For years, the headline was: “Heisman Trophy winner and NFL All-Pro running back Ricky Williams quit the NFL to smoke weed.” The real story? Much deeper. Cannabis helped Ricky manage pain, both physical and mental, in ways the media and the sports world didn't understand in 2004. Now that the NFL has progressed significantly on cannabis policy, Ricky reflects on the cost of systems that punish people for making their own health choices. What happens when we stop treating all substances like one-size-fits-all dangers? And how much potential—on the field, in the workplace, in life—is held back when those closest to a problem aren't in control of the solution?

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