Researchers are learning more about the risks of cannabis. A former Denver Bronco helps them share what they know

More than a decade after marijuana was legalized in Colorado, researchers say they know much more about the risks associated with its use.

Now, in what they call a first-of-its-kind campaign, the Tea on THC campaign aims to educate people – like young people, pregnant women and parents – about these risks.

And the campaign has a high-profile Colorado athlete spreading the word: former Denver Bronco wide receiver Brandon Lloyd, who said he struggled with cannabis addiction and then quit.

“Now we can start to have a fact-based, data-driven conversation about the risks of high-concentration cannabis,” said Lloyd, who lives in Denver and played for seven NFL teams for 11 years, including the Broncos from 2009 through part of 2011.

At a launch event in downtown Denver on Tuesday, Lloyd said he used cannabis to cope with the stress of life in the NFL, but later discovered he was addicted.

“It was difficult to find a coping mechanism other than substance abuse. So I think that’s been the biggest takeaway,” Lloyd said. He noted that he wished, at the time, that he had been more willing to “go out and take a long walk or pet some puppies or find some cute kittens or goats or something to play with that would be a healthier alternative to drug addiction.” “.

In a video on the group’s website, posted to YouTube, Lloyd tells his story at length, noting that he has been completely cannabis-free since 2020 and has never looked back.

Researchers have learned that frequent use of high-concentration cannabis products can lead to cannabis use disorder – a form of substance use disorder. It can also trigger anxiety disorders, even psychoses and schizophrenia.

Greg Tung, a professor at the Colorado School of Public Health, said cannabis products have become much more potent. “It’s a fundamentally different substance. The concentrations of THC that users are exposed to are far beyond what was present in the past,” he said.

Researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health reviewed scientific research, more than 80,000 studies, and published their findings on their website.

“This campaign exposes what we know and what we don’t know to help the public make the most informed decisions possible,” said Dr. Jon Samet, former dean of the school.

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Colorado was a leader in legalizing access to cannabis a decade ago, said Cathy Bradley, the school’s dean.

“It is now our responsibility to be leaders and understand the impact and effects on our children, our society, the people we love and who matter most to us today,” she said. declared. “We are leaders in understanding and communicating the effects of high-concentration cannabis. »

As the group spoke to an audience at the University Club on Tuesday, a slideshow played on a screen behind them with key themes from the study: Some get high, others get lost. If you use, baby uses.

The researchers said that with a vast volume of research to digest, they felt it was important to focus on critical risks to vulnerable populations.

“But one of the key elements is the impact of high concentration products on youth, young adults and pregnant people because of the impact they can have on the development and growth of the fetus,” he said. said Annie Collier, a clinical research psychologist.

“The focus on youth, young adults, pregnancy, breastfeeding and other at-risk populations is extremely important,” said Dr. Chris Urbina, family physician, public health advocate and president of the Scientific Review Board.

The former Bronco wants to get the message across

Lloyd tells the story of his journey with high-strength cannabis in the video on the TeaonTHC website.

Lloyd said he grew up playing with marijuana in high school. In college he only used it at the end of each football season, that was his rule.

When he arrived in the NFL, he discovered that “cannabis was everywhere.”

When he joined the Broncos in 2009, it was a difficult time. His marriage was falling apart and he had two young children at home. “And then the stress of being on a team thinking I was actually going to leave the NFL, and then being on the team to find out I wasn’t going to be active. The stress was a lot,” Lloyd said.

At the time, there was a lot of excitement surrounding the cannabis industry, whose products contained much higher levels of THC than in previous decades.

He hung out with other solo players. “We smoked three or four different cannabis at high concentration in the same environment. I would travel with him everywhere. I was putting it in oil and experimenting with vaping, and I realized that when I was using vaping, it was really affecting my lungs,” he said.

When he tried to stop using marijuana, he began using more alcohol and tobacco.

Once he retired from the NFL, his anxiety and paranoia increased, as he tried to cope with the loss of football.

From time to time he continued to use cannabis, but it was difficult to stop. “Marijuana in high concentrations was incredibly addictive,” Lloyd said in the video.

In June 2020, while the world was still in the midst of a pandemic, he decided it was time to call it quits. And he also realized that giving up caffeine and alcohol was a good idea, too.

He also discovered that he needed to get back to what helped him thrive in the first place: exercise.

“My mantra during the pandemic was: ‘First, I need vigorous exercise to cope with everything that’s going on, because it’s putting a strain on me. “That’s what I was looking for when I played in the NFL,” he said. “I needed to drink to relax or smoke weed to put myself in a better mood. My second mantra was to use new forms of communication to contact my friends.

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He reconnected with old friends and also discovered a third mantra: It’s okay to not be okay.

“It’s normal to be in the trash. It’s normal to worry. It’s okay to be afraid, but when it happens, I had to refer to number one. I have to start again. And so the coping mechanisms were built from there.

He found that the treadmill would give him the runner’s effect and that lifting weights took the edge off.

Lloyd said his advice to anyone using high-strength cannabis is to stick to their goals.

“Never forget that once you get past the other side of high-concentration cannabis addiction, you will see that there are much better effects,” he said.

Funding is key to moving forward

The program examining the effects of THC on the public was established by the legislature, with funding allocated year after year. Its budget is $2 million this year, compared to $3 million last year.

The state will face a billion-dollar budget deficit next year. So it’s a waiting game for many programs that rely on state money.

“Ensuring adequate funding is really critical,” said Bradley, dean of the Colorado School of Public Health. “The more you do, the better and the more you can do.”

Bradley said a lot of money has been invested in understanding the effect of cannabis on public health and has given the group the resources to review the research and develop the public awareness campaign.

“An investment has been made, we are ready to launch and see the benefits,” she said.