Eugene Monroe no longer stands alone in his advocacy for the use of medical marijuana in the NFL; linebacker, Derrick Morgan has now also stepped in.

Morgan says that the NFL has a responsibility to look into the potential benefits of medical marijuana. He wants them to invest the time and money into researching medical cannabis – they owe it to their players.

However, the NFL has decided thus far not reconsider their stance on marijuana use among their pro football players. They have taken the stance that cannabis does not benefit the long-term health of its players – which Morgan says may not be accurate, as even they have admitted that there has not been enough research on medical cannabis to determine these things.

Although this is the stance they have taken thus far, it may not last too long. Under the current policy, most players can (and most players do) use cannabis. Furthermore, NFL representatives have not said that they will never reconsider their stance, they just need more research to make a decision. The scientists that consulted the NFL also have joined forces to promote funding for medical marijuana research – Read more about this here. 

If the NFL does listen and take action, it could help more than just professional football players. The research conducted to reach a decision, would also be available to other marijuana patients and their doctors. Furthermore, it would be a step toward normalizing the use of cannabis.  Morgan says, “Given how much influence that the NFL has on society, I think it would help the greater good.  There’s a lot of people suffering and a lot of people that can benefit from cannabis as a medical treatment.”

The biggest impediment to change could be collective bargaining. The league will of course want a concession in return for modifying the longstanding marijuana ban. The NFL Players Association might take the position that it’s in the mutual interests of labor and management to make changes.

It will be interesting to see as more and more players join the NFL “Cannabis Cause,” how the league will react.