Just when you thought the story about the expanding legalized cannabis market in this country wasn’t Canadian enough, they’ve decided to throw a few professional hockey players into the mix.
That’s right. The National Hockey League’s Alumni Association is teaming up with Ontario-based Canopy Growth to launch a clinical research partnership to study the effectiveness of using cannabinoids in the treatment of neurological diseases among former NHL players who have suffered concussions. It’s a first-of-its kind partnership.
In a statement released on Saturday, March 2, Canopy Growth, the largest marijuana producer by market cap, explains the study will aim to “establish the medicinal value of cannabis when combined with other proven treatments amongst the highly-afflicted group of elite athletes.”
About 100 former NHL players will take part in the study that will be conducted by NEEKA Health Canada. Some participants will be given pills containing CBD compounds, while others will be given placebos. The affects will be monitored using a variety of tests, including MRI brain scans, and software to measure speech and writing patterns, memory and emotional state. CBD is a cannabis derivative. But unlike marijuana, CBD doesn’t have THC, the psychoactive ingredient that gives a user a so-called high.
The study is scheduled to begin this summer and take a year to complete.
In an interview in Toronto, Canopy Growth co-CEO Bruce Linton said the star-power of NHL players will help build awareness of the potential for medical cannabis.
In another partnership announced last week, Canopy Growth signed a deal with U.S. lifestyle guru Martha Stewart. The former TV host and DYI celebrity will have an advisory role in the development of a line of cannabinoids edibles and other related products. The move is widely viewed as means to help promote the awareness of CBD compounds and their potential benefits.