Ravens’ Eugene Monroe urges NFL to end Marijuana ban

Posted by Sagar Satapathy on May 25, 2016.

Baltimore Ravens' offensive tackle Eugene Monroe wrote an impassioned first-person essay for The Player’s Tribune that was published on Monday, called for the NFL to rethink their policy on marijuana and the treatment of player injuries.

In the letter, Monroe openly questioned why the league was so hard-nosed about its policy on medical marijuana and yet so supportive of team doctors and medical professionals who prescribe opioids to treat player injuries.

"The NFL relies heavily on opioids to get players back on the field as soon as possible, but studies have shown medical marijuana to be a much better solution," Monroe wrote. "Medical marijuana is safer, less addictive and can even reduce opioid dependence," he added.

Monroe stated that it's time for the NFL and the NFL Players Association to remove marijuana from the banned substance list and stop ‘overprescribing addictive and harmful opioids.’

"I'm not asking the NFL to prescribe players cannabis," Monroe wrote. "I'm calling on the league to remove its testing protocols for cannabis. It just makes sense."

Monroe also cited the ongoing links between playing football and developing long-term brain disease as a rationale for his stance, claiming that the league should fund research that suggests marijuana could be used to treat CTE.

It is to be noted that Monroe has set up a website to educate athletes about the benefits of medical marijuana.

Marijuana has been on the NFL’s banned substances list for decades.

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