Several states approved the use of recreational and medicinal marijuana on Election Day, and now the NFL Players Association will take a closer look into what that could mean for the league.
The NFLPA is forming a committee to determine whether players could be permitted to use marijuana as a pain management tool, according to the Washington Post.
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“Marijuana is still governed by our collective bargaining agreement,” George Atallah, the NFLPA’s assistant executive director of external affairs, told the Post. “And while some states have moved in a more progressive direction, that fact still remains.
“We are actively looking at the issue of pain management of our players. And studying marijuana as a substance under that context is the direction we are focused on.”
California and Massachusetts both approved recreational use of marijuana in elections Tuesday, and more than two dozen states now allow the use of the drug for medical purposes after voters in Arkansas, Florida and North Dakota approved it on Tuesday.
For its part, the NFL — which includes marijuana among the substances banned under its drug policy — doesn't seem to be budging on the issue.
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“We continue to follow the advice of leading experts on treatment, pain management and other symptoms associated with concussions and other injuries," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a written statement Wednesday to the Post. "However, medical experts have not recommended making a change or revisiting our collectively-bargained (sic) policy and approach related to marijuana, and our position on its use remains consistent with federal law and workplace policies across the country.
"If these medical experts change their view, then this is an area that we would explore.”
Former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL running back Ricky Williams, among other current and former players, has repeatedly credited marijuana with helping him deal with the daily physical pain of competing in the league.
“We have a ton of stories about how it has benefited people, but we’re just on the surface in terms of how it works,” Williams told Sports Illustrated. “I feel like I have the soul of a healer, and I want to see what’s possible here.”