NFL To Use 1 Million For Pain Research Management

A formal request for proposal (RFP) has been announced by the NFL as they seek to identify research opportunities. As many as five pilot research proposals will get the opportunity of funding. The RFP is “aimed at supplementing knowledge about pain management and the potential effects of pain and cannabinoids on athlete performance in elite football players.”

The RFP is tasked with making sure that better information is given concerning the use of medical marijuana for pain. There has been other research, but each seemed to be enmeshed with flaws. The topic is a controversial one and the pain management committee has tried in its capacity to provide answers. Do cannabis and cannabinoids improve pain management for athlete performance? A lot has wondered.

The PMC conducted two informational forums in 2020, to learn about the current state of CBD science and manufacturing in North America. In 2021, a Request for Information to identify researchers studying pain management alternatives was issued.

At a minimum, the Funding Opportunity intended to facilitate following the lines of potential inquiry:

1. The effect of cannabinoids on pain in elite football players (post-surgical and/or in daily pain management).
2. The effects of non-pharmacologic treatments on pain in elite football players (post-surgical and/or in daily pain management).
3. The effects of cannabis or cannabinoids on athletic performance (e.g. Psychomotor, reaction time, cardio-respiratory function) in elite players.

The amount to be funded for the Funding Opportunity is up to $1,000,000. The winning proposals will be determined based on the quality of the proposal. The NFL will determine which proposal will be funded in a final decision. The R&I committee will make recommendations on both the specific research proposal(s) and the amounts to be funded by the NFL in line with guidelines established by the National Institute of Health (NIH).