From The NFL To Advocacy: Why Cannabis Legislation Can’t Wait
by Jim McMahon, Ricky Williams, and Kyle Turley
When we played in the NFL, they told us when drug tests were. Everyday Americans don’t get that option. Despite what President Biden proclaims, individuals are still being locked up for a plant that others are making millions selling. Patients in the greatest country in the free world still don’t have access to or the necessary research for a potentially life saving medicine. While we may have enjoyed privileged access to information and resources during our careers, the vast majority of Americans remain in a system that restricts their rights and access to a plant that has proven benefits.
We dedicated our careers to the love of the game and our fans, often at great physical and mental cost. Our experiences have led many of us to use cannabis for healing. Recognizing the need for safe, effective therapeutic options for everyone, we are committed to breaking the stigma around cannabis, advocating for fair legislation, and ensuring access to this vital plant for all who need it.
According to Marijuana Policy Project, since legal cannabis sales began in Colorado and Washington state in 2014, the U.S. adult-use cannabis market has generated a combined total of more than $20 billion in tax revenue from legal sales for state budgets. This figure does not include medical cannabis tax revenue, application and licensing fees paid by cannabis businesses, additional income taxes generated by workers in the cannabis industry, or taxes paid to the federal government. It also excludes the hundreds of thousands of dollars in new revenue from adult-use cannabis taxes generated for local municipalities.
Billions of dollars are transacted every year on cannabis, yet because it remains illegal at the federal level any revenue generated from its sales is like kryptonite to banks. Do you know …