The NFLPA is preparing a proposal that would bring the issue of marijuana punishment to the forefront. Union executive director DeMaurice Smith said, via Mark Maske of the Washington Post, the goal of this will be a “less punitive” system regarding marijuana.
The league relaxed its policy to a point in 2014 by raising the standard by which a player could be suspended for the drug, with it now requiring four positive or missed tests to trigger a four-game ban. But this push for further loosening the restrictions on weed would again require a resolution between the league and the union. That’s obviously a complex process, and as Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes, the union should be prepared to make a concession to the league if it wants this to work.
“I do think that issues of addressing it more in a treatment and less punitive measure is appropriate,” Smith said at a meeting with the Washington Post reporters and editors. “I think it’s important to look at whether there are addiction issues. And I think it’s important to not simply assume recreation is the reason it’s being used.”
This comes as the NFLPA formed a committee centering on the usage of marijuana as a pain management tool, and that decision could shape this latest effort. The NFLPA plans to pitch the proposal to its board of player representatives before pursuing a deal with the NFL. The league said in the past it’s open to changing its policy on marijuana but only because of advisement from medical experts. Executives surveyed in November leaned toward a more lenient policy.
Florio also points out the country’s gradual relaxation on this drug, with several states having legalized it for recreational use in addition to medicinal use, could be set for a change after Jeff Sessions entered the picture as the potential Attorney General. The senator has argued against legalization in the past, and if he helps move the country to a stricter place on weed, Florio notes the NFL would have a tougher time considering a proposal that softens its stance.
It just needs to be legal…I don’t think these guys are smoking before games or practices because that just doesn’t seem like a good combo…however, it is a much safer alternative for post game pain management than all the pills and stuff these guys get addicted to because the team doctors are cramming them down there throats to make sure they are able to play
What about kratom?
Yea let’s give more reason for guys to not get a good education then have a job that pays millions and they can still smoke weed….their millions are compensation for their pain..they choose to play..
Wrong path to take. Make suspension longer
lol
Nope. I have no interest in watching pothead millionaires running around giggling and doped up on the field. Zero tolerance.
You’d rather them leaving the game with an addiction?
yes madman! they should have to write an essay on why smoking weed is bad and after each game, individually apologize to each fan for using reefer narcotics bongs. after the season, they should be banned for life from ALL forms of work because they chose to smoke the devil’s lettuce
This always makes me crack up. Maybe we need a list of high stress or high pain jobs and give them waivers to use marijuana no matter what state they live in. Coal workers = check; emergency room physicians and nurses = check; truck drivers = check; construction workers = check; prostitutes = check; and of course football, rugby , boxing, soccer, mma and hockey players.
Haha prostitutes
The problem that always gets disregarded by those against marijuana for pain management is the fact that weed is in fact safer than actual pain killers. Do you know what pain killers are considered to be? They fall into a group called opoids, a group that also includes heroin. Pain killers have proven to be addictive and deadly. Marijuana can definitely be addictive, but it is incredibly safer than any other pain killer drug.
Bottles of pain killers say what on them? ‘Do not operate machinery or drive a car, etc’ right?
Why would you assume if something is legal (like pain killers) people will be walking around high all the time trying to do their jobs? How do you know NFL players aren’t taking a handful of vicodin during games already?
Stay off the weed
why?