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Former NFL Star Ricky Williams Launches Medical
New Line of Cannabis-Based Products Marijuana
Insurance for
BY DANIEL CASCIATO
Physicians and
For most NFL players, their careers are
over by the age of 35. For running backs,
the career span is even shorter, with most Dispensaries
out of the league by the time they are 30.
Many are left wondering what to do next.
Ricky Williams, former Heisman Trophy It’s a common misconception that
legal marijuana dispensary insurance
winner and star running back who played is very expensive and unattainable, but
for the New Orleans Saints, Miami it is actually very reasonably priced.
Dolphins, and Baltimore Ravens always We can provide you with many types
knew there was something else beyond of comprehensive insurance coverage
football for him. which will help your business stay on
After retiring in 2012, he began traveling its feet should some type of calamity or
and discovered he loved herbs and wanted unfortunate event arise.
to help people feel better. He studied
Ayurveda in 2004, when he first retired • General Liability
from the NFL, to learn more about herbs. • Property Protection
• Medicine Coverage
That learning experience expanded to RW Products • Business Income
other healing modalities. He’s currently • Extra Expense Insurance
going to school to earn a degree in Chinese cepts. They have ideas for herbs that can • Product Liability
medicine. Just last month, Williams help with attention and focus and im-
founded a new line of cannabis-based prove memory as well as a healing salve for Danna-Gracey is the leading indepen-
products called “Real Wellness by Ricky skin inflammations. dent medical malpractice insurance
Williams (RW),” a cannabis-based well- “The whole idea behind this movement agency in Florida, and the top agency
ness brand. into herbalism is that people are taking for several of the lead-
“It’s an emergence of my second career more responsibility for their own health,” ing insurers in Florida.
and I feel that I can bring the same level of says Williams. “One of our pillars is educa- For more information
contact Jessica Hoehn
success I had in football to this new ven- tion and teaching people to learn about of Danna-Gracey at
ture,” he says. “The product line is a com- themselves and what they are putting into 888.496.0059.
bination of my passion for healing, my their bodies. We expect to see the brand
passion for herbal medicine and my entre- grow and continue to get feedback from
preneurial spirit.” clientele because we want to make things
All of the products are derived from that people need and want.”
Williams’ own formulations that can be
incorporated into daily health routines. Ricky Williams For more information, visit www.rw.life.
RW’s initial product assortment contains 888.496.0059 • Jessica@dannagracey.com
www.dannagracey.com
six products that include either hemp- about cannabis aren’t going to change if
derived cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydro- everyone is hiding and lying about their
cannabinol (THC) or a mix of both. cannabis use. And everyone knew that I
Through carefully chosen delivery already did it anyway so I thought I would
methods of salves, tonics and vape car- go and share my story.”
tridges, all six products allow consumers Williams felt that he found his voice in
to harness the positive effects of cannabis the cannabis space. People were willing to
in a more conscious and controlled way. listen to what he had to say.
Additionally, the formulations draw on the “I got excited about that and began
wisdom of multiple herbal pharma- speaking at more conferences and learning
copoeias by incorporating various herbal about the industry,” he says. “By doing
extracts like arnica, lavender and turmeric that, I realized that you needed more intel-
to support certain condi-tions. ligent neutral voices in the field sharing
"In my herbal studies, my teachers their stories. It led me into doing more
always say herbalists don’t tend to give sin- talks and learning more about cannabis
gle herbs, we tend to put them into formu- and herbs, and eventually I launched my
las,” says Williams. “It makes the action of own brand.”
the herbs more specific and it helps to There were two reasons why his brand is
eliminate side effects.” called Real Wellness by Ricky Williams, he
Cannabis played an integral role in notes.
Williams’ own healing journey, and he felt “Some people might be Ricky Williams
a responsibility to share what he learned in fans and some might be wellness fans,” he
the process. His first exposure to the busi- says. “But a big part of what we’re doing is
ness side of the industry came after a helping people tie the two together by
friend asked him to speak at a cannabis sharing my story about my simple career
conference in Phoenix, AZ in 2015. as a healthcare provider and a healer who
“At first I declined, but then I reflected is dedicated to helping people feel better.”
on my past and thought about other peo- In addition to the six products his com-
ple in the country who consume cannabis pany is now selling, Williams says that
but have to hide it,” he says. “The laws they are working on new ideas and con-
South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com May 2018 49