When NFL fans think about players and cannabis use, former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams or even Super Bowl champion Chris Long probably comes to mind.
Williams and Long have spoken extensively about using cannabis for a variety of reasons, including treating pain instead of other pain relievers that have been promoted in the past.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Champ Bailey is also among a group of former NFL stars advocating the use of cannabis as a physical and mental recovery tool. Bailey is a community liaison for Trulieve, the world’s largest cannabis retailer.
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Champ Bailey partnered with Trulieve. (I really believe)
The former Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos standout told Pak Gazette Digital in a recent interview that he partnered with Trulieve to help the company obtain a license in Georgia. Since its completion, Bailey has been tasked with educating the public about marijuana and breaking down the stigmas surrounding it.
Bailey played in the NFL from 1999 to 2013. He was a 12-time Pro Bowler, a three-time first-team All-Pro selection and was named to the Hall of Fame All-2000s Team. He said he began using cannabis as an aid early in his career.
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“But luckily for me, I stayed away from it until I was mature enough to really participate in it. And it wasn’t until my second or third year in Washington that I was exposed to it. I always had some exposure from a point of view. socially, but I never participated in it and that’s just because of where I grew up, I never thought it was a benefit to my health,” he explained.
“But once I saw professionals, like me, doing it, I felt more inclined to try it. On the one hand, I didn’t want to go down the path of alcoholism or become addicted to any drugs. So I decided… Let’s just crawl before walking. I did it a few times and it worked for me and calmed my mind and my body. If you’re familiar with anything in the NFL, it’s one of the hardest sports to play myself, it was just, ‘How do I recover and stay in it. the highest level of my game?’ Well, this helped me do that.
Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey (24) warms up before the start of a game against the Cleveland Browns at Invesco Field in Denver, Colorado on September 20, 2009. (Ron Chenoy/USA Today Sports)
“Luckily for me, I found something that benefited me, and now it’s more: ‘How do I educate people about what it did for me so they can potentially see it as a positive use for them?’ But, of course, everyone has to follow their own path. I recommend that guys always talk to their doctor about it.
“I talked to mine about this. So, it’s one of those things. Let’s stop being shy about talking about it and potentially go down that path. The only way you’re going to learn is by being open and honest about your use or your interest in it. use. That has been my journey and that journey continues.
Bailey explained to Pak Gazette Digital that his mission was to break the stigma around the use of this drug, which was illegal in most states before 2012. Washington and Colorado were the first states to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, and California It was the first state to legalize medicinal cannabis. in 1996.
Bailey said he uses himself as an example.
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“I’m a good example. I really use my story to make people understand it,” he told Pak Gazette Digital. “But it also encourages others to tell their story. I’m not the only one who plays football, basketball or any professional sport and uses cannabis. Many do it more than you think. But for some reason, athletes If we get down to it this pedestal, we will all have to walk this fine line and appear clean.
“Well, cannabis is part of our regiment for many of us. So using those stories helps break those stigmas. I think about the adults I grew up with. I couldn’t have these conversations with them 10 years ago because they all see it as a gateway drug and I think, ‘Well, if that’s the case, then why haven’t I used that gateway to do something else that’s harmful to me and a lot of my guys who have done the same thing?’ are the ways to break those stigmas. You have to use your stories.
Dealing with teammates in an NFL locker room is a little different, but less difficult to demonstrate.
An NFL team is made up of players from different backgrounds, religions, creeds and points of view. If someone smoked marijuana, which was largely illegal and against NFL rules when Bailey played, the player would be looked at askance.
Former professional football player Champ Bailey speaks with a fan during a pregame event at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, on September 10, 2023. (Brent Skeen/USA Today Sports)
“I played for a long time, so I got to see a wide range of different personalities and different beliefs and where people come from. There’s no more diverse environment than being in an NFL locker room. Guys would find out that some of us were smoking “. , and they were horrified until they actually saw, ‘Oh, this really works for them’ because they can stay tuned to what we’re doing. ‘Oh, how do we act when we’re in this?’ Well, now that we’re at work, does it affect us? No. This really helps me come to work and perform at the high level that I do,” he said.
“So, that’s how we were able to break those in the locker room. But it takes strong leadership and really standing up for what you believe in because, again, it was illegal and against the rules to do so. I would do it. I never went out of my way to encourage anyone to do it (at the time it was more like, ‘This is what works for me.’) If you’re curious, talk to someone, especially your doctor, and then move on. .I am simply sharing my experiences.
Circumventing the rules was something else.
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Ricky Williams was one of the best running backs in the NFL in the prime of his career. He lost games and even a season because of his failed drug tests for marijuana.
Bailey suggested that NFL players who were using the drug at the time knew when testing was done and stopped using marijuana before they were tested.
“They were very strict back then, but I wouldn’t say they were out to get you. We knew when the tests would come, so we always quit at a certain time, which… even at that time, one I realized that was in detrimental to my recovery because the times we had to quit smoking were in the off season, when they had these annual tests.
“It’s one of those times where you work harder than you work during the season because you’re training to get back into shape, and those are the times when you really want it,” he said. “I can remember guys always talking about when we had to quit. Some guys were getting tested before others, so they were getting tested again and others were still waiting. It was a conversation piece to figure out how to navigate.” that, but we all stuck together (those of us who used) and made sure we got through it.
Champ Bailey before a game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, on October 6, 2024. (Ron Chenoy/Image Images)
“Some passed, some did. We’ve all had our experiences with the league’s anti-drug program. But, for better or worse, it was a waste of time. When you look back, I think the league realized they wasted a lot of resources. into something that could really benefit us, and things have changed over time and I’m proud to say that they give me the courage to speak out more because they are starting to turn the page on what it means to consume cannabis.”
Bailey said he has seen firsthand how marijuana use helped.
He recalled a teammate who was having a drinking problem when he turned to marijuana.
“He knew I used, so he wanted to find out what was best,” she said. “And once he started doing it, he said, ‘Man, I was missing out.’ And that became his vice, so to speak, because now he realized that this really contributed to this success.
“He ended up playing double-digit years in the league, a great career. So I have no regrets. I was just happy enough to be in a position to show him that there was a better way. And there are a lot of stories, guys. I have about other interactions that “I just want to encourage kids to be open and reveal more of these stories because it helps.”
Bailey said he would encourage more people to learn about the benefits of cannabis.
“It’s not what was taught 20 or 30 years ago,” he told Pak Gazette Digital. “I think people are turning the corner. We just have to keep telling our stories. If you’re a user, talk about it and educate people about why you use it and how it benefits you. The more we can tell them stories, we would be better off.
Washington Redskins running back Ladell Betts (46) runs past Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey (24) in the third quarter at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, on November 15, 2009. (Geoff Burke/USA Today Sports)
“I think that’s why my vision aligns so well with Trulieve’s, because they believe in the same thing. It’s not just about pushing their brand. It’s more, ‘How do we get people to realize what we’re doing?’ What can cannabis do for you and do you really see it as a benefit to society and not a negative thing?
