CBD v Painkillers
Addiction to painkillers has been a long-reported topic amongst athletes engaged in combat and contact sports. Could the use of CBD be an all-natural solution to this growing epidemic amongst young men and women?
The ‘jab’ (getting a painkilling injection) used to be somewhat of a dirty secret, which has now almost become a badge of honour, and part and parcel of the everyday rhetoric of ‘footy’. To take the field when in pain, has become such a regular and normal occurrence that it is even reported on nonchalantly today by the media - casually announcing that players will play with painkilling injections on the back page of newspapers, and as a leading story on websites.
In 2015, 2 first grade NRL players were hospitalised with an overdose of prescription painkillers, prompting a player’s agent to claim at the time that up to 70% of players were using prescription painkillers, particularly during the off season when scrutiny is limited.
A leading rugby league newspaper columnist claimed at the time, "Rugby League has a drug problem, it stopped being about alcohol years ago. The problem is prescription drugs. Stillies, Oxies, Benzos ... take your pick."
Over in the US, drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death among Americans under 50, with two-thirds of all drug overdose deaths caused by opioids such as prescription painkillers. The problem is so big that in 2019 the UFC announced a campaign to raise the awareness of the dangers of opioid addiction.
Prescription drug use is ingrained in the history and culture of so many sports, and as TV and online viewing figures grow, so does the expectation that players, fighters and athletes are to perform at their best despite fatigue and injuries. The use of painkillers may extend careers, but it also increases the chance of an opioid addiction.
Most studies so far have generally indicated that Cannabidiol is not addictive, and can in fact be used to combat addiction.
According to a study published in 2014 in the Hawaii journal of medicine and public health, people who used cannabis reported a 64-percent decrease in the severity of their pain. Of the tested individuals, not one reported adverse effects from the supplements.
Whilst HEMPCANN LABS products are not made to treat, diagnose, or cure any ailment or condition, many of our customers have been using our products daily as an important tool to help with pain and recovery.