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Marijuana

Ricky Williams starts brand of marijuana-based products

Tom Schad
USA TODAY
In this 2008 file photo, Ricky Williams, then with the Miami Dolphins, is shown during an interview in Austin, Texas. Williams, now retired from the league, was in the NFL's substance-abuse program for years because he had tested positive for marijuana.

Former NFL running back Ricky Williams announced Tuesday that he is going into the marijuana business.

Williams has founded a new line of cannabis-based products called "Real Wellness by Ricky Williams" that also feature herbal extracts like lavender and turmeric, according to the company's web site. The site describes its products as "a unique line of herbal-based wellness products that can be incorporated into daily routines."

"Through our carefully chosen delivery methods of salves, tonics and vape cartridges, our products empower our clientele to harness the positive effects of herbs like cannabis in a more conscious and controlled way," the company web site reads.

Williams, who won a Heisman Trophy at Texas before spending more than a decade in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints, told The Sun-Sentinel on Monday that since leaving the league he has studied herbalism and the effects of cannabis. The company's web site said he has recently pursued a doctoral degree in Chinese medicine.

"I am known as a professional football player," Williams toldThe Sun-Sentinel"In the last 14 years, I have been educating myself and training as a health care practitioner."

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According to the newspaper, Williams' products will be sold at dispensaries in Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County and range in price from $35 to $70.

Williams, 40, was suspended multiple times during his NFL career for marijuana use but has spoken repeatedly about the drug's benefits.

"It's easier on your liver," he told USA TODAY Sports in 2014. "It doesn't cut your awareness off from your body, the way most pain medications do. It actually increases awareness of your body. So for instance when I played and I smoked, my body would relax and I'd go in the room and stretch a little bit and do some yoga. And relaxing would help my body recover faster."

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.

 

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