NFL open to medical marijuana discussion – SFGate

Photo: J. Patric Schneider, For The Chronicle

NFL open to medical marijuana discussion

Is the NFL softening its stance on marijuana? Looks that way.

In the wake of a report published by the Washington Post Tuesday, the NFL confirmed to The Chronicle that it has sent a letter to the players union saying it would like to join together in the study of marijuana as a possible substitute for pain relief treatment. The NFL players association (NFLPA) has been investigating the issue since late 2016.

We did reach out to the NFLPA in early July proposing we work together on some research on the impact of marijuana and pain management, said NFL spokersperson Brian McCarthy, in an e-mail to The Chronicle. While theyve acknowledged our letter, we dont yet have a commitment from them to work together on this.

The players union did not respond to The Chronicles request for comment Tuesday.

But Kyle Turley did. The long-time league standout and rebel, who is now advocating for the use of medical marijuana in the NFL, was ecstatic about the news.

Thats a huge deal. Its massive, said Turley, a former offensive lineman who struggled with post-career opioid addiction and who is now working with the non-profit group Doctors for Cannabis Regulation. We just want them to get to work. This could be the greatest day in the history of the NFL. That the league finally acknowledged they will research marijuana is a huge deal. ... Now the media just needs to hold them accountable to it.

That will be a tough job, given the NFLs relative lack of transparency when it comes to investigating the medical impact of football. But you have to like Turleys enthusiasm. He was truly happy to hear the league had taken a step in the right direction.

Currently, any use of marijuana is banned by the NFLs collective bargaining agreement, although a growing chorus of voices have called for reconsideration, citing studies that show cannabis could be a useful treatment for not only pain relief, but for brain injury, as well.

The arguments for cannabis in treating both pain relief and brain injuries have been well-documented in this column, as recently as last weekend. But the long-term prognosis for the league adopting a more reasonable, and forward-thinking, approach to medicinal cannabis could still be far off.

According to the Posts story, league officials want to make the marijuana discussion part of the next collective bargaining agreement. The current contract expires in 2020.

Theres a chance the marijuana issue could be negotiated separately, outside the overall contract, but those types of side deals are usually unsuccessful, according to The Post.

But, in this case, sooner would certainly be better.

The abuse of pain medication is clearly an issue. You see the players and their later problems. You also see how the league responds to this in their drug policy, said Dr. David Nathan, a New Jersey physician who works with Doctors for Cannabis Regulation, in a 2016 interview with The Chronicle. Marijuana as a complimentary alternative to opioids really solves a lot of that problem by decreasing the lethality of pain management in the NFL.

So, where does this leave NFL players, who have actively voiced their concerns over opioid addiction and long-term brain damage? Pretty much in the same, dark room, with a little ray of sunshine peaking in through the door frame.

But, where there is sunshine, there is hope.

The only gateway drug I ever participated in was the sport of football, which led to 20 years of pharmaceutical use, which turned out to be abuse. I shouldve never been given certain drugs, said Turley, in a previous interview with The Chronicle. The science behind cannabis speaks loudly to the need for us to understand if it works. Its imperative to find that out immediately.

Why should cannabis have an opportunity? The pharmaceutical industry hasnt met the mark.

Al Saracevic is Sports Editor of The San Francisco Chronicle. E-mail: asaracevic@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @alsaracevic

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NFL open to medical marijuana discussion - SFGate