannabinoids on pain and recovery from sports-related injuries.
Dr Neary has worked in concussion prevention and treatment for over 15 years. He hopes this new area of research will lead to the development of a cannabinoid-based therapeutic which could be taken regularly as a preventative measure in athletes from an early age. He added, “I think professional sport is now starting to wake up to the fact that we have a plant on this planet that we could potentially use for the betterment of mankind.”
