NFL players playing stoned is the topic of the article published in the NY Post on September 16th, 2016. Ironically we published an article on July 5th, 2016 indicating how the NFL bans cannabis, medical marijuana, weed or whatever other name you want to apply. According to the NY Post article, they quote an unidentified sports agent saying nearly 80 percent of the league is using cannabis or marijuana. Obviously for technical reasons based on state legality, the percentage would be lower if you called it medical marijuana. Yet, the point of the article by the NY Post is really about the positive effects of medical marijuana for healing purposes.
NFL PLAYERS PLAYING STONED
In the NY Post article about NFL players playing stoned, they interview a player who back in 2012 was using medical marijuana for pain relief as well as psychological distress. He admitted to using prior to the start of three games. He felt he played great in all three games while under the influence of cannabis. Interestingly he continues in the article by speculating up to 75 percent of players are using medical marijuana. This is a brutal sport where grown men are hitting each other at top speeds. Years of brutality inflicted upon the body creates significant pain for these players. If what is being said is true, the league is clearly not drug testing for marijuana. In addition, the players are making a statement that traditional pharmaceutical pain medication is simply not doing the job.
Eben Britton
The concept that cannabis slows one down is clearly being argued in theory by statements made by Eben Britton in the NY Post article. If anyone has every watched an NFL game, there are clearly not lethargic players on the field. This is a really fast game, once the whistle blows and play starts. Instincts are highly elevated by players and the option to be slowed down physically or mentally is not there. Your heightened sense of awareness must be on par to play this game considering the immense brutality inflicted by the opposite team. Therefore, we now face another study that needs to be done. We are consistently arguing the United States Federal Government should be stepping up and providing significant funding to learn more about cannabis. Why can a NFL player perform so well when using medical marijuana? Why are athletes who are warriors, in amazing physical condition allegedly using cannabis to relieve pain? These are questions that we will only truly understand when we as a society learn more about the positive and perhaps negative effects of medical marijuana.