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Former NFL star running back Ricky Williams is planning to open a marijuana-friendly gym in San Francisco. The former running back is partnering with the founder of the "420 Games" to manage a gym that allows members to use marijuana while working out and provides edibles for pre- and post-workouts.
(Rick Silva/Associated Press)
Ricky Williams was known as one of the NFL's best running backs during the height of his career. He was also known as someone who smoked marijuana.
Williams is now a partner of a planned gym in San Francisco that is being billed as the world's first marijuana-friendly club, called "Power Plant Fitness." Williams is partnering with Jim McAlpine, founder of 420 Games, which hosts athletic competitions for marijuana users nationwide including triathlons, mountain bike races, golf tournaments, and the 4.20-mile run.
"Having (Williams) as a partner is awesome because he exemplifies a successful and very athletic person who also uses cannabis," McAlpine told complex.com. "The mission of my first venture (was) to show the world that cannabis is not bad and it does not make people lazy nor stupid. And that it can be a healthy and productive part of an athlete's life and training regimen."
The gym is scheduled to open in November and members will be allowed to use marijuana while working out. Should those members get hungry, Power Plant has a line of edibles specifically designed for pre and post-workout training.
McAlpine said the gym will also offer a "cannabis performance assessment" to determine how marijuana affects workouts.
Williams was the fifth overall pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 1999 NFL Draft. He rushed for 10,009 yards and 66 touchdowns during his 11-year NFL career. However, he was suspended a number of times for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
Williams announced his retirement before of the 2004 season after learning he was going to receive a four-game suspension. He returned in 2005 and played 12 games, but another failed test banned him for the entire 2006 campaign.
Williams said NFL teams aren't truly interested in their players health, so he had to take measures to take care of himself.
"The teams don't care, they weren't trying to take care of me. So, I had to take care of myself," Williams told cbssports.com. "One of the ways I took care of myself was using cannabis. I'd go see the doctor, he'd wiggle my knee around and say here and give me some anti-inflammatories, some pain pills, and say, 'Just try to rest.' That's it. I think there's a better way."
-- Geoffrey C. Arnold | @geoffreyCarnold