NFL Players and Marijuana

By Jeralyn, Section Colorado News
Posted on Wed Sep 04, 2013 at 09:34:27 PM EST
Tags: marijuana reform (all tags)

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The NFL punishes players who use marijuana.

Marijuana Policy Project has purchased a billboard ad calling on the NFL to stop the punishments. The billboard is in front of Sports Authority Field at Mile High, where the Denver Broncos will host the first NFL regular season game of the year tomorrow.

The 48-foot-wide Broncos-themed billboard highlights the relative safety of marijuana compared to alcohol and urges the NFL to "stop driving players to drink" with harsh penalties for marijuana use, noting that, "A safer choice is now legal (here)."

There's also a Change.org petition you can sign here. Here's a photo of the actual billboard. The Marijuana Policy Project will hold a news conference Thursday at 10 a.m. MT in front of the billboard (1700 N. Federal Blvd., Denver)

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NFL Players and Marijuana | 16 comments (16 topical)

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This is awesome (5.00 / 2) (#1)
by bmaz on Wed Sep 04, 2013 at 09:55:31 PM EST

Very cool.

Too much beer money in the NFL (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by Dadler on Wed Sep 04, 2013 at 11:02:34 PM EST

Booze companies pay ungodly amounts of money to the NFL to advertise, sponsor, etc., and that, obviously, is the biggest impediment.

Wonder how long until we see (none / 0) (#3)
by nycstray on Wed Sep 04, 2013 at 11:51:17 PM EST

our first Marijuana advertisement?


Should be soon (5.00 / 2) (#11)
by TeresaInSnow2 on Thu Sep 05, 2013 at 10:07:31 AM EST

in Washington State.

I thought it was amazing when perky Jean Enersen, our local news legend ;-) used her cheerleader voice to talk about 334 new pot selling operations that would be opening in our state. She sounded so HAPPY about it. Of course, she makes everything sound like the bestest thing evuh, even war and strife ;-). Still it was a good day for liberalism, while still sounding just so weird. I never thought this day would come.

Soon come the ads...then comes the extra room made on the grocery store shelves. YES!

Me, the only mood altering substance I use is the metal and rubber in my therapeutic bike, plus the spruce and laminate in my therapeutic guitar. No, I don't even drink.

But I am totally loving this!


: So (none / 0) (#12)
by TeresaInSnow2 on Thu Sep 05, 2013 at 10:10:01 AM EST

I will post the athlete-related pot ad when it arrives. I think it will....although using in public is still a violation, so I doubt any of the local teams will be selling any pot-laced items.
Maybe that day will come sometime in the next 10 years.

With NFL owners? (none / 0) (#7)
by Dadler on Thu Sep 05, 2013 at 02:53:45 AM EST

A long time, I think. Old billionaire white guy prejudices die hard. But in general, probably a long time yet, at least on TV, but who knows online.


: maybe they smoke it themselves (none / 0) (#8)
by TeresaInPa on Thu Sep 05, 2013 at 06:30:06 AM EST

and can't imagine how their team wins with a lot of mellow and/or paranoid potheads on the field. It's a funny image, "Tackle that guy, hell no, he's never done anything to me. Chill out coach."

How long till... (none / 0) (#9)
by kdog on Thu Sep 05, 2013 at 08:11:42 AM EST

there are "special" brownies, cookies, and assorted treats available at the concession stand at Mile High and where the Seahawks play? (I refuse to dignify the corporate sponsors)

It's a safer option for fans too!

Once again, I find it sad it's even up for debate and a billboard is needed...every man and woman has the inalienable right to have a relaxing smoke after a long day's work. Off the clock is off the clock...if used to excess where it effects performance, you can terminate for reasons of lack of performance...no need to invade privacy with the indignity of checking piss. As for HGH and roids and stuff like that...I defer to the players union as to whether the league should test for that, whatever they want as it only concerns the players...fair competition for the work and all that. No good reason whatsoever to test for reefer.


The Wave... (none / 0) (#14)
by Dadler on Thu Sep 05, 2013 at 11:59:48 AM EST

...would be VERY phucking interesting after a few thousand folks down a snoop lion kush brownie.


: They're worried that you won't wanna (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by jondee on Thu Sep 05, 2013 at 03:05:06 PM EST

down a few brewskies, heed the call of man's man Dennis Leary and fire up yer Ford F-150 to head down to the Marine recruitment office..

Will it have Clydesdales? (none / 0) (#16)
by ruffian on Thu Sep 05, 2013 at 03:41:44 PM EST

While we're on the topic (none / 0) (#4)
by AmericanPsycho on Wed Sep 04, 2013 at 11:58:30 PM EST

"Indians closer Chris Perez guilty of marijuana possession"

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/mlb/story/2013/09/03/sp-chris-perez-cleveland-indians-marijuana.ht ml

He was having marijuana delivered to the family dog (come on, who really thinks that will work?) It boggles my mind that he doesn't already have plenty of discrete contacts to supply him directly..

I don't agree with drug testing policies of sports organizations. Smoking marijuana will not give anybody an edge on other players. It's a punitive reaction without thought.

He may have been getting it for the dog (none / 0) (#5)
by nycstray on Thu Sep 05, 2013 at 01:09:43 AM EST

MM use seems to be heading in the direction of helping pets. Wouldn't be the first med we share with our canine companions . . .


plausible.. (none / 0) (#6)
by AmericanPsycho on Thu Sep 05, 2013 at 01:58:51 AM EST

that his dog needed a 3/4 pound of purple kush.. that's not entirely impossible, if they were living in an episode of Babylon 5.


: Maybe he has a really big dog? :) (5.00 / 1) (#13)
by nycstray on Thu Sep 05, 2013 at 11:54:44 AM EST

Mostly, I don't care aside from the discounting of the idea it could be good for a pet with cancer or other ailment, just like humans.

Not to Point out the Obvious... (none / 0) (#10)
by ScottW714 on Thu Sep 05, 2013 at 10:01:06 AM EST

...but that policy is agreed to every time they the NFL Players Association renews their contact. Next up is 2021.

Unless both parties agree, the NFL will not release what the player tested positive for. The entire process is very secretive and confidentiality, in the NFL, is mandated in their contract.

A Seahawks players was suspended for taking a performance enhancing drug that wasn't on their banned list. He called the NFL hotline to verify it was ok before he took it. Apparently it doesn't matter if they feel it's enhancing a players performance. They don't test for HGH, which is probably the best/most popular PE substance available in sports, but suspended two players suspected of taking Adderall, which are considered performance enhancing. My point, the NFL drug policy is a secretive mess that most don't understand until after the fact.

They are forbidden to use any illegal substances.

For the NFL to change it's policy, weed will have to be removed from the federal drug schedule and negotiated by the players association in 2021. I just don't see that happening.

The good news is it's not really an issue. One Cowboy whose got infinitely larger problems, drunk driving homicide, then testing positive and a Bronco. I guarantee if they tested for HGH, a minimum of 10 starters on each team would get snagged.