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O’Shaughnessy’s

Journal of the California Cannabis Research Medical Group • Autumn 2004


$3oo

The issue is Dignity

Ricky Williams Protests Drug Testing


By Quitting Football; Calls Marijuana
“10 Times Better For Me Than Paxil”
By Fred Gardner
In the autumn of 1995 the 49ers full-
“I didn’t quit football
back, William Floyd, had a knee de- because I failed a drug test. I
stroyed by tacklers. Management had failed a drug test because I was
been overworking him mercilessly. On
ready to quit football.”
the play before his injury Floyd had car-
ried four defenders for about two yards.
“I didn’t quit football because I failed
The TV replay of his leg going one way
a drug test. I failed a drug test because I
above the knee and another way below
was ready to quit football,” Williams told
the knee ended what was left of my mild
a writer he trusts, Dan Le Batard of the
football addiction.
Miami Herald, on July 28.
So it was only peripherally that I fol-
“Williams said there were ‘a hundred
lowed the career of a running back
reasons’ for his retirement and that his
named Ricky Williams, who in ’95 was
desire to continue smoking marijuana
a freshman at the University of Texas.
without inhibition was merely one of fore testing positive a second time for had been denied.
He had speed, power, and dreadlocks
them,” Le Batard reported. “He said he marijuana use last season and incurring “While the appeal was pending, Wil-
(before they were widely fashionable).
was not addicted to the drug, but merely a $650,000 fine. He appealed that fine, liams said he continued smoking mari-
He broke conference records that had
that he didn’t believe in government and flying to New York to argue his case juana while on tour with rocker Lenny
endured since the days of Doak Walker.
NFL laws banning it. He said he had before an arbiter with his attorney, but Kravitz in Europe and failed a third test
The New Orleans Saints drafted him in
already decided to quit football even be- received word last week that his appeal upon his return. He said he had been
1999; Mike Ditka gave up eight players
to get him. continued on page 17
Williams’s first agent had experience Danger! Danger! Danger!

Cannabinoid “Antagonist”
in the world of rap music, not football,
and the contract he negotiated with the
Saints owners’ was not as lucrative as it
could have been.

Will be Sold as Diet Drug


Williams injured a shoulder in his
second NFL season and missed six
games, but still gained 1,000 yards. As
he was recovering, he was induced by By Fred Gardner
Glaxo SmithKline to be the celebrity pa- chemicals are called “endorphins”).
Sanofi, a multinational pharma-
tient in a campaign to sell Paxil to the12 The first endocannabinoid to be
cuetical company based in France, is
million Americans who allegedly suffer identified —by Raphael Mechou-
planning to market a weight-loss drug
from “Social Anxiety Disorder.” lam and William Devane in 1992—
called Rimonabant that works by block-
Glaxo had to sell the concept that shy- was named “anandamide” after the
ing part of the cannabinoid receptor sys-
ness is actually a medical condition — Sanskrit word for “bliss.”
tem.
“a chemical imbalance in the brain”— It has since been learned that
Scientists employed by Sanofi re-
that can be corrected by a pill. Williams, endocannabinoids help regulate the
ported at the 2004 meeting of the Inter-
who is sincere and enthusiastic, gave in- cardiovascular, digestive, endo-
national Cannabinoid Research Society
terviews in which he thanked a therapist crine, excretory, immunological,
that Rimonabant has proven safe and
for telling him that his reluctance to be nervous, reproductive, and respira-
effective in clinical trials involving
accosted by strangers at airports was an tory systems.
13,000 patients.
illness that could be overcome by medi- Sanofi expects FDA approval within
cation. the year. The fact that Rimonabant Sanofi researchers Murielle Rinaldi-Carmona, Rimonabant is SR-
Francis Barth, and Gerard Le Fur were honored
Williams was traded to the Miami blocks the “euphoric” effects of mari-
at the 2004 ICRS meeting for developing a drug
141716 redefined as a
Dolphins in 2002. That season he led the juana is a big plus in the eyes of U.S. that blocks cannabinoid receptors. “therapeutic drug”
league in yards gained rushing (1853) government regulators.
and number of carries (383). In 2003 his The marketing is already done, in a tain compounds bind, setting off molecu- Rimonabant is an “antagonist” drug
yardage dropped slightly but again he sense, because everybody knows that lar cascades within the cells that produce that engages the CB1 receptors so they
had the most carries (393). marijuana induces the munchies, and it effects in the body such as reduced in- can’t be activated. Originally called SR-
Williams won’t be playing in 2004. seems logical that blocking the cannab- flammation, increased appetite, etc. Two 141716, it was developed by Sanofi in
In late July he made two related state- inoid receptors would reverse the effect. kinds of cannabinoid receptors have the early ’90s as a research tool. If a
ments: that he was retiring from football, But the advent of Rimonabant been discovered —CB1 , which is highly given effect is blocked by SR-141716,
and that he found marijuana to be “10 troubles California doctors who have concentrated in the brain and central ner- that effect is said to be mediated by CB1
times better for me than Paxil” as a con- made a specialty of monitoring their pa- vous system, and CB2, found mainly in receptors. Rimonabant is SR-141716
fidence builder. (Glaxo promptly purged tients’ cannabis use, as well as some sci- tissues associated with the immune sys- redefined as a “therapeutic drug” that
him from the Paxil website.) entists who are studying the basic nature tem. counteracts unwanted effects —like
Retiring isn’t an easy step. Williams’s of the cannabinoid system. Jeffrey There are three different kinds of can- overeating— mediated by the cannab-
love for football is expressed in the pages Hergenrather, MD, of Sebastopol —one nabinoids, or chemical “agonists” that inoid receptor system.
of a journal he’s been posting sporadi- of the few clinicians to attend this year’s activate the cannabinoid receptors. They In a talk at the ICRS meeting entitled
cally at runrickyrun.com. He has a clear, ICRS meeting— says, “We are only now are, in order of evolutionary appearance: “Clinical Results with Rimonabant in
colloquial writing style —straight ahead, becoming aware of the modulating ef- compounds made in the body for pur- Obesity,” Sanofi researcher Gerard Le
like his running style. If we’re lucky, fects the cannabinoids have on the body poses of neurotransmission, compounds Fur reported that the drug had done well
he’ll soon explain his decision to leave and mind. The consequences of interfer- unique to the cannabis plant (the most in phase-three clinical trials involving
the game, and keep us informed of his ing with the cannabinoid receptor sys- famous being delta-9 THC), and com- 13,000 patients. The trials were con-
whereabouts. tem have not been evaluated in normal pounds made in the lab —synthetics. ducted at numerous sites in the U.S.
Williams was facing a four-game sus- human physiology.” Cannabinoids made in the body are Obese patients were treated with
pension after testing positive for mari- Some Definitions called “endocannabinoids” (the prefix Rimonabant for 52 weeks. “Over 72%
juana on two occasions, and he knew he Cannabinoid receptors are proteins on is a contraction of “endogenous,” just as of patients at 1 year showed a weight loss
had tested positive a third time. the surface of certain cells to which cer- the body’s endogenous morphine-like continued on page 4
O’Shaughnessy’s • Autumn 2004 —17—

Ricky Williams from page 1


From Ricky Williams’ Journal
rendous.” Goldberg calls Williams “a
• “My shoulder was extremely sore af- that the biggest mistake athletes make is
using a masking agent to cleanse his sys- ter this week’s game, and it’s always go- throwback to the ’60s, a free spirit, very
that we think. Off the field, we don’t think
tem while being randomly tested for two ing to be [written Sept. 11, 2002]. The bright. When he was at Texas he decided
as much as we should. On the field, we
seasons, but said he didn’t even bother trainers told me that it’s basically going he wanted to get to know Doak Walker,
think too much. That make sense? Any-
before the last such test after returning to flare up every time I get hit on it di- the old SMU halfback, and they became
way, the psychologist told us that we all
from Europe.” rectly because I’ve got so much junk in friends. It was an interesting pairing...
have genies that are 7 feet tall, run the
“Williams failed his first drug test my shoulders from the wear and tear of Ricky is really atypical. The profes-
40 in 3.5 and vertical jump 60 inches.
soon after arriving in Miami in 2002. football. I’ve gotten what seems like hun- sional football environment is —let’s
All we have to do is tell our genie what
He spent much of his two seasons with dreds of X-rays, and it’s amazing to see not call it fascist, but it’s the military
to do and he’ll do it. In other words, say
the Dolphins in the league’s drug pro- how much stuff is in my joints. I’ve sepa- mindset, and the players buy into it.”
positive things and visualize them and
gram, seeing a therapist weekly and sub- rated both my shoulders before, and I’m Goldberg recalls an NFL executive he
let your genie (your subconscious) play
jected to eight to 10 random urine tests going to keep getting hit there because admired, George Young, deciding to
because it can do better things that we
a month at his home. of how hard I run. It’s kind of unavoid- shock everybody at an owners’ meeting
can do within the limits of our own bod-
“Williams said he continued smok- able. I can get my shoulder scoped after by announcing that he was a Democrat.
ies. As he talked, I was wondering how
ing throughout his time as a Dolphin, the season, but I’m not doing anything When he heard about Williams’s retire-
many of the guys on the team thought he
stopping only for a month here and right now except working really hard to ment, Goldberg says, he recalled a com-
was full of it...
there, but passed random tests by drink- strengthen and protect it. I can’t let any- ment by Young, who was the Giants’
[After the game] ...I guess it wasn’t
ing 32 ounces of a masking agent called thing take me off the field. It’s too im- general manager: “Never draft a guy
me that who scored that touchdown,
Extra Clean and chasing it quickly with portant for me to be in there for me and who’s too smart.”
though, it must have been the genie. Ev-
32 ounces of water... for the team. Attorney David Cornwell has been
eryone knows my hands are small, so I
“Williams, who suffers from social- I’m going to have to start doing a lot helping Steinberg represent Williams. A
tried to spike the ball but I had a hard
anxiety disorder and was a spokesper- more shoulder work. It feels fine right former assistant general counsel for the
time getting a grip on it and it kind of
son for the anti-depressant Paxil, said now because of all the treatment I’ve got- NFL, he sometimes sounds as if he was
squirted to the side and I didn’t get the
marijuana helped him once he had to ten on it, but feeling fine is usually tem- speaking for management: “My recol-
bounce I was aiming for. I’m pathetic. I
stop using Paxil because it didn’t agree porary in football. I played all last year lection is we began testing for marijuana
guess my genie still has small hands.”
with his diet. with it banged-up pretty good, so it’s not sometime in the ’87-89 contract. The
“‘Marijuana is 10 times better for me that big a deal. I’ll treat it and take care • “I was an education major in col- players association said it was not ap-
than Paxil,’ he said. of it, but you better learn to play with lege. I wanted to be a teacher because of propriate. We believed that not only was
“Williams said he doesn’t see any- pain in this game. You always play a little the important role teachers played in my it appropriate under the law, it was nec-
thing wrong with marijuana because it hurt. The difference between good play- life. Growing up with a single mom who essary.”
is ‘just a plant’ and his hero, Bob Marley, ers and better players is usually who is out trying to provide leaves a lot of Your correspondent opined that drug
admitted to smoking it daily. Williams plays the best when hurting. It’s amaz- opportunity for trouble. Without the help, testing is an assault on a person’s dig-
has Marley tattoos all over his body, ing to me to think about the numbers I guidance and confidence I received from nity and that by refusing to put himself
named his first child Marley and is could have put up by now if I hadn’t cho- my teachers [in the San Diego public through it, Williams was doing what
friends with Marley’s children.” sen to play with so many injuries. I’ve schools], I would not be where I am right millions of Americans wish they could
Financial Pressure Will be Applied always had big numbers when I’ve been now. While living in New Orleans, I be- afford to do. Cornwell responded, “I
The Associated Press reports that the healthy, but that’s part of playing in the came aware of the disparity between pub- think, there is a place for it, if for no
Dolphins “will attempt to recoup about NFL. You rarely feel 100 percent, so most lic and private schooling. A lot of chil- other reason than the stature that pro-
$4.7 million in bonus money that Will- people are trying to do whatever they do dren who can’t afford a private educa- fessional athletes enjoy.”
iams has collected due to reaching rush- when they don’t feel 100 percent (espe- tion don’t have a fair shake. I was under Cornwell expressed concern that the
ing incentives in his new contract... Mi- cially late in the season). You know how the assumption that, as Americans, we NFL program “tends to devolve into a
ami still believes there is a chance that it is when you are young? You always were all supposed to have equal access process where they focus more on catch-
Williams will reconsider and decide to feel bullet-proof, invincible, and can play to an education. I guess I was wrong.” ing the guy than treating him —if, in
play football, once he realizes he will forever. But all I had to do was look at fact, there is a substance abuse problem
have a financial fight on his hands and some of my X-rays to know my days are • “It’s kinda weird how people just or some other underlying issue. When
once real contact begins.” numbered.” give us stuff. Just last night some guy it comes to education and treatment,
came over and paid for my dinner for no there’s a substantial breakdown.”
• “The marketing lady from the NFL reason. It wasn’t cheap, either. He just Cornwell acknowledged that NFL
The Dolphins had been
called and asked if I wanted to do it [a came over and asked if he could buy it. I team owners use the drug-testing policy
using Williams as a “battering VISA commercial for which another par- wasn’t going to argue. I got the loaded to reduce players’ earning power. “There
ram,” Steinberg said. ticipant would be paid three times as Ranger Rover I was telling you about just have been players that I represented who
much]... Me, thinking I was in the top for agreeing to do two appearances. I get have had multiple violations of league-
Williams’s current agent, Leigh echelon of players in the NFL... the mar- it for a year. And I got a $20,000 check sponsored substance abuse policy and
Steinberg (the model for Jerry Maguire), keting lady explained that I wasn’t there just for two hours of work on an EA were facing some level of suspension.
who also thinks his client might change yet. We got into an argument about the sports commercial...” That certainly had a chilling effect on
his mind, made some sensible com- top 3 selling jerseys in the NFL. I started their marketability —finding teams to
ments on his behalf. The Dolphins had to realize that I don’t ever want to be there • [After meeting the great running sign them, and then once a team is will-
been using Williams as a “battering if that means acting the way she wants back Jim Brown] “He told me the other ing to sign them, the structure of the con-
ram,” Steinberg said. “In so many of his me to, or anyone else wants me to. If I day, ‘You are no mystery to me. I knew tract. Because the next violation could
carries he was running straight into the get there the way I want, being myself, you from the time we met.’ We talked a result in either another suspension, a
line. It took a heavy physical toll. Maybe then I can be proud of it, but I’m not go- lot about athletes using the voice that ban, or something in between. As a re-
it took an emotional toll... Running a ing to be proud of it if I get there behav- sports gives them. Jim is really down on sult, teams are reluctant to put in up-
football into the waiting arms of 300- ing the way someone else thinks I some athletes for not using theirs, and so front money or guaranteed money into
pound defensive tackles whose goal is should.” am I. Jim says we are just like slaves who a deal if they might lose the guy.”
to fling one to the turf time after time don’t use the voice because we’re too in-
requires an extraordinary degree of pas- • “Whenever I do a commercial, the terested in making money for ourselves “In a country where they pre-
sion, and commitment, and he found it director always tries to get me to act and taking care of ourselves chasing that scribe Prozac to a teenager for
lacking.” tough and talk tough. If you haven’t heard all mighty dollar. Instead of a better ex- shyness, all marijuana use is
“All NFL players get hurt,” says vet- me talk, I have a soft voice. I shouldn’t istence for everyone...
have to act tough, I play football. I AM
medical.” —Dennis Peron
eran AP football reporter Dave
Goldberg. “The beating you take is hor- tough.” • “I wish athletes today could have the
same impact on social reform as they did
• “Everyone wants to hear what I have when he was playing. When the likes of
to say. Even when I don’t have anything Ali, Malcolm X and Jim Brown all sat in
to say.” the same room and discussed their views
on America. Nowadays, it seems all some
• “Today I had another interview. I of us are interested in is how much
don’t really understand how many dif- money we can make. I love playing foot-
ferent people it takes to write the same ball, and I love making money, but I am
story.” starting to realize that those aren’t the
only reasons God has given me so much
• “Believe it or not, making a football talent. Jim and I talked until about five
team has a lot more to do with who the in the morning. We talked about every-
coaches like than who the best player is.” thing from how the Browns lost yester-
day to prison riots. It was rewarding for
• “Friday night, Coach Wannstedt me to be able to chat with one of the only
brought in a sports psychologist to talk people I truly admire in this world.”
to us as a team. The psychologist told us
Doak Walker

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