Why he returned to the NFL

The science says no, at least not in the athletic sense. But the psychic benefits can be large — just ask former N.F.L. star Ricky Williams. He says athletes should consider cannabis a healing drug, not a party drug. Even the N.F.L. is starting to agree. (Part two of a two-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • Angela Bryan, professor, associate chair for faculty development in the department of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
  • Ricky Williams, former N.F.L. running back, founder of Highsman.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Using A Lab On Wheels To Study Weed From Dispensaries," by Science Friday (2024).
  • "Exercise-induced euphoria and anxiolysis do not depend on endogenous opioids in humans," by Michael Siebers, Sarah Biedermann, Laura Bindila, Beat Lutz, and Johannes Fuss (Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2021).
  • "Endocannabinoids mediate runner’s high," by Sudhakaran Prabakaran (Science Signaling, 2015).
  • "Cannabis and Exercise Science: A Commentary on Existing Studies and Suggestions for Future Directions," by Angela Bryan, Arielle Gilman, and Kent Hutchison (Sports Medicine, 2015).
  • Run Ricky Run, documentary (2010).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Is America Switching from Booze to Weed?" series by Freakonomics Radio (2024).

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