Coach Bruce Arians Wants The NFL To Drop Cannabis Testing
The National Football League doesn’t have a cannabis use problem. The NFL has a cannabis prohibition problem. NFL league officials have yet to offer up a valid justification for the continued prohibition of cannabis use among players. Reasons cited in support of cannabis prohibition in the league include player safety, that cannabis has no medical value, that there needs to be more studies on cannabis, and that cannabis can be a gateway drug that may lead players to try more harmful substances, among other invalid reasons.
Meanwhile the NFL continues to embrace substances that are far more harmful than cannabis, such as alcohol and pharmaceutical drugs. It is hypocrisy on display, plain and simple. The NFL currently prohibits all use of cannabis by players, even when the use is medical in nature, and even when the player’s consumption is in a state where consumption is legal. To date eight states and Washington D.C. have legalized cannabis for adult use, and all but four states have passed medical cannabis legislation in at least CBD-specific form. The only states left in America that enforce full cannabis prohibition are Idaho, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas.
The National Hockey League (NHL) does not include cannabis on its list of banned substances, and last time the Uncle Cliffy team checked that league was doing perfectly fine. The sky is still intact over NHL facilities. If the NHL can do it without issues, so too can the NFL. The NFL’s cannabis testing threshold is 35 ng/mL of THC metabolites in a player’s urine. If a player tests at that level or higher, they are punished. To put in perspective how low that threshold is, the Olympics uses a threshold of 150 ng/mL for the testing of its athletes.
If Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians had his way, the NFL would quit testing for cannabis altogether. Coach Arians recently expressed that belief on a CBS Sports Radio and CBS Sports Network show hosted by Tiki Barber and Brandon Tierney, as captured in the tweet below:
.@BruceArians on Marijuana in NFL “I would like it to be like the other leagues and not test. It’s not a performance enhancing drug”
— TikiAndTierney (@TikiAndTierney) July 12, 2017
Coach Arians joins a growing number of NFL voices that want to see cannabis prohibition ended in the league. One of the most high profile endorsements of the idea is the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones. The Uncle Cliffy team previously covered news that Jerry Jones was pushing for league cannabis policy reform in a meeting of fellow team owners. Jerry’s stance was later echoed by Cowboys Vice President Stephen Jones. A growing list of poll results shows that fans, members of the sports media, and NFL players themselves want to see the NFL stop testing players for cannabis. It is time that league officials stepped up, had some compassion for its players, and got on the right side of history. Kudos to Coach Arians for speaking out in the name of compassion and logical reasoning!
image via Reddit
Cannabis Is A Safer Alternative For Professional Athletes
The stresses and injuries that come with being a professional athlete can be significant. Competing at the highest level of any sport can take a mental toll on even the most focused, seasoned professional athlete. The amount of adrenaline involved is off the charts, which can be extremely stressful to deal with, and professional athletes need ways to unwind after competition and practice.
Going up against other world class athletes in contact sports almost always results in competitors experiencing some type of injury, if not multiple injuries. In some sports, the pain that goes along with common injuries can be very severe. Even in sports that don’t involve contact with other athletes, injuries can still occur. At the very least athletes experience pains and injuries related to wear and tear on their bodies if they train/compete long enough.
Relaxing and restoring from competition and everything that goes with it can take many different forms depending on the athlete. It is no secret that many athletes turn to alcohol to relax, and opioids or other pharmaceuticals to treat their health conditions. If that’s what grown athletes choose to do, that is certainly their prerogative, but athletes should also be able to make the safer choice and consume cannabis if they choose to do so.
Alcohol, opioids, and other pharmaceuticals are legal to use in professional sports leagues, and in many cases, widely embraced. Advertising for alcohol can be found all over arenas and stadiums, as well as during professional league broadcasts. Opioids are dispensed at alarming rates by team doctors, and athletes are told to avoid cannabis at all costs, even for medical purposes. Yet at the same time the use of more harmful pharmaceuticals are often encouraged to treat various conditions.
A study from 2015 found that cannabis is 114 times safer than alcohol. Cannabis opponents within professional sports leagues have yet to directly address this scientific fact. If professional sports leagues truly relied on science when crafting league banned substance policies, there is no way that cannabis would be on the list of banned substances while alcohol remains permitted.
As the Uncle Cliffy team has pointed out before, cannabis has been the subject of more studies than Toradol, Hydrocodone, and Tylenol – combined. All three of those substances are widely used in professional sports leagues, and while all of them are considered to have been adequately studied, reform opponents in leagues often claim that ‘there hasn’t been enough studies on cannabis.’ That claim is obviously false, proven by math alone.
Cannabis is safer than many pharmaceutical drugs that players use for everything from anxiety to sleep assistance. Common side effects for pharmaceutical grade sleep medications include dizziness, weakness, feeling “drugged” or light-headed, loss of coordination, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, upset stomach, headache, and muscle pain. Despite those common side effects, the use of pharmaceutical sleep aids by athletes is perfectly fine in professional sports leagues. However, cannabis use is prohibited – no exceptions. Cannabis helps treat muscle pain, not cause it, but somehow it continues to be banned by leagues like the NFL and NBA. How does that make any sense?
Whether it’s to relax or for restoring purposes, cannabis is a safer, and often times more effective, choice for professional athletes. Athletes that are looking for something to help them relax and/or recover from injury should give strong consideration to using cannabis. Also, professional sports leagues should recognize the science involved and treat cannabis like they do other substances that are much more harmful. The Uncle Cliffy team is by no means saying that everyone should have to use cannabis, but they should be allowed to do so if they want to as long as the use is conducted in a responsible fashion.
The NFL’s Liquor Advertising Announcement Is Blatant Hypocrisy
The National Football League (NFL) prohibits cannabis consumption by any of its athletes, regardless of where they live, and regardless of the purpose behind the consumption. Players are drug tested and if they have more than 35 ng/mL of THC metabolites in their system, they are punished. In some cases, such as that of Seantrel Henderson of the Buffalo Bills, players can punished very harshly, even though the use was entirely medical in nature.
A big push has been underway to try to convince the NFL to change its policy. The NFL has improved its policy over the years, having raised the allowable THC metabolite limit from 15 ng/mL to 35 ng/mL, but that is not nearly enough. To put it into perspective, the Olympics allows up to 150 ng/mL. The National Hockey League (NHL) doesn’t even list cannabis as a banned substance at all. A very prominent NFL team owner, along with dozens of NFL players (current and retired) have been calling on the league to update its harmful policy, yet the NFL continues to cling to 100% prohibition.
One reason for continuing cannabis prohibition, as recently offered up by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, is that cannabis has ‘no medical value.’ As the Uncle Cliffy team pointed out at the time, that claim by Mr. Goodell is not only inaccurate, it is also harmful since it damages the constructive conversation surrounding cannabis and players’ health. Cannabis absolutely has medical value, and could do a lot to help suffering NFL players. Cannabis has been the subject of more studies than hydrocodone, toradol, and tylenol – combined. Those are three substances that the NFL widely embraces.
Another substance that the NFL widely embraces is alcohol. The NFL gladly accepts advertising dollars from the alcohol industry, with one six-year deal with Bud Light being worth $1.4 billion dollars alone. A big reason that the NFL also points to as justification for continuing cannabis prohibition is that it is being done ‘for the health of the players.’ But if you consider the fact that cannabis has been proven to be 114 times safer than alcohol, and that alcohol is embraced while cannabis is prohibited, it’s easy to see that the NFL’s current stance is incredibly hypocritical.
That hypocrisy was on further display this week when it was announced that the NFL plans to allow liquor advertising next season. Per Bleacher Report:
On Friday, Joe Flint and Suzanne Vranica of the Wall Street Journal reported all ads for distilled spirits will need to include a “prominent social responsibility message.” An NFL executive told the outlet the league is treating the policy as a “one-season test” but expects it to continue.
The NFL will allow four advertisements for hard liquor during each game, and the league’s television partners can also feature two during pregame and postgame shows, according to Flint and Vranica. Meanwhile, products like birth control, energy drinks, gambling venues and marijuana in states where it’s legal remain banned.
Another reason that the NFL has cited as justification for keeping prohibition in place is the classic ‘what about the children’ argument. The NFL seems to think that allowing players to use medical cannabis in a legal state will ‘send the wrong message to kids.’ The Uncle Cliffy team wholeheartedly agrees that cannabis should be kept away from children. But what message does it send to kids that it’s OK to accept money to advertise a substance that kills 88,000 people annually (alcohol), but that it’s not OK for a grown adult in a legal state to use a safe, effective medicine like cannabis?
The Uncle Cliffy team is not saying that alcohol should be prohibited by any means. We firmly believe that adults should be able to consume alcohol and/or cannabis if they choose, as long as it is done responsibly. The point that the Uncle Cliffy team is trying to make is why is cannabis still being prohibited if the NFL is willing to allow liquor to be advertised during games, presumably to audiences that will include children, when cannabis is clearly safer than alcohol? How does that not send the message that greed is greater than compassion?
image via Wikipedia
Pro Athletes Should Not Be Deterred by Federal Anti-Cannabis Comments
News broke this week that Steve Cook, described by the Associated Press as ‘a zealous prosecutor who was crucial in writing the Justice Department’s new policy encouraging harsher punishments for criminals,’ has turned his attention towards cannabis. No details were released as to what exactly that means for the cannabis community, but given Mr. Cook’s background, the news does not appear to be a good thing.
The news comes after anti-cannabis comments were made by members of the Trump Administration earlier this year. In February White House press secretary Sean Spicer stated that he expects ‘greater enforcement’ of federal cannabis prohibition laws. In the same month Attorney General Jeff Sessions made the following comments, per Politico:
“Most of you probably know I don’t think America is going to be a better place when more people of all ages and particularly young people start smoking pot,” Sessions said during an exchange with reporters at the Justice Department. “I believe it’s an unhealthy practice and current levels of THC in marijuana are very high compared to what they were a few years ago.”
“We’re seeing real violence around that,” Sessions said. “Experts are telling me there’s more violence around marijuana than one would think and there’s big money involved.”
“I’m definitely not a fan of expanded use of marijuana,” he said. “States they can pass the laws they choose. I would just say it does remain a violation of federal law to distribute marijuana throughout any place in the United States, whether a state legalizes it or not.”
Jeff Sessions also stated the following during a speech to state attorney generals, also earlier this year:
“I’m not sure we’re going to be a better, healthier nation if we have marijuana being sold at every corner grocery store. Marijuana is a cure for opiate abuse? Give me a break. This is the kind of argument that has been made out there. It’s just almost a desperate attempt to defend the harmlessness of marijuana or even its benefits.”
These types of comments have caused a lot of anxiety in the professional sports world were current and retired athletes have been making a serious push to reform cannabis policies in sports leagues. Some media articles have reported that the anti-cannabis comments made by members of the Trump administration have made some athletes think twice about speaking out and supporting reform for fear of persecution. The Uncle Cliffy team can understand that these comments sound scary, but continues to encourage athletes to keep pushing forward.
While it’s possible that the federal government could target a pro athlete for personal cannabis use, such a move would be unprecedented, and is highly unlikely. It is much more likely that the cannabis comments and news coming out of the White House are more rhetoric than anything. By making such comments the Trump administration, and likely sports league officials, knows that it will create a chilling effect that will possibly slow down reform efforts, or convince advocates to abandon them altogether.
The fact remains that cannabis is no more or less prohibited at the federal level and in most sports leagues than it was prior to these comments and news being published. Do they increase or decrease the odds of a player being unfairly sanctioned by the league they play in? Of course not. Players are still going to be targeted in the future, just as they have been in the past until cannabis prohibition ends in professional sports.
The use of scary rhetoric is nothing new when it comes to keeping cannabis prohibition in place. Anti-cannabis statements have been used for decades by opponents in an attempt to dishearten people’s advocacy. Sadly, it often works. Many advocates feel that it’s too much of an uphill battle and there is too much to risk so they remain silent. This cannot happen in the sports cannabis movement. Athletes need to proceed onward and continue to fight for justice and compassion.
If athletes stay quiet and let fear tactics win, prohibition will remain in place. Suffering athletes like Seantrel Henderson from the Buffalo Bills will continue to be punished by the NFL, despite the fact that Seantrel’s use is entirely for medical purposes. Pro sports leagues will continue to perpetuate institutional racism by punishing players for cannabis arrests away from their team, even though mathematical data clearly shows that law enforcement arrests minorities at a disproportionate rate compared to Caucasians. As long as prohibition remains in place, athletes will continue to be punished for using a substance that is 114 times safer than alcohol while leagues simultaneously embrace alcohol, and with it, demonstrate a level of hypocrisy that should never be tolerated.
“Professional athletes need to keep pushing forward and keep calling for reform in leagues that prohibit cannabis use. Advocating for cannabis reform is not always easy, but it is always noble, and with the truth on our side we will eventually prevail and get these leagues on the right side of history.” said Cliff Robinson.
Why Medical Cannabis Reform Is Not Enough For Pro Sports Leagues
A big push has been underway to try to reform cannabis policies in professional sports leagues. Current and retired NFL players have been lobbying hard to try to convince the league to allow players to use medical cannabis under certain conditions. The same can be said about current and retired NBA players, as well as athletes in other leagues that prohibit cannabis.
The Uncle Cliffy team supports such efforts and believes that all suffering players should have safe access to cannabis because it is a safe and effective medicine. However, we also believe that medical cannabis reform does not go far enough. A league policy that continues to prohibit cannabis for adult-use, even when medical cannabis use is allowed in some circumstances, is a policy that will continue to perpetuate institutional racism.
People of color are arrested at a disproportionate rate compared to Caucasian people in America, even though the rate of consumption among races is relatively the same. In cities like St. Louis, African Americans are arrested at 18 times the rate of Caucasians. If a league continues to prohibit cannabis, and an athlete is more likely to be arrested outside of competition, then that same athlete is also that much more likely to be punished for cannabis by the league that employs them. That’s why the Uncle Cliffy team is urging athletes to push for a full end to cannabis prohibition in professional sports. Medical cannabis reform is great, but it does not go far enough to ensure that athletes are not targeted.
The details from the proposals that have been making their rounds in the media describe a scenario in which an athlete will be allowed to have cannabis in their system if the player lives in a state where medical cannabis is legal, and the player is a registered medical cannabis patient. While a number of states have legalized medical cannabis, a number of other states have not. Even in states that have legalized medical cannabis, there are still a number of hurdles that prevent a player from being eligible to become a registered medical cannabis patient.
Qualifying conditions to become a medical cannabis patient vary from state to state. A player that lives in California will be able to qualify fairly easily, whereas a player in Louisiana will have to wait a long time to be able to qualify for the same condition if they ever qualify at all. Many medical cannabis states have yet to issue medical cannabis cards/recommendations to any patients, and it could be quite some time before these states have programs in place that can actually help athletes.
A league cannabis policy that only allows exceptions for registered medical cannabis patients is going to leave a lot of players on the outside looking in. It will create a scenario that results in unfair treatment, with some players being considered to be compliant, and others not, based solely on which state the athlete decides to reside in. If a player lives in a state that does not have a medical cannabis program or does not recognize the condition that the player suffers from, they will be subject to the same disciplinary actions that are currently on the books, even if a player with the same condition that lives in a neighboring state is seen as being compliant. How is that fair? How is that compassionate?
What if a player is arrested in another state for using medical cannabis? How will the league handle that scenario? The use would obviously be medical in nature, but because the player was caught with cannabis in a prohibition state, do they still get punished by the league? Just because a player crosses a state border does not mean that their condition goes away, so this situation is a very real possibility. A medical-only league cannabis policy will help some players, but most players will still be in the same situation that they are in today.
Anything short of ending cannabis prohibition altogether will no doubt lead to selective enforcement. Leagues will be able to effectively pick and choose which players they want to let slide, and which players they want to punish. If a league wants to target a player for non-medical reasons, they will be free to do so. A player that thinks that they are in compliance with league policy will not found out that they are out of compliance until it is too late. That is clearly unacceptable.
Cannabis prohibition does not work. Athletes in professional sports leagues are adults, most of which are over the age of 21. In eight states and Washington D.C. adults over 21 years old can possess and consume cannabis responsibly, so why can’t they do the same when they are employed by a professional sports league? Why are athletes prohibited from consuming a substance that has been found to be 114 times safer than alcohol, alcohol, of course, being widely embraced by professional sports? Why do leagues support the practice of perpetuating institutional racism due to a plant that has been found to help people use fewer prescription drugs, including opioids?
“Medical cannabis reform is a great step in the right direction, and will hopefully help some players, but it does not go far enough. A medical-only policy still leaves the window open for selective enforcement, which is dangerous for players, especially players of color. The only way to eliminate institutional racism via cannabis prohibition in professional sports is to end cannabis prohibition altogether.” said Cliff Robinson.
The Uncle Cliffy team encourages professional athletes to push for the complete end to cannabis prohibition in their respective leagues. The NHL no longer lists cannabis as a banned substance, and the NHL has not suffered in any way as a result. Leagues like the NFL and NBA need to follow the example set by the NHL and treat its players with compassion and respect. More and more states are set to end cannabis prohibition and join the 8 states (and D.C.) that have already legalized cannabis. Professional sports leagues need to do the same and free the plant.
Kyle Long Being Subjected To A ‘Random’ Drug Test Is Reefer Madness
Intimidation has been used to keep cannabis prohibition in place for decades. Various forms of intimidation have been used by cannabis opponents in an effort to send a chilling effect towards those that would want to invoke their First Amendment right to free speech. Simply talking about cannabis has historically been considered enough to establish just cause to wreak havoc on people’s lives.
It doesn’t just happen in society, it also happens in professional sports leagues. A prime example of that was on display recently when Chicago Bears lineman Kyle Long became the target of a ‘random’ drug test after tweeting about cannabis. Mr. Long was responding to the following question from another Twitter user – ‘Kyle what weed you on.’ Kyle Long replied with:
I don’t smoke weed it’s dangerous and addictive from what I’ve been told by my superiors https://t.co/04sM0FqAAc
— Kyle (@Ky1eLong) May 7, 2017
Kyle followed the tweet with ‘Pot is a drug, and will kill you.’ and an emoticon with sunglasses, indicating that he was joking. A few Twitter users tried trolling Kyle Long, which Kyle took in stride and responded back with:
“How to understand a joke” should be in your google search https://t.co/3XBjxS01OW
— Kyle (@Ky1eLong) May 7, 2017
One Twitter user made what seemed at the time to be a benign prediction:
@Ky1eLong *Gets hit with random drug test
— Nicks (@Nicks_214) May 7, 2017
Kyle Long responded with colorful language indicating he would pass a drug test if he was subjected to one. A reasonable person would not expect a grown adult like Kyle Long, who was obviously joking, to actually have to take a drug test. However, NFL league officials apparently did not think the joking was funny because Kyle Long was indeed hit with a ‘random’ drug test just days after his Twitter exchange, as documented in another tweet from Kyle Long’s Twitter account:
Come at me bro pic.twitter.com/Ax3EHkFxPK
— Kyle (@Ky1eLong) May 8, 2017
Mr. Long seemed very confident that he would pass the test, so fortunately for him it doesn’t appear to be an issue. However, the harmful nature of the NFL’s actions go well beyond just this one ‘random’ drug test. The NFL’s actions harm the ongoing conversation surrounding the improvement of the NFL’s cannabis policy, which has been called for not just by NFL players, but also by at least one prominent NFL owner.
By targeting Kyle Long, the NFL is sending a chilling effect over the league, essentially indicating that any player who even talks about cannabis can become the target of league drug testing. This should be concerning for all NFL players, even those that feel that they don’t have anything to hide. How can even a non-cannabis consuming player speak up and invoke their First Amendment right to free speech when they know that they will have to be drug tested as a result?
Even if a player doesn’t have anything to hide, they still may be subjected to the inhumane act that is involuntarily having one’s bodily fluid gathered by another person. That is a demoralizing experience, and no player should have to face such actions when they have done nothing more than speak their mind about an issue that is supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans. Literally every NFL team is located in a state (or district in D.C.’s case) that has legalized cannabis in at least CBD-specific form. But in the NFL, cannabis is prohibited to the point that a player can’t even talk about cannabis. That’s ridiculous.
“We’re not talking about a player who is being questioned because of his actions, we are talking about a player who is being targeted because of his words alone. That sets a dangerous precedent that is completely counterproductive and is definitely not something that is being done with the players’ best interest in mind. The NFL’s cannabis policy involves players’ health, and that’s something that needs to be taken very seriously by the league. What the NFL did to Kyle Long is harmful to the greater conversation that is going on in the NFL right now, and that’s unacceptable.” said Cliff Robinson.
The NFL needs to do better. The NFL needs to recognize that this is a serious issue. NFL players, fans, owners, and all league officials deserve to have a constructive, meaningful conversation about cannabis policy that is unhindered by attempts to halt the free speech of NFL players.
image via Bear Goggles On
Most NFL Players Would Make The Safer Choice If Medical Cannabis Was Allowed
There has big push has been underway to try to convince the NFL to have some compassion for its players and allow them to use cannabis for medical purposes. As it stands the NFL prohibits cannabis use in all forms, even when the use is entirely medical in nature. No exceptions are made.
A sad example of that is the case of Seantrel Henderson from the Buffalo Bills. Seantrel was suspended 10 games after testing positive for cannabis. Mr. Henderson suffers from Crohn’s disease, and has had to undergo intestinal surgery twice which resulted in part of his intestines being removed. Seantrel Henderson uses medical cannabis to treat his condition instead of pills because pills are not an option given his surgeries (in addition to cannabis being safer and more effective).
Even after serving his suspension Seantrel will be forced to either retire or play up until he is suspended again for using his medicine. If the NFL will not make an exception for Seantrel Henderson, and have even gone as far as suspending him for double digit games, clearly the league will not make an exception for anyone. Where is the compassion for players?
Support for medical cannabis is strong among NFL players. An ESPN poll found that 71% of NFL players felt that medical cannabis should be legal in every state. A new poll asked 151 NFL players various questions, including if the NFL should defer to a players’ doctor on whether or not to use cannabis. The poll found an overwhelming 86.75% level of support for such a move. 74.34% said that they would consider using medical cannabis if the league made the policy change.
Every state where an NFL team is located has reformed its cannabis laws to at least allow possession and consumption of products that are high in cannabidiol (CBD), if not the whole plant. Indiana (Colts) was the last state to do so, with a CBD-specific bill being signed into law recently. 93% of Americans support medical cannabis legalization. Knowing this, why is the NFL so out of touch with the will of voters, fans, and players?
“With medical cannabis being legal in so many states, and so many studies showing that cannabis works, why is the NFL still prohibiting its players from using it for medical purposes? Cannabis is safer than opioid painkillers, which the NFL widely embraces, so why not let NFL players make the safer choice?” said Uncle Cliffy President Cliff Robinson.
Cannabis has been proven to treat all types of conditions, having been the subject of more studies than hydrocodone, toradol, and tylenol – combined. Why is the NFL clinging to a failed, racist policy instead of having some compassion for its players? Why not allow these grown adults, with the permission of their primary physicians, to use medical cannabis if they choose to do so? What is the harm?
image via Beyond the Game
Cowboys Leadership Expresses Further Support For Cannabis Reform In The NFL
The Dallas Cowboys were the most valuable team in professional sports in 2016 according to Forbes, being valued at roughly 4 billion dollars. With some young, talented players on their roster, the Dallas Cowboys are likely to be worth even more in the future. The Cowboys are often referred to as ‘America’s team’ due to their popularity, and for NFL fans, you likely either love the Cowboys or you hate them.
The owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones, is one of the most high profile figures in the sports world. Mr. Jones has always been very outspoken, and never been one to shy away from controversy. Jerry is a larger than life figure and has been a staple of the NFL community for a long time. His opinion carries a lot of weight in the league. So it was a pleasant surprise when news broke early last month that Jerry Jones had expressed strong support for ending cannabis prohibition in the NFL.
Few details emerged from the meeting in which Jerry Jones had expressed support at, other than that it was a meeting for team owners, and that Jerry seemed very passionate about the need to reform the NFL’s cannabis laws. The news led to a lot of speculation and discussion, some constructive and some not. Clarification on the matter came today when Cowboys Vice President Stephen Jones made extensive comments about the need to ‘heavily scrutinize’ the league’s cannabis policy and look for ways to better handle cannabis use by players. Per Dallas News:
“I think Jerry’s opinion, my opinion, is this program, this system has been in place for a long time. I think it needs to be heavily scrutinized in terms of its results.
“Is it helping players in terms of their accountability? And, obviously, addiction is a sickness and you want to make sure — obviously, there’s accountability but it’s also a program that helps players get better. I think personally, I know Jerry and I think that it might could be done better and we just need to take a look at it. Like I said, it’s been the same program that’s been in place for many, many years and I think all things to do with the NFL, we should all want the very best for our players. We should want the very best for our organizations and we should want the very best for our fans, and that’s anything that has to do with the NFL.
“In my opinion, we should take a long hard look at how we’re doing this and see if there’s a way, a better way to do it. What that is, I don’t have the answer. But we have a lot of smart people that can get in there and analyze something and really make some good decisions and see if there need to be changes.”
“When you re-look at the whole program, I think you should take a look at every aspect of it. From the testing to the discipline to the amounts, anything to do with this. At the end of the day our goal should be to help players who have sicknesses and addictions and make them better people off the field, and then how we go about that I think is what needs to be looked at and make sure we’re doing everything the best way we can do it. Obviously, when you look at something like that you have to look at, ‘How do we do it in society right now? How does that affect the way a player sees his situation in that lens?’ And then make decisions based on that.”
Cannabis prohibition has been in place in America since 1937. Use has not been eliminated, not by a long shot. The same is true in the NFL and other leagues that prohibit cannabis. Players are going to use cannabis, and rightfully so (assuming they are 21 or older). Cannabis is safer than alcohol, is safer than opioid painkillers, possesses numerous medical benefits, and has been studied more than Hydrocodone, Toradol, and Tylenol – combined.
Cannabis is legal for adult use in 8 states and Washington D.C.. Vermont is on the verge of legalizing cannabis for adult use via the legislative process. More states are gathering signatures for ballot initiatives for the 2018 election, such as Michigan. The NFL has a cannabis testing threshold that is more than four times as strict as the Olympics. Meaning that someone like Usain Bolt, who has tested positive for cannabis in the past, could have four times as much cannabis in his system as an NFL player and be fine, but the NFL player would be suspended even if the consumption was completely legal by some state’s standards. How does that make any sense?
The Uncle Cliffy team is hopeful that the conversation will continue, and that more professional sports teams’ leadership will step up in support of cannabis reform as the Dallas Cowboys have done. Cannabis prohibition doesn’t just harm the players, it harms the teams too. Fans want to see their athletes in competition, and not serving a suspension because of an outdated policy based off of the failed political views of the past. Obviously there is a better way. Free the plant!
image via ATTStadium.com
Poll Results Show That It’s Time To End Cannabis Prohibition In Pro Sports
National Football League (NFL) Commissioner Roger Goodell made comments on Friday indicating that he continues to support keeping cannabis prohibited in the NFL. His comments included the claim that cannabis has ‘no medical benefits.’ Push back on the comments from cannabis supporters inside and outside of the NFL was swift. A number of media outlets reported Goodell’s comments as being ‘dangerous,’ ‘draconian,’ and ‘pure reefer madness.’
Roger Goodell’s comments put him square in the minority of Americans that believe that cannabis prohibition works. To prove that point, the Uncle Cliffy team has compiled polling results which clearly demonstrate that it’s time to end cannabis prohibition in professional sports.
Fans Respect Athletes That Choose To Make The Safer Choice
Marist College, in conjunction with Yahoo, conducted a poll in which sports fans were asked the following question – ‘Would you have more or less respect for your favorite sports athlete if you learned they used marijuana in their personal life? If it makes no difference please say so.’
A substantial 68% of poll participants expressed that if their favorite sports athlete consumed cannabis that it ‘makes no difference’ to the level of respect that they have for the athlete. An additional 3% stated that they would have more respect. Only 28% of poll respondents stated that they would have less respect for an athlete that consumes cannabis.
NFL Players Overwhelmingly Support Medical Cannabis Reform
ESPN polled NFL players to gauge their level of support for cannabis reform in the NFL. Among other findings, 71% of polled players stated that they feel that medical cannabis should be legal in all 50 states.
The poll did not specifically ask players if they supported medical cannabis legalization in the NFL, but the Uncle Cliffy team feels that it is a safe assumption that support for medical cannabis reform in society transfers over to sports. This is made evident by a recent push by the NFL Player’s Association to make a distinction between recreational and medical use in the NFL.
Legalization for medical purposes would not completely end cannabis prohibition in the NFL, but it would at least end prohibition for players that use cannabis for medical reasons, which the Uncle Cliffy team obviously supports.
Support Has Never Been Greater For Legalization At The National Level
CBS News recently released poll results which showed the highest level of support for cannabis legalization in America that they have ever recorded. A whopping 61% of poll participants stated that they support legalization.
These poll results show a level of support that is dramatically greater than in 1969 when Gallup Polling found that just 12% of Americans supported legalization. The more than 500% surge in support since 1969 is reflective of how much times have changed, and highlight how professional sports leagues that prohibit cannabis have failed to evolve with the dramatic increase in public support.
More Than 3 Out of 4 Sports Media Members Support Legalization In Pro Sports
A poll conducted by The Big Lead looked specifically at the level of support for cannabis reform among sports media members. An astounding 76.5% of poll participants stated that cannabis prohibition should end.
The results of this particular poll are interesting given the fact that sports media members literally have a front row seat to see how prohibition affects pro athletes, both from a health standpoint as well as a social justice standpoint. The huge level of support among sports media members is something that cannot be highlighted enough.
If A Player Can Consume Cannabis Legally In A State Then Leagues Should Allow It
A poll conducted by PRRI found that, “A majority (54%) of the public believe professional athletes should not be prohibited from using marijuana if they live in a state where it is legal.”
As the Uncle Cliffy team has pointed out previously, every Major League Baseball (MLB) team, National Basketball Association (NBA) team, and NFL team are now located in a state that has legalized cannabis in at least CBD-form. The State of Indiana (Pacers and the Colts) was the last remaining state that was a full prohibition state, but a CBD-specific bill was recently signed resulting in zero MLB, NBA, or NFL teams now being located in a 100% prohibition state.
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“The math speaks for itself.” Cliff Robinson said. “Cannabis prohibition provides no benefit to professional sports leagues, and a strong majority of fans, players, and even most members of sports media recognize that fact. It is time that professional sports leagues that prohibit cannabis did the same. These leagues need to get on the right side of history.”
Free the plant!
Roger Goodell’s Medical Cannabis Comments Are Inaccurate And Harmful
In January of 2014, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stated that if medical experts were able to prove that cannabis could help treat concussions, that he would be open to reforming the NFL’s cannabis policy. It provided a great deal of hope to cannabis supporters, NFL fans, and likely many NFL players. After all, cannabis has been proven to help treat all types of ailments, including brain injuries.
The exact proof that Roger Goodell claimed to want to see in order to make an informed decision clearly exists. Yet, sadly, Roger Goodell and the NFL have continued to cling to cannabis prohibition. NFL players that test positive for THC metabolites above a level of 35 ng/mL are harshly sanctioned by the NFL, even if the use was for medical purposes. Players such as Buffalo Bills Offensive Tackle Seantrel Henderson have been hit with double digit game suspensions.
In 2017, it is well known that cannabis has medical value, which is why so many states have legalized cannabis for medical purposes. But for some reason Roger Goodell still strongly opposes cannabis reform in the NFL, even for medical purposes. In an interview today on ESPN’s Mike & Mike, Commissioner Goodell had the following to say about cannabis:
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell delivered a strong statement against marijuana use Friday, telling ESPN Radio that the league sees no medical benefits and adding that “it may not be healthy for the players long term.”
“I think you still have to look at a lot of aspects of marijuana use,” Goodell said. “Is it something that can be negative to the health of our players?
“And it’s not as simple as someone just wants to feel better after a game. We really want to help our players in that circumstance, but I want to make sure that the negative consequences aren’t something that is going to be something that we’ll be held accountable for some years down the road.”
As the Uncle Cliffy team has pointed out before, cannabis is one of the most studied substances out there, having been the subject of more studies than hydrocodone, toradol, and tylenol – combined. All three of those substances are widely embraced by the NFL, and if they are considered to be safe enough for players, so too should cannabis be considered safe for players.
Cannabis has medical value, proven by the fact that the federal government holds a patent on cannabis’ medical value (Patent No. 6,630,507). Roger Goodell’s comments demonstrate that he has not conducted thorough research on the topic of cannabis. Comments below from the previously cited article indicate that Mr. Goodell thinks that cannabis can only be consumed in one form:
“Listen, you’re ingesting smoke, so that’s not usually a very positive thing that people would say. It does have addictive nature. There are a lot of compounds in marijuana that may not be healthy for the players long term. All of those things have to be considered.
In states that have regulated cannabis industries, cannabis can come in many smokeless forms, such as edibles, topicals, and tinctures. The Uncle Cliffy team agrees that all things should be considered when it comes to players’ health and cannabis. But that goes both ways. Just as potential harms need to be explored, so too do benefits need to be explored. An abundant amount of information is out there, and the facts clearly show that cannabis is safer than many substances that the NFL currently embraces, such as alcohol. One study found that cannabis is 114 times safer than alcohol.
“Commissioner Goodell’s comments aren’t just scientifically inaccurate, they are harmful to players.” Cliff Robinson said. “By denying cannabis’ medical value, Mr. Goodell negatively impacts the important conversation regarding medical cannabis and players in the NFL. Cannabis can help players that are battling brain injuries, chronic pain, and other conditions. But rather than work on a policy that is based on science and compassion for players, the Commissioner appears to want to continue to enforce a failed policy, and in the process, push players towards more harmful substances like opioid painkillers.”
NFL players should not see Roger Goodell’s statements as a setback in the quest to legalize cannabis in the NFL. Mr. Goodell’s comments are not based upon facts, but instead are based upon flawed political views. As such, it’s only a matter of time before the truth prevails. Current and retired NFL players need to keep educating Mr. Goodell about cannabis, both for medical and adult use purposes. Free the plant!
image via Wikipedia