by Rolando García, Benzinga Staff Writer
May 6, 2024 2:24 PM | 2 min read
Zinger Key Points
- Ricky Williams, Jim McMahon lobby for cannabis law reform as Biden admin moves for reclassification.
- Williams says cannabis improved his life from a quality standpoint. ‘It’s better than football.’
As a football star and later a cannabis reform advocate, former NFL running back Ricky Williams is no stranger to the spotlight. Drafted fifth overall in 1999 by the New Orleans Saints, Williams’ career was punctuated by remarkable talent on the field. During his professional period, his use of cannabis set him up for controversy. But Williams publicly embraces his consumption and vision of the plant.
Williams and Jim McMahon, former quarterback for the Chicago Bears, recently took their advocacy efforts to Capitol Hill. They lobbied for more relaxed cannabis regulations amid advances by the Biden administration to reclassify marijuana as a lower-risk substance.
Cannabis Is ‘Better Than Football’
Reflecting on his experiences on CNN, Williams said, “I realized that cannabis for me is better than football,” citing improvements in his quality of life. He discussed how prohibition adversely affected his career, saying, “It put a damper in my career.” Known for his push for major sports leagues in the U.S. and Canada to allow marijuana use for post-game treatment, Williams now explores a range of products from gummies to psilocybin therapies through his brand, Highsman. His focus remains on providing alternative treatments for sports-related injuries, pain, PTSD, depression, anxiety, trauma and addiction.
The Case Against Painkillers
McMahon, legendary quarterback for the Chicago Bears, shared his personal experiences with the plant during his NFL career. Unlike Williams, McMahon managed to avoid sanctions, but like him, has been outspoken about the advantages of cannabis over opioids.
“Living on those pain pills like I was, I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t go to the bathroom. It just screws up so many things in your body, all it does is mask pain,” he said.
McMahon attributes his swift recovery from multiple surgeries to cannabis. “While as for cannabis, it heals your body from within. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to come back from all those surgeries I got back from so quickly.”
As co-founders of Cannabis Brand Revenant Williams and McMahon are using their platforms to transform the stigma associated with cannabis into recognition of its therapeutic potential, aiming to influence policies that reflect contemporary understanding of cannabis’s benefits.
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