(CNN) — Aaron Rodgers has continued to advocate for the legalization of some psychedelics, claiming this week that ayahuasca served to increase his general performance on the football area.
Talking in Denver, Colorado, at Psychedelic Science 2023, which calls itself the premier psychedelic meeting in heritage, the NFL quarterback referred to his knowledge of using ayahuasca, a drink produced from Amazonian plants that incorporate a psychoactive ingredient.
“It’s likely to be challenging to terminate me due to the fact the earlier 12 months [in 2019] – 26 touchdowns, four interceptions, we had a great season,” Rodgers, who was then actively playing for the Green Bay Packers, stated on Wednesday. “Ayahuasca – 48 touchdowns, five interceptions, MVP. What are you gonna say?”
Rodgers has typically been the matter of ridicule for embracing substitute therapies, but has formerly credited psychedelics like psilocybin and ayahuasca for assisting to ease his dread of demise and deepening a sense of self-enjoy.
The NFL has verified that using ayahuasca does not violate its drug policy. CNN has achieved out to the NFL about psilocybin and its drug coverage.
Last yr, residents in Colorado joined Oregon in voting to legalize psilocybin, the thoughts-altering component of magic mushrooms. Rodgers, who just lately still left the Packers for the New York Jets, built reference to the decriminalization of psilocybin in Colorado although talking in Denver.
Smaller clinical trials have shown that one or two doses of psilocybin, specified in a therapeutic placing, can make dramatic and prolonged-long lasting changes in people today struggling from remedy-resistant major depressive condition, nevertheless researchers are still checking out the how and the why driving the connection among psychedelics and improved mental health.
Industry experts also alert that taking psilocybin and other hallucinogens arrives with likely health pitfalls, these kinds of as psychosis or other longer-time period psychological well being problems in some, as well as actual physical outcomes this kind of as lifted blood stress and heart level abnormalities.
In February, the 39-yr-outdated Rodgers underwent a four-day darkness retreat as a way, he explained, to “get in a far better headspace and have a bigger peace in my life.”
Speaking to podcast host Aubrey Marcus about his use of psychedelics on Wednesday, Rodgers said: “Is it not ironic that the points that really grow your intellect are unlawful and the items that retain you in the lower chakras [energy points in the body] and dumb you down have been lawful for generations?
“I ensure you all these bums who want to arrive right after me on the web about my working experience and stuff, they’ve under no circumstances experimented with it. They are the ideal people today for it, we need to get these people today to choose it.”
The 4-time MVP explained that he has been approached by athletes in the NFL and throughout other sporting activities for advice on having psychedelics.
“The response from other people in the athletics sector has been fairly unbelievable,” explained Rodgers.
“To see basketball gamers and baseball gamers and surfers, entertainer
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