Miami Hurricanes alum Mike James becoming medicinal marijuana pioneer

James searched for another source of painkillers but was initially reluctant to use Marijuana. He thought of marijuana as a street drug at first. It was Aubrey that suggested to James that he try Marijuana as a painkiller.

"“I thought, ‘Weed? No, that’s a street drug.’ I didn’t even want to hear what it had to offer…I felt like I was beginning a new life,”"

CNN relayed that James first turned to pot as a painkiller in 2014. He credits marijuana with helping him beat an addiction to opioids.

James stopped using it until last year knowing he could face a suspension since marijuana is banned by the NFL. He looked for help with an appeal and what the NFL calls a Therapeutic Use Exemption to be able to use pot to help him with his pain.

CNN’s Jacqueline Howard reported on what James had been doing to try and be able to use Marijuana to help him. Dr. Sue Sisley helped James with the Exemption with the NFL. She is a board member of the nonprofit Doctors for Cannabis Regulation.

"“This is the first active player who’s been willing to put their professional career on the line, to openly admit that they not only have been using this cannabis but need it to function at the highest level,”"

The Exemption is the only way a player can appeal to the NFL to be able to use marijuana as a painkiller. Howard reported that James is the only player to specifically ask for an exemption be able to use cannabis for pain. Sisley continued: