Former Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer is auctioning off 16 game-day experiences to fund a series of studies on cannabinoid treatments for traumatic brain injuries and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
The “Game Day with the Snake” packages will include time with Plummer and “surprise VIP guests” from the Broncos; a ticket and pregame field pass to the Broncos’ regular-season finale against the Oakland Raiders on Jan. 1; an invitation to a private tailgate party; transportation to and from the game; a “swag bag” with Broncos gear; and an autographed football from a Broncos player.
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For fans already planning to attend the game, Plummer is also offering a limited number of tailgate packages for purchase that will include access to the private tailgate party and time with Plummer and his Broncos guests, among other things.
Plummer has been at the forefront of an ongoing push for cannabidiol (CBD) allowance and research for NFL players. In partnership with the Colorado-based Realm of Caring, he has raised awareness and funds through the “When the Bright Lights Fade” campaign for two studies on CBD’s potential benefits to both active and retired NFL players.
The NFL Players Association recently formed a pain management committee to study, among other issues, the viability of cannabis as an alternative and potentially safer treatment for pain than opioids. The NFL currently prohibits players from consuming more than 35 nanograms of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana) per milliliter of urine. CBD from hemp extract has only trace levels of THC, but any amount poses a risk to NFL players.
Although the NFLPA has begun to take notice of the potential benefits of CBD and cannabis, any change to the substance-abuse policy — be it to raise the THC threshold, eliminate testing for marijuana altogether, or allow for therapeutic use exemptions for cannabis — must be collectively bargained with the league. The current collective bargaining agreement runs through the 2020 season, but the substance-abuse policy was updated as recently as 2014 and can be altered again, with the approval of both sides, before the CBA expires.
Bids for Plummer’s tailgate packages can be made through the ROC’s website, at www.theroc.us/gameday.
