Weed and concusions?

[TDs3nOut]

Anyone see the episode of HBO's Real Sports in which an Israeli scientist uncovers evidence in mice that weed is potentially a promising remedy in treating concussions? I found it quite interesting on two fronts: legalization of weed has long been a no-brainer and concussions threaten the future of football.

 

[RegentDenali]

It just sounds like the NFL is looking for an postive sounding excuse to lighten the punishment potential for NFL players smoking the chronic, while making it appear it's for "medical" purposes. It's insane they want to hand out year long suspensions for that substance. If they list it as a legit therapy for concussions, it's just a cute way of saying it's no longer a banned substance.

 

[TDs3nOut]

It just sounds like the NFL is looking for an postive sounding excuse to lighten the punishment potential for NFL players smoking the chronic, while making it appear it's for "mwho edical" purposes. It's insane they want to hand out year long suspensions for that substance. If they list it as a legit therapy for concussions, it's just a cute way of saying it's no longer a banned substance.

That's one way of thinking about it. Personally, I'm hopeful that that the league gets out in front on educating the public that weed is far less harmful than alcohol, and potentially even beneficial to players recovering from head trauma and other injuries . God knows that the league has benefited tremendously from alcohol sales, a drug associated with far greater social ills than legal weed have ever been.

 

[RegentDenali]

Colorado and Washington being the first states to legalize it is just the beginning. Once states see the boatloads of cash the taxes raised by it's sales have on those state govt coffers (Washington state is going to make a fortune by covering all three areas (growing sites, distribution, and sales), others are going to jump in as well. Billions will be kept within the US economy, instead of out to the growers in Canada and the drug cartels of Mexico.

The NFL is going to have to back off from all the drug testing for chronic. It's a losing battle and they know it. The other drugs, I have no problem with them testing them.

 

[SonnyCID]

I saw that episode this weekend.

I have heard before that doctors believed that mj could reduce swelling of the brain because it slows the blood circulation.

 

[redseat]

Colorado and Washington being the first states to legalize it is just the beginning. Once states see the boatloads of cash the taxes raised by it's sales have on those state govt coffers (Washington state is going to make a fortune by covering all three areas (growing sites, distribution, and sales), others are going to jump in as well. Billions will be kept within the US economy, instead of out to the growers in Canada and the drug cartels of Mexico.

The NFL is going to have to back off from all the drug testing for chronic. It's a losing battle and they know it. The other drugs, I have no problem with them testing them.

Not really sure why it hasn't been legalized sooner for the reason you mentioned above.

 

[SonnyCID]

It just sounds like the NFL is looking for an postive sounding excuse to lighten the punishment potential for NFL players smoking the chronic, while making it appear it's for "medical" purposes. It's insane they want to hand out year long suspensions for that substance. If they list it as a legit therapy for concussions, it's just a cute way of saying it's no longer a banned substance.

The NFL rep doing the interview laughed at the idea that mj could be used in therapy for brain injuries. They don't seem too interested in being at the forefront of this debate.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Slowly but surely

weed will be legal in the majority of states...states need revenue and weed would be incremental tax revenue. I think lawmakers are heading in that direction. As far as the NFL...medical weed has been in place for sometime...whatever works.

 

[Midnightangel]

Colorado and Washington being the first states to legalize it is just the beginning. Once states see the boatloads of cash the taxes raised by it's sales have on those state govt coffers (Washington state is going to make a fortune by covering all three areas (growing sites, distribution, and sales), others are going to jump in as well. Billions will be kept within the US economy, instead of out to the growers in Canada and the drug cartels of Mexico.

The NFL is going to have to back off from all the drug testing for chronic. It's a losing battle and they know it. The other drugs, I have no problem with them testing them.

For now.

The problem becomes what is the next drug to legalize/stop testing for once pot is legalized?

Slippery slope.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

For now.

The problem becomes what is the next drug to legalize/stop testing for once pot is legalized?

Slippery slope.

It is a slippery slope, but pot has been a topic for legalization for many years and we're just now seeing 2 states act on it so I would think the same pace would be in play for whatever the next recreational drug to be legalized.

 

[JDM]

They don't have to back off anything if they don't want to. Legality doesn't alter being disallowed by the NFL.

But all drugs should be legal and regulated and taxed. Prohibition creates gang activity.

 

[SonnyCID]

weed will be legal in the majority of states...states need revenue and weed would be incremental tax revenue. I think lawmakers are heading in that direction. As far as the NFL...medical weed has been in place for sometime...whatever works.

The NFL doesn't allow marijuana for medical use.

 

[WizardHawk]

Goodell was asked about it and while he said they would consider allowing it if it was proven to help concussions he also said there isn't any evidence of it so far and appeared to be more or less just giving the same lip service he normally does. They are not planning on changing the rule as I'm sure they know how hard it is to move the medical community on the topic of pot as medication issue.

Roger Goodell says the NFL would consider use of medicinal marijuana as a concussion treatment - ESPN

As for a slippery slope? If the medical community changed their status and listed it as a viable treatment for an ailment that is at the heart of so many of the changes to the rules of the game then not allowing it would be criminal wouldn't it? How does that lead to changes to other drugs? If it can be proven to the point where the medical community accepts any/all drugs that are now considered recreational or otherwise illegal then they too should be considered unless another treatment that doesn't meet that criteria is actually a better choice. It is that last part that likely will never allow pot to begin with. If there is any non pot treatment that produces better results it still won't be allowed even if recognized unless they can also prove that when added to other treatments it makes the results that much better.

Pot in the NFL isn't going to happen any time soon.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

The NFL doesn't allow marijuana for medical use.

Understood...the point was they're entertaining it as if they are just now discovering it has some medical uses.

 

[SonnyCID]

Understood...the point was they're entertaining it as if they are just now discovering it has some medical uses.

That didn't seem to be the tone of the NFL rep on the interview. He still seemed pretty closed off to the idea.

 

[wiskyisgood12]

That's one way of thinking about it. Personally, I'm hopeful that that the league gets out in front on educating the public that weed is far less harmful than alcohol, and potentially even beneficial to players recovering from head trauma and other injuries . God knows that the league has benefited tremendously from alcohol sales, a drug associated with far greater social ills than legal weed have ever been.

The league isn't going to punish a business partner by pointing out that weed is less harmful than alcohol. I understand the point you're making, I just think the NFL will point to the fact that society looks at weed differently than it ever has.

 

[StoningtonQB]

The NFL has NO AUTHORITY to undermine state laws. In the states that have legalized it for medical or recreational use, that's FINE. But watch what happens if they try to make this argument in a state where it is illegal. That's like the NFL saying that prostitution is OK.

 

[TDs3nOut]

The league isn't going to punish a business partner by pointing out that weed is less harmful than alcohol. I understand the point you're making, I just think the NFL will point to the fact that society looks at weed differently than it ever has.

Good point. I probably would have recognized that before had I not had a couple of drinks!

 

[JDM]

The NFL has NO AUTHORITY to undermine state laws. In the states that have legalized it for medical or recreational use, that's FINE. But watch what happens if they try to make this argument in a state where it is illegal. That's like the NFL saying that prostitution is OK.

They don't have to enforce them, either.

The league can enforce strict rules against marijuana use, allow it completely with no league consequences, or anything in between. That is entirely at their discretion and has nothing whatsoever to do with state laws.

The equivalent using your prostitution example would be that they won't try to catch players hiring prostitutes and won't penalize players if they get caught hiring them.

 

[jakedog56]

In a barely related note, is anyone in Washington or Colorado brewing a thc infused hemp beer yet?