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Former Saints Draftee Ricky Williams to be Featured in SI Films

Ricky takes the “High” Road. Whether you loved the pick, hated what was given up for it, or just loved the drama, Ricky’s history of marijuana use was well documented. SI is taking on this controversial subject in a new SI flims project.

Super Bowl XLVII - Baltimore Ravens v San Francisco 49ers Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Marijuana has been legalized in 25 states to date with more, including Arkansas having it on the November ballot. This is the second time for Arkansas, and it narrowly was defeated last time by less than 2 percent. Totally legalized in a few areas, it is still illegal federally. But, “the times are a-changing.” My wife, a chronic pain sufferer, was addicted to opiates, and now just suffers daily. I think it’s “high” time for this issue to be addressed nationally. The medical marijuana debate has reached national attention, and hopefully full legalization won’t be far behind. I know many will disagree with this but healthy debate is ongoing and will likely continue. I’m sure the debate will continue in the comments below. By the way, Louisiana has passed it’s own version of the medical marijuana law recently.

Edwards signs Louisiana’s medical marijuana bill

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED FILMS TO PRESENT, "RICKY WILLIAMS TAKES THE HIGH ROAD" Exclusive Film Follows the Life of Former NFL Star Ricky Williams as He Embraces the World of Cannabis and More SI FIlm to Debut on July 13th with Long-Form Digital Package and Feature Story on SI.com Former Heisman Trophy-winner, NFL star and noted marijuana advocate Ricky Williams is the latest focus in the ongoing series of exclusive videos from Sports Illustrated’s SI Films. It is the first in-depth look into the world of Williams today as he discusses everything from his personal experience in the NFL drug testing protocol to the anguish he felt as his image was tarnished, to the perception and prevalence of marijuana in the NFL today and its potential as a medicinal tool. In addition, the film explores his new role as an ambitious entrepreneur in the booming cannabis industry.

Watch the just released trailer of the SI Film exclusive, "Ricky Williams Takes the High Road," here: http://on.si.com/29pJdlM

For this in-depth exclusive production, SI joined Williams for a series of shoots on location at the 2016 "Spannabis" World Cannabis Conference in Barcelona, Spain, at the Williams family home in Austin, Texas and on a tour of an indoor cannabis grow operation in Arizona. The SI Films production will run with a feature story by SI senior writer Greg Bishop in an immersive digital longform and in next week’s issue of SI. The Film and exclusive longform special are scheduled to debut on SI.com on Wednesday, July 13.

Attached here you will find the promotional Sports Illustrated Films poster for "Ricky Williams Takes the High Road," which you can use in your coverage and feel free to share on social media. Please link back to SI.com and/or embed the trailer video and be sure to cite the Sports Illustrated Films exclusive in any coverage. More links to the SI Films Ricky Williams content included below.

Many such as myself, will not benefit from any legislation such as this, because it will still be against company policy to use a substance which is illegal on any level, ie federal, state, or local. For myself, retirement is in the not too distant future. The NFL and many organizations have already had to adjust policies in regards to marijuana, and the future is as yet undecided. Even where it has been legalized in one form or another, it is still subject to prosecution under federal law. The federal government has largely turned a blind eye to it for now. What will happen in the future? Well, we’ll see won’t we.