Ravens Offensive Lineman Eugene Monroe Makes A Great Case For The League To Change Its Marijuana Policy

PFT – Based on commissioner Roger Goodell’s remarks at the Super Bowl, the NFL has no intention of changing its marijuana policy. But one player has come out strong, saying it’s time for the league to take a closer look at that policy, to allow for a possible use of marijuana for pain relief and perhaps even help with concussions. “Your job automatically gives you the symptom of chronic pain,” Ravens tackle Eugene Monroe said in a story posted at CNN.com which discusses the potential medical benefits. “You’re hitting each other as hard as possible every single day in practice. Your body is in pain a lot of time.” Monroe said more players are looking at marijuana as a pain relief option, as opposed to the opioids and anti-inflammatories that are commonly distributed. And though the league has drawn a line in the sand, Monroe said it’s time for them to advance the science. “The NFL will need to have legitimate information before they remove marijuana from the banned substance list and ultimately not hurt their product in the field,” Monroe said. “But there’s opportunity in that space also, for the NFL to get involved and maybe lead efforts.” Many players would likely be in favor of that, especially since marijuana is legal for recreational use in two of the cities in which the league does business already. But based on Goodell’s almost out-of-hand rejections, it seems like any such change is years away.

Eugene Monroe isn’t the first NFL player to come out and speak about weed, and he certainly won’t be the last. It’s just really refreshing to see a player come out as straightforward and articulate as Monroe did here. If NFL players really wanted to band together and force a change on this policy, they should join Monroe on these exact talking points. They stick their necks out every Sunday and literally put billyuns of dollars in owners’ pockets, they should be able to relieve some of the pain they ensure to do so. I’m not a weed guy, I have no dog in this fight. But more importantly, I’m not a guy who can relate to the beating some of these guys go through. Virtually nobody is. And that’s the most ridiculous part. Everyone who seems to have a true say on the matter thinks they can cast judgment on what it’s like to get battered relentlessly on a weekly basis. It’s ludicrous.

This is America. Times are changing man. Even if the vast majority of players would use the drugs purely for recreational purposes, they should be able to do so. Shit, it’ll be legal virtually everywhere before long. Roger can drop the whole “hurt their product” shtick because it’s a fucking joke at this point. The only people who give a shit about weed anymore are the old farts who won’t even be driving league revenue for much longer because they’ll be six feet under. And I can’t even imagine that those fans would stop watching the NFL because a few guys smoke pots and pans on their time off the clock. At least not enough to even come close to moving the needle that is the NFL’s bottom line. So I’d like to invite the rest of the NFL to take an educated stand with Eugene here. I can’t believe I’m here taking a stand with a guy I despise as much as him, but his argument is that convincing. It’s time for the NFL to be ahead of the curve and let this one go.