The NFLPA is not leaving any stones unturned when trying to look out for the wellness of its membership, even if the latest stone is currently banned.
The union, which represents the players in the NFL, is actively looking at marijuana as a pain-management tool and plans to form a committee to study the benefits of the drug.
Marijuana is a banned substance under the terms of the current collective bargaining agreement between the union and the NFL. The agreement runs through 2020.
“I would applaud the players association for putting together a committee to look at this because it shows that they are really interested in getting to the truth of the matter and not necessarily being swayed by public opinion or some of the cultural stigma that has been associated with marijuana over the years,” said Dr. Vernon Williams, director of the Kerlan-Jobe Center for Sports Neurology and Pain Medicine at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles and consulting team physician for the Los Angeles Rams.
Falcons kicker Matt Bryant, the team’s union representative along with fullback Pat DiMarco and tight end Jacob Tamme, is not sure how usage of the drug would be received by the players.
“I’m sure that there will be views from both sides,” Bryant said. “Some people are probably going to say, ‘Yeah,’ and some people will say that it will open a Pandora’s box to other things. I don’t know.”
Falcons coach Dan Quinn is aware that research is being conducted, but hasn’t taken a position. He considers it a union and league matter.
Former NFL tackle Eugene Monroe, who played for Jacksonville and Baltimore, has been an ardent supporter of using marijuana for medicinal purposes.
“There is some evidence of marijuana being particularly helpful for certain things and symptoms like nausea and vomiting,” Williams said. “With chemotherapy (in cancer cases), there is some evidence for its benefit with pain, appetite loss, anxiety and things like that. The evidence has been mixed, but there is evidence available.”
After the recent elections, five NFL teams will be playing in states where marijuana is legal.
The citizens of California, Nevada and Massachusetts approved laws covering recreational marijuana use. There are four other states and Washington, D.C. with similar laws. Voters in Florida, Arkansas and North Dakota approved legalized marijuana for medical purposes. There are more than 24 states that have legalized marijuana for recreational or medicinal purposes.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed legislation last year that legalizes medical marijuana in Georgia, but the law is very rigid. The legislation allows people who suffer from cancer, sickle cell disease and other illnesses to possess up to 20 ounces of cannabis oil if a physician approves.
Democratic state senator Vincent Fort, who’s running for mayor, vowed to decriminalize marijuana within Atlanta city limits.
“The American Academy of Neurology has looked very carefully at cannabis and neurological disorders,” Williams said. “There was some evidence that oral cannabis extract could be helpful in some situations, for instance with multiple sclerosis and the painful spasms and central pain associated with multiple sclerosis. They found that there may be some benefit in certain kinds of movement disorders.”
Allowing pot use by NFL players would require a major change to the league’s current policy.
“Marijuana is still governed by our collective bargaining agreement,” George Atallah, the NFLPA’s assistant executive director of external affairs, told the Washington Post. “And while some states have moved in a more progressive direction, that fact still remains.
“We are actively looking at the issue of pain management of our players. And studying marijuana as a substance under that context is the direction we are focused on.”
Some believe the drug has more benefits than opiate-base painkillers.
“Especially if you consider the alternative, some of the opiate medications, we know about the potential dangers or risk of those medications,” Williams said. “But even some of the anti-inflammatory medications you can buy in forms over the counter, there is significant potential risk associated with those related to your kidneys or related to your blood pressure or bleeding risks.”
Opiate-based pain killers pose significant potential risks related not only to addiction and misuse, but also respiratory suppression and depression.
“The point is well made, but it is possible that people may derive some significant benefits without some of the side effects that are associated with more commonly used and accepted medications,” Williams said.
Monroe, the former player, contends marijuana is safer than painkillers that team doctors prescribe in the NFL.
Under the current league stipulations, players in violation of the policy can be fined or suspended, like the cases of Cleveland wide Josh Gordon and Dallas defensive end Randy Gregory.
Players are tested for marijuana and are subject to fines or suspensions without pay for a positive tests or missed tests.
The NFLPA and the NFL review the drug policies annually and have made adjustments in the past. The union and the league agreed to raise the threshold for a what constituted a positive test for marijuana in September 2014.
Under the current rules, players are typically suspended for four games without pay for a fourth violation.
After their first violation, players are referred to a substance abuse program. The second violation results in a fine of two game checks and the third violation is a four-game fine. In the event of a fifth violation, a player receives a 10-game suspension and a sixth violation draws a one-year ban.
“I think putting a committee together and really looking at the evidence is the best things to do,” Williams said. “I think it’s a good idea to look carefully at it and objectively. It may be that it’s a better alternative or a lesser evil of the other things people are doing to try to manage their pain or manage other symptoms.”
Based on conversations with 10 NFL team owners and executives over the past few months, marijuana is set to emerge as a key issue when the collective bargaining agreement is renegotiated, according to NFL.com.
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