Since Ricky Williams stepped off the football pitch for good back in 2012, the retired Miami Dolphins running back has been busy launching an impressive line of cannabis-based products, better known as Real Wellness. A repeated violator of the NFL’s drug policy, Williams is not shy about his love for the green herb.

In fact, he even recommends using cannabis for constipation relief.

American football star turned yogi, astrologist and ‘ganjapreneur’

At the age of 40, Williams has a lot of achievements to boast about.

During his football career, he scored 66 rushing touchdowns and 10,009 rushing yards.

His achievements have continued through his retirement years, with Williams studying evolutionary astrology, becoming a certified yogi and practicing alternative medicines – like craniosacral therapy – since his departure from the Miami Dolphins.

“I wanted to go on a spiritual quest to find out who I was and what I’m really here to do,” Williams divulged.

A Heisman Trophy winner, Williams is just as famous for breaching the NFL’s substance abuse policy as he is for his tactics on the grass.

The former pro running back regularly consumed cannabis to relieve chronic pain during his sporting days. His interest in herbs has influenced him to develop a line of line of cannabis-based tonics, salves, and vape cartridges.

He is no stranger to the world of medicine either, with the infamous pot-smoker promoting cannabis as a natural aid for digestion.

Ricky Williams is a big fan of Chinese-medicine

Currently enrolled in his first year at Emperor’s College of Traditional Oriental Medicine, Williams favors Chinese medicine.

Fascinated by holistic medicine, he tends to avoid using Western medicine. Instead, he ensures the herb-filled school closet is always replenished with the essentials, whether it’s hawthorn fruit or Magnolia Flower (Xin yi Hua).

“We have pretty much all the herbs in the Chinese-medicine pharmacopeia here in powder form,” Williams said.

Amidst the 300+ herbs featured in the school’s inventory, there is one that Williams advises to relieve constipation – cannabis.

“We use this for constipation,” he said, pointing to a cannabis seed. “In the ancient pharmacopeia text, they mention cannabis flower, too. But then it became illegal and disappeared,” he said while shaking his head.

The impact of using cannabis for constipation

So, is Ricky Williams correct in saying that cannabis can cure constipation?

Actually, yes. Cannabis acts as somewhat of a laxative and in particular, high-THC strains.

When consumed, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) will relax the digestive system, all the while easing pain and discomfort.

THC travels to the brain via the bloodstream. Once this happens, the neurological system is impacted.

As the muscles and nerves connected to the bowels start to relax, the digestive system will begin to clear quickly.

Ongoing studies on using medical cannabis for digestive disorders prove the emerging potential for the cannabis plant as a digestive aid.

One such study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology revealed the power of using cannabis for constipation.

Since the earliest Chinese writings spotlight cannabis as a medicine, we have good reason to believe what Ricky Williams says about alleviating the symptoms of blocked bowels with Chinese herbal proprietary medicines, like cannabis.