About this episode

The episode discusses the potential of cannabinoids in concussion care and features an interview with Dr. Patrick Neary about his NFL-funded research.

Can cannabinoids change the future of concussion care in contact sports? Kirk follows up with Dr. Patrick Neary, PhD, from the University of Regina, to see how his NFL-funded research into CBD, concussions, pain management, and athlete health is going now that the study has moved from planning to execution. Recorded on 4/20, let's dive in: can CBD help reduce concussion risk, support brain recovery, and offer athletes an alternative to opioids? Dr. Neary explains the first phase of his research: a CBD dose-escalation safety study in athletes, including very high daily doses, brain blood-flow testing, cardiovascular monitoring, pharmacokinetics, biomarkers, and side-effect tracking. The episode also previews two related studies: a double-blind placebo-controlled concussion study and an upcoming pain study comparing THC, CBD, full-spectrum cannabinoids, and placebo. Listen now to learn how a multidisciplinary Canadian research team is studying cannabis, neuroprotection, inflammation, chronic pain, and the future of sports medicine. Patrick Neary - University of Regina - website Patrick Neary - LinkedIn Patrick Neary - Research Gate Additional Music: Desiree Dorion desireedorion.com…

People in this episode

Host: Kirk Nyquist

Guest: Patrick Neary

Topics covered

• cannabis research
• concussions
• athlete health
• CBD
• pain management
• sports medicine

Keywords

• cannabinoids
• concussion care
• CBD
• athlete health
• pain management
• neuroprotection
• chronic pain

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Regina

More episodes of Reefer MEDness

• E181-1 Why Veterans Turn to Medical Cannabis Part 1 · July 21, 2026 · 26 min
• E180-2 - The NFL’s Cannabis Study - Patrick Neary PhD - Part 2 · July 14, 2026 · 25 min
• E179-2 The Fight for Medical Cannabis Access in Canada - Ted Smith · June 30, 2026 · 33 min
• E179-1 The Fight for Medical Cannabis Access in Canada - Ted Smith · June 23, 2026 · 26 min
• E178 - Why Cannabis Research Is Still Broken in Canada - Dr. Lauren Kelly · June 16, 2026 · 38 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Reefer MEDness podcast page.