Could cannabis be used to prevent concussions? The NFL wants the University of Regina to look into it
CBC
Researchers from the University of Regina are getting more than $500,000 US from the National Football League to study the potential of using cannabinoids for the prevention and treatment of concussions.
Cannabinoids are the naturally occurring compounds found in the cannabis plant.
The NFL-NFLPA Joint Pain Management Committee, which said it wants to better understand and improve potential alternative pain management treatments for NFL players, put out a request for research proposals in June 2021.
The NFL said the U of R study is one of two to be awarded funding out of 106 submissions from top clinicians and researchers from around the world.
A study at the University of California San Diego that will be evaluating the effects of cannabinoids on pain and recovery from sports-related injuries in elite athletes is also receiving funding.
"We are grateful that we have the opportunity to fund these scientifically-sound studies on the use of cannabinoids that may lead to the discovery of data-based evidence that could impact the pain management of our players," NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills said in a release.
The U of R study will be led by Patrick Neary, an exercise physiologist and professor in the faculty of kinesiology and health studies, who has been working in the area of concussion prevention and treatment for more than 15 years.
Neary said his team's selection by the NFL was "extraordinary, overwhelming news" and "a very, very humbling experience."
His team will try to optimize the formulation of cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) for pain management in those suffering from post-concussion syndrome and chronic pain, and for a neuroprotective treatment for concussions.
He expects their CBD/THC formulation to show significant and positive changes to the brain that will reduce pain and use of prescription medications, such as opioids, and reduce concussions during athletic competition.
It will be "really exciting" to see whether the formulation they're working on can reduce the incidence and/or the severity of concussions, he said.
Neary said when a person gets a concussion, there are chemical changes that are occurring in the brain to try and help it rehabilitate and recover from the trauma that it's gone through.
With the disruption in the cells in the brain, there will often be an influx of more chemicals than are needed initially and that creates inflammation, he said.
"We know that CBD is anti-inflammatory, so it can help to reduce the inflammation while still allowing the brain to recover from those good chemicals that are coming in," he said.