The National Football League is seeking information on cannabis as an alternative to addictive opioids according to a statement from the league.
The league is in the research stage of potentially allowing players to use cannabis products as an alternative to opioids.
The NFL’s Pain Management Commission, a group run jointly by the players’ association and the league, recently requested information on the use of “medications and non-pharmacological interventions” that might be used instead of the highly addictive pills.
The medications of interest “may include, but are not limited to, cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD),” according to a statement.
The league also has requested information about “the impact of cannabis or cannabinoids on athletic performance in NFL players.”
Many NFL players have been known to battle opioid addictions and notable players including Brett Favre, Ryan Leaf, Calvin Johnson, Eugene Monroe, Jeff Hatch and Travis Kelce have spoken out about a medical culture awash in prescription painkillers.
It was last offseason that the NFL had loosened its policy on cannabis testing. Now suspensions for positive cannabis tests are gone and the threshold for positive tests has been raised.
According to the old regulations, the league treated a cannabis infraction roughly as seriously as performance-enhancers or hard drugs like cocaine.