NFL and players' union to study potential use of marijuana for pain management

The NFL and the NFL Players Association agreed for the first time to cooperate in studying the potential use of marijuana as a pain management tool for players, representing a possible shift in the league’s approach to an issue on which several players have been outspoken.

The exploration will take place as part of two new medical committees formed by the league and union that will provide recommendations on key medical issues. This also will include a review of teams’ policies and practices for the use of prescription medication by players.

In forming the committees, the NFL and NFLPA are addressing topics that were previously divisive for them. In recent years, some players have expressed frustration over the continued punishment of players who test positive for marijuana, even if it’s being used to help manage pain, at a time when more states are legalizing the drug.

“I think it’s a proud day for the NFL and the NFLPA to come together on these issues in a very public way,” Allen Sills, the league’s chief medical officer, said in a phone interview. “I think it demonstrates the spirit of cooperation we have around our health and safety issues. … Both of these committees are about providing the best health care we can to players.”

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