NFL’s Player Survey Reveals Clear Opinions Regarding Cannabis

The topic of medical cannabis in the National Football League (NFL) has been steadily gaining more and more national attention. From having Ricky Williams on the cover of CULTURE back in August to players asking the NLF Players Association to research cannabis for pain treatment, the topic of professional footballs players being allowed to use cannabis as an alternative to painful and addictive opioids is an extremely important topic. The NFL currently prohibits cannabis consumption by players.

A recent poll released by ESPN shows strong support and presence of medical and recreational cannabis within the league and its players. Not only did they recognize that cannabis consumption does exist within the league, 61 percent of the 226 players polled said that “fewer players would take painkillers.” This wasn’t the only dramatically high statistic in favor of cannabis. Seventy-percent of the players interviewed showed their support for nationwide cannabis legalization.

The results also pointed to cannabis consumption happening quite often within the professional football association, which has been confirmed countless times by many players stories and suspensions. Twenty-two percent of players admitted to knowing that one of their teammates had consumed cannabis prior to a football game.

Overall, it appears that NFL players really believe cannabis could be a better suited alternative for pain management than painkillers. In the survey, 41 percent of players said cannabis would be better for pain management and recovery, while 32 percent said painkillers.

There are both current and retired NFL players who have come out as advocates for cannabis, due to the traumatic sports injuries that are endured by playing professional football. Advocates include Leonard Marshall, who served years as a tops linesman for the New York Giants. Derrick Morgan is an active player in the NFL, and he has expressed to the NFL how important it is for them to do research on cannabis. With such strong support coming from the players, it will be interesting to see how this may affect the NFL’s drug policies in the future.