RB Mike James On Tackling the League's Cannabis Conceptions

Photography by Julian Restrepo

Veteran NFL running back Mike James made history earlier this year as the first active professional football player to file for a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) specifically for cannabis. While the NFL denied his exemption in May, James is determined to change the league’s policies. He opened up to Palm Beach Cannabis about his journey so far and his mission advocating for cannabis as an alternative to dangerous opioids.

Football is America’s favorite sport and also one of the world’s most dangerous. It is a game of torn A.C.L’s, Achilles tendon ruptures, dislocat ed shoulders, sprains, fractures, and contusions. Looking at the statistics on injuries in the professional sport, anyone would be quite alarmed. According to the data, gathered and analyzed by the independent company IQVIA (formerly called Quintiles) and reported by the NFL, there were over 6 injuries per game on average and a total of 281 concussions (a six-year high) in the 2017 season.

NFL players know that injuries comes with the territory, as well as the alltoo-common practice of taking addictive opioids to deal with these injuries, not simply to relieve pain but also to endure more pain in order to stay in the game. Running back Mike James can personally attest to this. Drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2013, James has played in only 23 games over the span of six seasons, with two of them ending because of injury. Last year, he played for the Detroit Lions, but suffered a concussion during the preseason and was placed on the season-ending injured reserve.

Nine games into his rookie year, in a Monday Night Football matchup against the Miami Dolphins, James suffered his first injury. Fracturing his ankle and having surgery the next day, his doctor prescribed opioids to manage the pain. It was not soon after that James fell into a year-long dependence on Percocet and hydrocodone, taking nearly two dozen painkillers a day. He explained to us that he felt he always needed it, the drugs he took were safe, it was medicine, prescribed by a doctor who had his best interests at mind. But, noticing changes in his behavior and that pills were disappearing more frequently than they should have, James’ wife Aubrey came to the realization that other pain treatments had to be explored. She next came to James with a novel option - marijuana.

“I am very thankful that my wife intervened when she did because Icouldn’t imagine being that same way around my two boys now.”

- MIKE JAMES

James initially balked at the idea. Looking back at his childhood, you will realize why trying cannabis seemed outlandish to him. Greatly affected by his experience as the son of a father addicted to crack cocaine and plagued by alcoholism, James knew he did not want to follow in his father’s footsteps, and avoided drugs at all costs. He never took prescription pills prior to his injury, nor smoked marijuana, he even limited the amount of drinks he would have. A father himself now of two young boys, ages five and one, James revealed that knowing the dangers of being a child of substance abuse, he never wanted to risk the chance.

Eventually, he gave in to Aubrey’s request and after trying it, admitted marijuana alleviated all of his pain. James was reluctant to continue using it as a pain reliever though, battling with the fact that it was illegal and aware that because the substance is banned by the league.he could face suspension. He stopped and went back to taking prescriptions, this time for Toradol and Ibuprofen. Finding himself falling back into the same routine, during training camp this past year, he ultimately decided that medicating with marijuana was a healthier option for him than pills. James told us that up until that point, he did not want to believe a plant could take care of so many issues much more effectively than anything else could.

Recalling his experience with painkillers, James tells us that he is “very thankful that my wife intervened when she did because I couldn’t imagine being that same way around my two boys now.” Today he is proud to be living a healthy life both mentally and physically, clear of pills. He added that he loves football, but he loves his life. Sometimes things are just more important.

The opiate crisis that affects the NFL is real. On a mission to convince the league that cannabis should be considered a viable medical treatment option, James has been working hard to change the NFL’s policy on substance abuse.and get medicinal marijuana recognized. Much of his time is spent traveling around the country advocating the medicinal benefits of cannabis, further educating himself, as well as lobbying. We urge you to support him in his mission.