Jim McMahon Smokes Marijuana Daily, Claiming It 'Makes All The Pain Go Away'

If you weren’t aware of the medical issues former NFL quarterback Jim McMahon is dealing with, the recent ESPN “30 for 30” about the Super Bowl-winning 1985 Chicago Bears shed a lot of light. The reckless abandon he played with for 15 seasons has clearly affected his life after football, but it’s good to know that McMahon has found some help.

McMahon is also embracing a way to manage pain, as he appeared on a “Cannabis and Athletics” panel at the Southwest Cannabis Conference and Expo on Sunday and offered some comments about marijuana.

“I have arthritis pretty much in all my joints,” McMahon said to Ryan Osborne of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram ahead of the panel. “My head problems have been pretty severe at times. (Marijuana) makes all that pain go away. I just forget about the pain.”

McMahon thinks he has the now well-publicized brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is linked to repeated head trauma. He added that he has sought marijuana as an alternative to the painkillers that are often given to players while they are active, and were subscribed to him when he played.

With the brash personality McMahon had during his playing career in mind, it’s hardly surprising that he is open to trying what could be considered alternative ways to manage pain and that he’s willing to publicly acknowledge his use. Outside the sports world, medical marijuana, along with the debate over legalizing it for the general public nationwide, is a ongoing topic. But if football players like McMahon can manage their post-career aches and pains with marijuana, presumably under medical prescription, there’s no reason to criticize those that choose to be open about their use.