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Shane Hennessey
Professor Raman
CAS 138T
1 April 2016
NFL Safety Reform: Marijuana Held as Potential Saving Grace
To the Commissioner of the National Football League, Roger S. Goodell, and the
National Football Leagues Player Association (NFLPA):
In recent light of the increasing national attention to the short and long-term
safety of the National Football Leagues players during and after their professional
careers, The National Football League (NFL) has been facing extreme heat and pressure
from families of effected ex-players along with a worried American fan base that is
starting to become wary of the damage being done to the athletes that they cheer on from
the sidelines (Grinspoon). There has been a rapid increase in law suits over concussion
scandals, litigations related to the overuse of prescription drugs, and malpractice in the
distribution of painkillers across the league. As a result, the NFL is being depicted as a
greedy organization which views players as assets only to gain profits while also viewing
them more as cattle than actual human beings (McCann). One very passionate writer
named Robert Silverman, in an article titled The NFL Runs on Piles of Painkillers
published by The Daily Beast website, goes so far as to say Football is an abattoir, or
slaughter house. He states that the NFL pays no attention to what happens to the overall
wellbeing of their players after their careers have run their course, because they no longer
have the ability to play professional football and make the organization money. Football
is a very rough and demanding sport, players are bound to get injured, and this is one of

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the major appeals to the American public who cannot get enough of the NFL (Keyes).
The football players are national icons and although there is a base understanding that
pain management and staying healthy throughout the season is a big part of the game, the
NFL and NFLPA are not allocating enough resources or showing enough urgency to
prove that their players safety and their long-term health is a major priority of every team
or the league as a whole. The National Football League, in order to mitigate past mistakes
and ensure the increased health of current and future professional athletes, should reform
current league wide painkiller practices, finance and be a leader in the research of the
medical benefits of cannabis, and reform testing methods for marijuana use or eliminate it
from its list of banned substances.
Major law suits have been filed and are being settled over the long-term
neurological effects of the repetitive brain injuries while the NFL is knowingly
concealing the link between the traumatic and progressive brain disease Chronic
Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTP) and playing professional football. The NFL continues
to settle this potential billion dollar legal issue with all the parties involved. The offer for
former players of a $765 million settlement was once denied by a judge who believed
that the offer proved too small to cover it all. The judge believed it could not nearly be
enough to cover the current and future cases of CTE along with the other medical links
that are found to be much more prevalent in NFL athletes, such as Alzheimers,
Parkinsons, and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (Sherer).
Along with these concussion related cases, new legal issues and lawsuits have
been brought to the attention of the public concerning the lack of regulation in regards to
acquiring and distributing prescription painkillers throughout the league (Silverman). The

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NFL and the teams are accused of using unethical means to combat the players pain so
they can remain on the field. The apparent steps were taken by team doctors and trainers
who routinely prescribed medications without prescriptions and without warning players
of the risk of addiction or the many side effects (Jenkins and Maese). This scandal has led
to many ex-football players becoming addicted to painkillers. It has also provided great
insight into the leagues failure to prioritize for the players wellbeing and only
emphasizing the players ability to play while ignoring the pain, often leading to greater
damages (Keyes). The drugs provided may not be performance enhancing, but they
simply enable the players to push through the pain for they are pumped full of
painkillers like racehorses (Silverman). If the allegations that the teams routinely
prescribed medication without prescriptions and proper warnings are proven true, this
would be viewed as a criminal act under the federal Controlled Substances Act (Jenkins
and Maese). The litigations will continue for years to come but, legally, the league will
offer important defenses to dismiss them, such as preemption, fault of the NFLPA,
unreliable evidence or witnesses and other defenses that will drag out the legal process
and make it more and more difficult to resolve (McCann).
However, the NFL should be aware of how much the public is concerned with the
safety of football at all levels. Public perception is an important factor and consideration
for the NFL in developing its legal strategy. The ramification of a lengthy and public
litigation would cause the NFL executives and owners to be subjected to questioning
under oath while also obtaining records and other evidence that could lead to the
unveiling of unflattering facts about the league and its owners. With even the smallest
mistake or slip up on any moral ground, it would be broadcasted across every sports,

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local, and national news channels. (McCann). To avert potential pressure and to attempt
to regain perceived moral integrity among the public, it would be in the best interest of
the league to seek change and solutions as quickly as possible. These actions will ensure
that the league will be proactive with resolving past issues and preventing any future
ones. It will also ease some of the publics concerns about the NFL being a greedy
enterprise that is only focused on making profits.
Players accounts of the leagues prescription drug practices demonstrate the
extensive use of multiple types of addictive oxycodone-based painkillers and practices
that can be compared to that of a street drug dealer (Jenkins and Maese). Trainers would
just ask what do you need or an assistant trainer would pass out narcotics in unlabeled
envelopes before games to whomever requested it on the spot. This culture of reckless
medication can be attributed to the pressure to perform; players say that you were only as
good as your last game (Jenkins and Maese). This forced the athletes to take extreme
measures to be able to play. When individuals would go to these great lengths, it
eventually became the norm league wide, even to trainers and doctors. To hurry players
back to the field, a mixture of pain pills and anti-inflammatory injections were usually
given with little to no explanation of the risks involved. The widespread use of highly
potent prescription drugs, some argue, has allowed the NFL to become the multibilliondollar organization that it is today but at the cost of many players wellbeing (Keyes). The
need for stricter rules and regulations regarding painkiller distribution and consumption
across the league is evident. Regulation and enforcement of rules in every locker room
will be vital, as well as an increased understanding throughout the league that rushing
players back to the field by whatever means necessary is wrong. It should become

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understood that the players safety should not be jeopardized by their lack of job security.
Steps should be taken by the NFLPA to ensure that all athletes will be contractually
compensated even if injured. Overall, these actions could lessen the push for opiate-based
painkillers because players will be given fair time to recover without fear of being cut or
replaced (Jenkins and Maese).
Tighter regulations on prescription painkiller practices will create an overall
benefit for the players health and job security. It will allow players to take necessary time
off when injured. Along with this reform, a possible substitute with far fewer side effects
or, and in some cases, a better result should be considered. A natural medicine that can
help trainers keep active players on the field while preventing the long-term effects of
current painkillers is marijuana (Freeman). Marijuana, or cannabis, would have huge
positive implications on the overall health of the NFLs players because of the safety, lack
of serious side effects, and other unique therapeutic benefits. Cannabis is a painkiller, an
anti-inflammatory, and a neuroprotective agent that can replace many of the prescription
drugs currently being abused (Sherer). For musculoskeletal injuries, this drug is proven to
work just as well as some opiates while also having a synergistic effect that makes
smaller doses of opiates more effective. This synergistic effect will lesson the amount of
prescription drugs consumed and lessen the chance of dangerous side effects or addiction
(Sherer).
Along with the positive effect this drug will have on recovery and soreness, it has
been shown to treat neuropathic pain from tissue and spinal trauma, where other opiates
have been proven incapable. This very versatile medication also offers a powerful antiinflammatory property without the damaging side effects of non-steroidal anti-

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inflammatory drugs. Over use of the blood thinning injections of Toradol, a painkiller that
increases the risk of serious head injuries is looking towards medical marijuana as a
viable replacement (Sherer). Cannabis is especially unique because it offers protection for
an individuals brain (Grinspoon). The neuroprotective properties can fight head trauma,
like concussions, and also aid in the battling of the central nervous system diseases that
may be the potential result of trauma. This means that the antioxidative, antiinflammatory and neuroprotective qualities of marijuana can help active players recover
faster from concussions while reducing the long-term damage that may result in chronic
brain diseases (Sherer). The research on cannabis is still in its early stages but so many
benefits have already been documented that promote it as a logical replacement for the
abuse of painkillers in the NFL (Grinspoon).
Alleviating the frequency and severity of CTE cases in the NFL is of the upmost
importance. The controversial studies that state some compounds found in marijuana can
play a vital role in protecting a player's brain is promising. The NFL has stated that the
league will follow any science that presents itself to show other methods to aid in the
protection of players health (Freeman). Given the scope and severity of the problem, the
NFL should lead the way by directly funding research to determine if cannabis, including
options with no psychoactive effects such as a high-cannabidiol (CBD) to
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) ratio, can provide protection against the damage of
repetitive concussions and deter the negative stigma associated with being impaired by
the drug (Grinspoon). Already, many doctors and researchers believe that marijuana has
incredibly powerful neuroprotective properties, an understanding based on both
laboratory and clinical data (Sherer). Unfortunately, the extensive research required to

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definitively determine cannabis's ability to prevent CTE will require millions of dollars in
upfront investment. Despite the great promise many now see in cannabinopathic
medicine, willingness to invest will be difficult to find. Other than the NFL, no
organization has both the motive and the means to provide significant funding. Normally
a new medicine reaches the market because a pharmaceutical company pays for research
to establish both its effectiveness and safety. Meaning, it's highly unlikely that a
pharmaceutical company will get involved in studying cannabis as a treatment for CTE,
because the plant and its natural components can't be patented and would therefore be
more likely fail to provide adequate return on investment even if developed into a
successful treatment (Grinspoon).
The NFL's funds are significant enough to launch a serious, intensive research
program designed to determine whether or not some combination of cannabinoids is
effective in preventing the consequences of concussions (Jenkins and Maese). This would
not only be a great public service, but it is in the league's own financial self-interest
(McCann). Especially since very little, or no, other promising options exist for alleviating
the problem of concussions, injury, and drug abuse, this proposal should be considered.
Attempts to improve protective equipment can only go so far without diminishing the
skills and capacities of the player. The helmet design currently can protect the skull but
not the brain. Incorporating a brain protecting design seems overall, completely
unrealistic or even impossible. Also further rule changes to adequately address this issue
will be unable to prevent concussions without altering the game severely (Grinspoon).
Overall, this means the NFL should invest in and explore the potential for internal

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protection of the brain (Sherer). The research may be expensive and intensive, but it is
very necessary (Grinspoon).
The immediate investment into a great potential aid in the players long-term
health will show that the NFL cares for its athletes. During the time that the research is
not finalized and accepted, the NFL should reform its substance abuse testing policies.
The biggest challenge will be figuring out how to change the rules to benefit the
cannabis-consuming athlete. Some sports provide Therapeutic Use Exemptions for
approved medical reasons with drugs that are banned (Sherer). If the NFL adopted a
similar policy for medical marijuana, players with medical clearance would no longer
need to fear a season-ending career or a career effecting punishment. The problem is, the
approach could create an unfair advantage for the teams in states where marijuana is
legalized. For that to work well, the federal government needs to grant national
legalization (Sherer). Alternatively, the NFL could adopt the policy of the Olympic sports
and only worry about players using the drug close to or during competition. The World
Anti-Doping Authority raised the threshold for a positive test of cannabis from 15ng/ml
to 150ng/ml, with focus of only targeting athletes who are using it in competition. This is
the policy that has been adopted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as well
(Sherer). These are all good compromises instead of calling for the removal of marijuana
from the NFLs banned substance list, but it may not be completely unreasonable to do
so. For example, the National Hockey League (NHL), does have marijuana on its list of
banned substances, essentially not condoning use but not punishing it either (Keyes).
NHL chooses to turn a blind eye to its use and the NFL should do this as well.

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The consumption of cannabis by NFL athletes is a decision made by some
individuals who believe it is the best option for them to recover and then again compete
at the highest level (Sherer). Athletes who succeed at the NFL are the best in the world at
what they do. They are disciplined people whose competitive drive entails careful choices
and personal sacrifices. Football and competing every day is their passion, but millions
of dollars in salary are also at stake in careers that can be very short. Receiving that extra
season or two can mean the difference between supporting their families properly
(Sherer). Those who are choosing to use medical marijuana to recover are doing so
because they believe it works better and has fewer side effects than other options.
Medical science backs their decision and it will continue to do so. The NFL should follow
and provide the necessary support and aid in research.

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Work Cited
Freeman, Mike. "NFL Players View Pot as a Savior." Bleacher Report. 2015 Bleacher
Report, 30 June 2015. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.
<http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2486218-banned-but-bountiful-marijuanacoveted-by-nfl-players-as-invaluable-painkiller>.
Grinspoon, Lester. "The NFL Should Combat Concussions with Cannabis." Motherboard.
Vice Media, 27 Feb. 2014. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.
<http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-nfl-should-combat-concussions-withcannabis>.
Jenkins, Sally, and Rick Maese. "Two Former NFL Players Describe Loose Prescription
Drug Practices." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2014. Web. 01
Apr. 2016. <https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/two-former-nfl-playersdecribe-prescription-drug-practices/2014/11/27/6cfb8768-768c-11e4-bd1b03009bd3e984_story.html>.
Keyes, Scott. "Former NFL Players Call for Medical Marijuana to Be Taken off Banned
List." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 03 Jan. 2016. Web. 01 Apr.
2016. <http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jan/03/former-nfl-players-callfor-medical-marijuana-to-be-taken-off-banned-list>.
McCann, Michael. "The Painkiller Problem." The MMQB. Times Inc, 22 May 2014. Web.
01 Apr. 2016. <http://mmqb.si.com/2014/05/22/nfl-painkiller-lawsuit>.
Sherer, Steph. "Why the NFL Should Embrace Medical Marijuana." The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 20 Dec. 2014. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steph-sherer/nfl-medicalmarijuana_b_4480556.html>.
Silverman, Robert. "The NFL Runs on Piles of Painkillers." The Daily Beast.
Newsweek/Daily Beast, 17 Nov. 2014. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/11/17/the-nfl-runs-on-piles-ofpainkillers.html>.