NFL players free to smoke marijuana
doubledragon
Posts: 23,269 ✭✭✭✭✭
The NFL will not be drug testing players for THC from April 20th - August 9th.
The NFL won't drug test for THC in players from April 20 to Aug. 9.
The new CBA that was passed last year includes a relaxed drug testing policy.
The policy means that 2021 is the first year players can celebrate 4/20 without discipline from the NFL.
Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
The NFL opened its random drug test window on Tuesday, but this will be the first year the league doesn't test for the chemical found in Marijuana.
Under the league's new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which was passed last year, players will not be tested for Delta 9 THC-carboxylic acid, which is the prominent chemical found in cannabis, from April 20 to Aug. 9.
The start date of April 20 coincides directly with the popular cult holiday 4/20, which is dedicated to celebrating marijuana. The holiday has become so popular among mainstream Americans in recent years that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer went so far as to call it "an unofficial American holiday" on Tuesday.
Players will be tested for THC once training camps open in August. However, the new CBA has also raised the threshold for a positive marijuana test from 35 nanograms to 150 and eliminates suspensions for positive drug tests. Instead, the NFL will issue fines for up to three weeks' pay.
The NFL will be moving away from severe discipline for marijuana use to an approach focused more on treatment. If a player tests positive during training camp, his test is reviewed by a board of medical professionals appointed by both the players and league. The board then decides if the player needs treatment.
The NFL's previous guidelines on marijuana usage were much harsher. All players were tested at least once during the offseason. Also, 10 players from each team were selected for tests each week during the regular season.
One positive test previously resulted in a referral to the substance abuse program, a second positive test resulted in a fine of two game checks, a third violation was a fine of four game checks, a fourth violation was a four-game suspension, a fifth violation was a 10-game suspension, and a sixth violation resulted in a one-year ban.
Players like wide receiver Josh Gordon and defensive end Randy Gregory missed entire seasons of their careers to suspension for positive marijuana tests on repeated occasions. Under the new CBA, that is far less likely to happen to any player.
Reform to these policies was one of the biggest changes that the NFLPA was pushing for during negotiations for the new CBA last year. It was a key tradeoff that allowed the regular-season schedule to expand to 17 games.
Overall public support for cannabis reform has grown in recent years, as several states have moved to end restrictions on the recreational drug. In November, a Gallup poll revealed that a majority of Americans -68% - favor legalization.
Current and former NFL players even have ventures in the cannabis industry. Rob Gronkowski, Marshawn Lynch, Joe Montana, Brett Favre, and Calvin Johnson have entered the industry as either endorsers or investors for institutions focused on commercializing marijuana or testing its medical benefits.
Comments
Yes, because cannabis addicts and gambling addicts, which the NFL seems to be encouraging, make for good citizens and strong families.
And at the team player meetings when the coach is yelling at the players for dropping passes, fumbling, and other assorted mistakes, the cannabis high players will start giggling loudly about it while munching on pretzels and potato chips.
I think it’s about time. If an adult wants to smoke on his own free time then he should be able to. As long as it don’t affect his job/Performance. Now a guy like Josh Gordon can just play football and not have his career destroyed because they are up his rear end for smoking
The NFL shot themselves in the foot with their political rants. Now they're shooting the other foot by messing around with the integrity of the game itself.
Nobody is going to convince me that having THC in the bloodstream isn't going to negatively affect a player's performance on the football field.
But hey, maybe more dropped passes, fumbles, interceptions, botched plays, etc, will make the game more fun to watch? It'll be like a comedy of errors out there, and the Three Stooges made a good living off of doing that.
I don’t know Steve, I think a lot of these guys are already smokers and have been for awhile
Rickey Williams would have had a great career if this happened years ago.
Many states now have legalized pot for both recreational and medical use. In my case my employer doesn’t recognize it and can still be terminated if found in a random. My days of use are long gone but I’m torn on the subject as I’m not sure I want one of our drivers using or the guy that fills medicals or drives a forklift.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
i think it is absolutely insane for a professional athlete to consider smoking ANYTHING.
I am not getting into the legality, morality or anything else having to do with pot. I just really don't care. what I do care about is the lung health of athletes and them seeming not to care about it.
remember all the photos of athletes from the past lighting up Cigs in the dugout, in the locker room or at halftime and how ridiculous it looks now. same deal with pot.
from a straight performance standpoint, why would a pro athlete want to do anything to damage O2 intake? a direct impediment to performance.
smoke all you want after you retire, lets keep those lungs healthy during your playing career.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
No surprise.
Pot is legal in 17 states. Sooner or later the NFL was going to get sued for punishing someone for partaking in a legal activity.
And it's not just smoking, edibles don't mess up your lungs but test the same.
Exactly
You're right, a guy like Michael Irwin is notorious for it. And it didn't seem to hurt his career.
But now that it's officially acceptable to the NFL, i think the cannabis habit/addiction among players will become much worse, even for those already using it. Frankly, i can't see a single bit of good coming out of this regarding the integrity of the game. If the integrity of the game is lost, then the NFL is lost.
I hope pilots, surgeons and truck drivers are allowed the same leeway.
true about edibles, but anecdotally, when people speak of Pot use in the NFL it is with use of the ubiquitous joint and the smoking of said joint.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Well in my opinion I’d like to see a 20 year old Rookie not get jammed up for smoking a joint at a party during his bye week or in the off-season for that matter. As far as the integrity of the game I don’t think it effects it to the point where it’s going to make that much of a difference, guys in the 70’s were on steroids, coke ect.. other generations guys were probably a few beers deep before a game or whatever and the NFL has been moving right along. I look at it as one less stupid thing that can effect a star player and cause him to miss time which hurts his team.
If a player wants to smoke a joint, drink alcohol, eat too many hot dogs, I say let them. It's a free country. If they start dropping passes and fumbling they will sit on the bench and if it continues they will be off the team. A players status should be based on what he does on the field, although what he does on the field may be effected by his personal habits.
http://www.unisquare.com/store/brick/
Ralph
Yes, if i ever have brain surgery, I'm going to insist that the surgeon is a prolific cannabis user. LOL
One thing that ticks me off a little bit, is the cannabis "industry" basically proclaiming how safe it is to use marijuana. Well, back in the 50's and 60's the tobacco industry proclaimed the same thing, and look what happened there. Sure seems to me like history repeating itself.
I'm not going to discuss it further here, suffice to say that using marijuana is not safe for a multitude of reasons. That is a medical fact, and many reputable medical websites on the internet state proof of that.
At the very least, without a doubt, introducing a foreign substance such as this into the body has to have a negative effect on the immune system, and that's a very bad idea to weaken your immune system in this covid era.
Mantle said that when he hit one of his longest homers, that he was badly hungover at the time. LOL
Prescribed Oxycoton ok for you then?
I have a long time friend, her ex husband tried to kill her with a car. Messed her up bad, for life, but she gets around. Edibles/thc/cbd for her instead of the years she was chewing pain pills transformed her positively. I'd rather someone eat something natural than chomp on pills for chronic pain.
I had about 8-10 years of solid 24/7 pain before my hip surgery. I flat out hated pills and always have, can't take them every day all day as prescribed and refused unless I just couldn't take it and I have an insane tolerance to pain. Alternatives to that I support.
I stay away from any kind of pain pills, I've seen what happens to people when they get addicted to them. A lady up the street from us got hooked on Percocet, and it took her a long time to get off of it. They turned her life upside down to the point that she was purposely injuring herself to get them. Sadly, it has become an epidemic.
the entire Bears roster has been toking it up for years
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
My drug of choice is cards, in particular boxing cards, and ebay is my drug dealer. They got the good stuff, and there's always plenty of supply. They know how to keep me toasted, and I love it. Man, I'm wasted right now!
Very sorry to have to tell you, but there is only one way to cure this addiction...and that is to buy and collect even more and more cards.
That is not a problem, I'm looking forward to rehab!
I'm not against marijuana at all when strictly prescribed for medicinal pain relief purposes, over drugs such as Oxycodone.
There are natural, non-toxic remedies for pain available. Except in severe circumstances, these natural pain relieving remedies work extremely well. I once had a very bad kidney stone, 8mm x 14mm in fact. Long story short, i found a remedy on the internet that reduced the pain over 90% and made it tolerable until it finally passed. It was drinking an eight ounce glass of first cold pressed, extra virgin, organic olive oil along with fresh squeezed lemon juice, once or sometimes twice a day. It tasted like chit, but it worked better than i could have ever imagined.
Many other types of pain can be relieved simply by changing one's diet to that of food and drink that doesn't cause inflammation. For example i can't recall the last time i had a headache. It's been perhaps over ten years.
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Just look at Ricky Williams's Heisman trophy after years of being around Ricky and his pot smoking.
One more thing to shorten their career. Stupid is as stupid does.
Yes, when I go to look at my Joe Louis cards, I always walk away with a nice buzz. Heck, I get trashed looking at them!
I hear it makes you lazy.
Quarterbacks cadence will change to toke 1, toke 2.....
Yes, you're right, my Joe Louis cards always make me hungry and lazy after I look at them.
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
This thread has derailed, it's turned into one big joke party. It's out of control, and can't be stopped!
Thank goodness at least no Cheech & Chong GIFs have been posted.
I'm sorry Steve, but I can't allow this thread to go down in history without an appearance from our two most beloved potheads.
this is 100% accurate. Smoking, vaping etc. is not good for you. it is indesputable.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Rookie....
.
Snoop approves
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
As does The Dude
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Pot is legal in 17 states. Sooner or later the NFL was going to get sued for punishing someone for partaking in a legal activity.
of course you realize what a ridiculous statement this is, right?? Alcohol is legal in every State, but I'm pretty sure that is they test you at work and you're positive for Alcohol over a specific limit that you'll be in trouble. so it is with Marijuana. another thing to remember with Marijuana is that it is fat soluble, the THC dissolves and is absorbed into your body's fat cells. what that means is that maybe 2-3 weeks or even a month or two that same THC could be released when your body burns the fat containing it.
good luck to the players who think they have a free pass to partake and party like Josh Gordon.
Look, I don't know why everyone is so surprised about this, the animal kingdom has been getting stoned since the beginning of time. They still do, and I have pictures to prove it.
And you putting the non smokers but users in the same batch, while taking what, advil/claritin/pain pills when prescribed/etc etc folks as fine and dandy isn't hypocritical? Tell me otherwise why you support the pharmecutical industry but anything else is bad??
Read what you said and your argument against what you said one time, slowly, please.
straw man bud. I haven't said word one about the pharmaceutical industry or anyone taking advil etc.
anecdotally, when people talk about nfl players using pot, they are 99 percent talking about smoking the stuff. that is ALL I have talked about.
smoking is BAD for you. Period. indisputable.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I did throw a comment your way. With only a few of us here it can get meddled with quotes. My bad, had 2 browsers with comments opened and posting, got sideways with posts for happy hour and Greek dinner with the wife.
Now, the 110 yr old folks that smoke and drink all day every day and are still Kicking might have something to say, ha!
I think we both agree that marijuana can be a natural remedy pain killer...if that's what you meant.
I'm not for a nanny state. However I am for an informed choice. And in my view there's way too much BS out there about how using marijuana for recreational purposes is harmless. Marijuana used recreationally is not harmless, in fact it's harmful. That is a fact.
As long as the facts about marijuana are clearly presented, and it's kept strictly away from children, if it's legalized then it's legalized, and I'm okay with that. But let's not repeat the same mistakes as what happened with the tobacco industry in the 50's and 60's, which proved fatal to millions of unsuspecting people.
Far out, man. ........"Don't Bogart That Joint My Friend....Pass It Over To Me".....repeat.......NAME THE BAND!
I didn't google it, but it is a catchy little tune. LOL
Mormon Tabernacle Choir?