Ex-NRL star Andrew Johns turns to medicinal cannabis to control seizures and pain

Rugby league immortal Andrew Johns has turned to medicinal marijuana to treat his brain seizures and chronic pain, saying cannabis has been a ‘game changer’.

Rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns has been using medicinal cannabis for almost two years to treat his brain seizures and chronic pain.

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the NRL great has swapped anti-­inflammatory pills and sleeping tablets, which he has used for more than 27 years, for medicinal cannabis, which he claims has been a “game changer’ for his health.

“I have been taking medicinal cannabis for 18 months now as well as the medication I am taking from the professors and I am seizure-free,” Johns told The Sunday Telegraph, speaking for the first time about his use of the controversial drug.

“Does it help the seizures? I don’t know, but it certainly doesn’t hinder me.

“It’s also about the other facets in my life.

Andrew Johns, pictured with partner Kate Kendall, says medicinal cannabis has changed his life. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“Obviously my body is shot from playing footy, and now my neck and back pain is so much better,” he said.

“I can go to the park now and kick the footy. I can jog. I hadn’t run for 10 years. It is so nice to run around and play with the kids.”

Repeated head knocks during his playing career left Johns with epilepsy. Picture: Gregg Porteous

Johns, who has previously documented his battle with bipolar disease and spoken openly about his past recreational drug habit, said medicinal marijuana has calmed his mind.

“The other big one for me is it ­relaxes me and I can sleep. I used to have trouble sleeping,” he said.

“Obviously after coming home from calling footy, I would be wired. I used to have sleeping tablets to put me to sleep, but I haven’t had a sleeping tablet in those 18 months.

“I read a lot but sometimes my mind can wander. Now my concentration is better. And my partner Kate says I am calmer.

“Medicinal cannabis has been a real game changer.”

Father-of-three Johns is now a football commentator. Picture: Getty Images

The 48-year-old ­father of three said his medicinal cannabis does not contain THC, the component of cannabis which gives a high.

His introduction to the drug came after he stumbled across a documentary outlining its benefits.

“Then I started reading up about it,” he said.

“I spoke to my doctors and professors, and they said there is evidence it can help — and what was refreshing was they said it won’t hurt you or take you back in any way.”

Johns’ decision to go public about his use of medicinal cannabis comes as he joins the sports advisory board of Levin Health – a pharmaceutical company that is researching traditional treatments and alternative options such as medicinal cannabis.

Johns has joined the sports advisory board of a pharmaceutical company that is researching medicinal cannabis. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

There have been more than 240,000 prescriptions for medicinal marijuana since it was first approved in 2016, but the Therapeutic Goods Administration says there is “limited evidence” about the effectiveness of its use in different medical conditions.

Johns, who doesn’t shy away from his chequered past, understands some people may be cynical and others ­unsurprised about his advocacy for and adoption of medicinal cannabis.

“I totally understand the stigma around it and that people may have an opinion,” he said.

“When they asked me to come onto the advisory board, the first thing I said was, ‘Look, I haven’t been a cleanskin my whole life … Am I worried about what other people will think? Well … I’ve owned up to some of my demons and the things I have been through and have been true to myself and true to my family, so if people want to point the finger, then so be it,” he said.

“The people close to me know I am taking it and why I am taking it and they all say the same thing: it is a natural product.”

Johns joins a growing list of well-known names who use the drug to combat illness, relieve pain and ­reduce chemo-induced nausea, ­including Olivia Newton-John, basketballer Lauren Jackson, jockey Damien Oliver and former AFL player Alistair Clarkson.

Overseas, actors Whoopi Goldberg, Morgan Freeman and Michael J. Fox, and singer Lady Gaga have taken it.

Levin Health CEO Mark Brayshaw said Johns’ knowledge and experience will help guide the firm’s research, activities and strategy in areas including chronic pain, concussion and mental health.

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Originally published as Ex-NRL star Andrew Johns turns to medicinal cannabis to control seizures and pain