NFL awards $500,000 for Canadian university to study cannabis as a concussion treatment

By Ming Shen. This article was initially published in our Concussion Update newsletter; please consider subscribing.

In 2021, the NFL offered an opportunity to researchers to examine possible treatments for pain in NFL athletes. An article written for CBC News indicates that the NFL awarded over $500,000 to a study led by Patrick Neary, a professor and exercise physiologist at the University of Regina, a public university in Canada. Neary’s project was one of 106 submissions to the NFL, with only one other submission receiving funding. 

This project, comprising of three phases, as described by an article written by the Regina Leader-Post, will look at the possibility of using cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which are natural compounds found in cannabis, as a method of treating concussions and reducing concussion frequency and severity. CBD is known to have anti-inflammatory effects, meaning it may prevent inflammation of brain tissue.

The first phase will determine the amount of CBD athletes undergoing resistance training can take daily to help with inflammation. Researchers will then look at the effects of their proposed dosage on football players in Canada in the second phase. In the third phase, the researchers will determine the amount of CBD, THC, and other supplements that will best reduce the use of pain medications - especially opioids.

Neary has indicated potential directions of the study, including looking at individualized CBD/THC treatments according to genetic differences. The study results may also lead to the creation of a supplement that can be taken regularly as a preventative measure for athletes. Lastly, in the future, their findings may be extended to individuals who are not athletes and have concussions for various reasons.