Retired professional hockey player, Marvin Degon IV, a Naples, Florida resident, participated in a panel discussion at the U.S. Cannabis Conference and Expo (USCC) on Sunday at the Hyatt Regency Downtown Miami.
Degon, who now serves as Director of Athletics for VEDA Endocannabinoid Nutrition (ECN), examined his life, athletic career, and the role of cannabis along the way with panelists and attendees.
Degon also works with the nonprofit group Athletes For CARE by educating athletes on life after professional sports and the nutritional alternatives to help with injuries or ailments received at the professional level.
The USCC is a business-to-business event comprised of local, regional and national cannabis industry experts to network and learn.
“It’s important to educate the community on what cannabis life looks like. Knowing my background, people are often surprised to know that I am an advocate in the space,” said Degon. “I believe in the benefits that cannabis products can offer in athletics and everyday life, and made it my mission to help raise awareness about the positives of hemp and endocannabinoid nutrition.”
Degon, a veteran professional hockey player with a 10-year career, spoke at length about the negative connotation often associated with cannabis among professional leagues and speculated how his game and career may have been different if he had access to sustainable nutritional alternatives like cannabis and hemp products as a professional hockey player.
Degon went on to discuss how injuries throughout his career were alleviated with prescription drugs, Cortisone shots and sleeping aids after games.
Through the lens of a professional athlete, Degon deciphered to audience members the dangers of addictive prescription medications, as well as the benefits of sustainable and natural alternatives like cannabis.
Degon, with VEDA ECN is currently developing a sports line of ECN products geared toward athletes scheduled to launch this Fall.
“My hope is that as the athletic community becomes more aware of the benefits of cannabis and hemp products, and athletes will use their voice to insist on more sustainable alternatives. As an athlete your body is your tool for success, we need to stop poisoning ourselves with chemically engineered, addictive substances, and replace them with sustainable natural alternatives,” said Degon.