Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Eugene Monroe has donated $80,000 to medical cannabis research efforts, according to a press release issued last week by The Realm of Caring and CW Botanicals.
Monroe’s donation, made to Johns Hopkins University and the University of Pennsylvania, will fund studies meant to demonstrate the effectiveness of marijuana treatment for typical pro football injuries, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
According to the press release:
Due to the NFL’s strict anti-cannibas policies, it’s difficult for current players to speak in support of the plant and its potential therapeutic uses. Despite the risks, on March 9 Eugene became the first active NFL player to call on the NFL to remove marijuana from the banned substances list; fund medical marijuana research, especially as it relates to CTE; and to urge the NFL to stop overprescribing opioids.”
“It’s time for the NFL to change its archaic standards to better protect its players and set an example for our young athletes,” Monroe wrote on his new website, EugeneMonroe.com, which lauds cannabinoids as an effective and safe method of pain management. “For too long, I’ve watched my teammates and good friends battle with opioid addiction and leave the game with a long road still ahead; it’s time to make a change.”