Getting into the marijuana business was natural for Williams, now 45.
“The one thing I was always looking for as a football player was, how do I make myself significant beyond just being a football player?” Williams said. “And I had no idea it looked like this, but here we are.”
When Williams played (1999-2011), he was widely vilified by the NFL and its fans for his marijuana habit. He was suspended for nearly three seasons and became a national punchline as the pothead who threw away his career. No one seemed to listen much when he said that he smoked marijuana to deal with anxiety and mental health.
Now marijuana is legal in 37 states, the NFL has essentially “decriminalized” it, and the league is even funding studies into cannabis and pain management.
“I feel a sense of pride that my sacrifice wasn’t in vain,” Williams said. “And at the time I didn’t see it as a sacrifice. I was trying to figure things out.”
A Heisman Trophy winner. The guy Mike Ditka traded the Saints’ entire draft for in 1999. Massive success with the Dolphins. Multiple marijuana suspensions and a surprise retirement that cost him millions. Living in a tent in Australia, and getting mental health treatment at McLean Hospital in Belmont. Returning to the NFL for five more seasons and finishing with 10,009 rushing yards.
Williams spoke with the…
