Ricky Williams recently opened up discussing how cannabis was used in his rookie year and how the league has evolved since then with regards to cannabis.
At the time of his rookie year of 1999, cannabis was still a banned substance but the league has since taken a softer stance.
Speaking to USA Today the former running back describes the experience he had in his first year.
“My rookie year, a Hall of Fame player on the team, he’s in the Hall of Fame now, invited me over to his house and he gave me the speech about how to take care of yourself in the NFL,” Williams said “And he pulled out some cannabis, crushed it up, split a blunt, opened it up, put the cannabis in there, took a Vicodin, crushed it up, sprinkled the Vico in there, rolled up the blunt and passed it to me. That was a vet, teaching me as a rookie, how to take care of myself in the NFL.”
By 2004 however, there was a much wider use as Williams goes onto explain:
“My last year in the NFL, I was playing for the Ravens,” Williams said. “And one point we were in the play-offs, and I was leaving the facility and there were guys coming in with a plate full of brownies. They [were] going to go watch film, so yeah. . . . And now, because it’s more legal, it’s to the point, why wouldn’t you [use it] if you’re in the NFL?”
The NFL now allows their players to use cannabis in the off-season. However, they can still be punished should they test positive during the season for THC.
The relaxed laws have had a warm reception with players such as Josh Gordon having been suspended for seasons at a time for repeated cannabis use.
Ricky Williams isn’t the only retired superstar to be a known medicinal cannabis advocate. Andrew Johns of Rugby League praised medicinal cannabis for helping him through retirement.
