C.J. Harris began the year as a defensive walk-on for Auburn but according to his family will no longer be able to play due to his prescribed cannabis oil use for seizure treatment.
Harris, a Warner Robins graduate, found himself wondering if he could continue playing football after high school. He was diagnosed with epilepsy his sophomore year after his fourth seizure but, according to WGXA a treatment that worked, cannabis oil, wasn’t found until after his 14th. That treatment didn’t begin until 2017.
Starting in January, Harris began taking the cannabis oil and hasn’t experienced a seizure since. Harris had hopes of continuing his playing career as a walk on this fall at Auburn but according to his family he’s been deemed ineligible.
Harris was given a preferred walk-on slot at Auburn after winning a title at Warner Robins, the best hope a student athlete can have outside of a scholarship with the program.
“When I read the text that one of the coaches sent me, I just, I broke down,” Harris said in the interview with WGXA. “Because this is my dream, and I saw everything lining up perfectly for me.”
Marijuana is a banned substance and even with the slim margin of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the oil Harris’ treatment requires, he still wouldn’t be able to pass a drug test. This is despite that fact this treatment if prescribed, legal and there are no psychoactive effects for the derivative he takes. Auburn officials looked back at his medical records and informed his father that there was no way for him to play while being treated.
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“You’re taking something away from a kid who’s worked so hard in his life to get there,” Curtis said to WGXA. “And you’re just taking it away because he’s taking a medication that’s helping with his disability.”
According to the report Harris will pursue other medical opinion for other treatment options as well as look at some JUCO and NAIA programs to play at this upcoming season.
A petition was created at Change to allow CJ to remain eligible. Discussion is good and necessary, so why not now?