Former NFL star Ricky Williams gets behind cannabis push for better mental health

420 0

The football standout is now a high-profile celebrity for cannabis reform

Former Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints running back Ricky Williams clarified a few years ago why he decided to end his career after 11 seasons in the NFL. According to a 2016 interview, Williams indicated that the rumors about his decision to leave in order to smoke marijuana were true. Today, his passion for cannabis is still intact, so much so that he is calling for skeptics to leave those absurd thoughts in the heavy, and join him in smoking marijuana. Williams now has no hesitation in using cannabis to advocate for mental and physical health.

One of the departures Williams took in his past NFL career was his relationship with cannabis. While his association with marijuana would make him one of the most reviled and misunderstood football players of his time, that deviation from the rigid framework of the NFL was a lifesaver. A good thing, too, like cannabis, once a furtive pastime, has now become Williams’ business and a catalyst for change.

Williams launched his cannabis company, Highsman, in October 2021. The concept was simple: Williams wanted to break any previous stigma or stereotypes associated with cannabis. The product was simplified, just three strains of flower (pre-game, half-time, and post-game) that Williams carefully selected to meet the different requirements throughout a person’s day.

“From my own life story, cannabis was definitely a major part of my mental health journey. Of all the people I know, I feel like I’m one of the most mentally healthy and I’m smoking more than everyone. I’m convinced that cannabis is a key to mental health,” Williams said.

There was a time growing up, and Williams recalls with a knowing smile, “Coach always said, if you smoke marijuana, you’ll be a loser.” But since that first toe off the line and all the raw layoffs that followed, Williams has shown that life in and after a professional sports career doesn’t have to go straight or stay narrow. That the world can widen, in ways never expected.