Despite receiving no support from his Head Coach, Team Owner or League Commissioner, Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Eugene Monroe hit the headlines this week after suggesting that NFL players should be allowed to use cannabis as a pain reliever.
The former Virginia player stated that he feels cannabis would be a much safer option when dealing with the injuries that come with playing the contact sport, than using prescribed opioids that can be highly addictive
Speaking openly to the New York Times, Monroe said;
“We now know that these drugs are not as safe as doctors thought, causing higher rates of addiction, causing death all around our country, and we have cannabis, which is far healthier, far less addictive and, quite frankly, can be better in managing pain.”Monroe's comments come after a trail of cannabis related news that has worked its way into the NFL recently. Rookie Miami Dolphin Laremy Tunsil saw his draft stock drop significantly after a video of him surfaced smoking a bong just before the official Draft Day. While a high ranking official within the NFL was quoted last week as saying that if every college player was sanctioned for smoking cannabis, the NFL Draft would be "half full". Despite Monroe and former NFL players putting their hat into the ring of cannabis advocacy, it doesn't look like there will be progress on this matter any time soon. League Commissioner Roger Goodell is firmly against cannabis use within the league and will refuse to change any policies. Yesterday, Eugene Monroe verified his stance on cannabis by donating $80,000 to the University of Pennsylvania for research into the medical use of the plant.