Pretty much every single NBA professional who finds himself in retirement can be assured of a few things. Some of them are positive but others are most certainly not. Of the least positive are the consistent knee and joint pains that plague retired players following years of giving their all on the courts. These are the same injuries which quite often mar the last few seasons of their career.
There have been many wonderful superstars to grace the NBA but it is always sad to see a real great disappear from the courts. If there was a way for them to extend their careers for even just a few more seasons Im sure the players, coaches, and fans would delighted and want to make it possible.
What the Solution?
Al Harrington, a former NBA power forward-journeyman, believes that CBD could be the very thing to improve the quality of players lives and possibly even extend their careers. Though he himself was never using the supplement during his time in the NBA he had come close.
Marijuana has actually been on the banned substances list for the NBA since 1999. This reflects the common opinion towards marijuana. Even the non-psychoactive or addiction forming components such as CBD come under this kind of scrutiny. However, towards the end of his career, Harrington underwent a knee operation which left him in terrible pain. What he found was that the medicines hed been taking previously now had next to no effect on his condition.
Colorado Taught Him All He Knows
Colorado, the state in which Al Harrington lives, has a nearly twenty-year history of a progressive attitude towards medical marijuana. Since 2000, there have been steady moves towards the entire decriminalization and wide availability of medical marijuana. Harrington has said that living in the state all that time, reading the paper every day, clued him into the growing market of medical marijuana.
In order to gain some relief from his pains Harrington used creams and other medicinal forms of CBD on his knees and also took drops. Not containing any of the psychoactive ingredients he could remain clear-headed and relaxed. Since turning away from the standardly prescribed opiates, Harrington has not had to turn back in order to get the care he needs.
The Future of NBA
With such a pressing need for injury treatment in the NBA, it seems like the most logical thing to do would be allowing CBD and all the related components to get off the banned list. Of course, only time will tell if this comes to pass. Former NBA commissioner David Stern told Al Harrington that it was now his opinion that CBD should no longer be on that list. Easier said than done, however, as there is still resistance to CBD despite it not being psychoactive. Hopefully, as more and more athletes come out in favour of CBD and outline the positive impact it has had on their lives and careers public opinion will be swayed.
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