NFLPA: Marijuana policy in NFL is “a CBA issue, not a law-enforcement issue”

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Despite recent comments from White House press secretary Sean Spicer about “greater enforcement” of federal recreational marijuana laws in states that have legalized its sale and consumption, the NFL Players’ Association said it will continue to push for its proposal of a “less punitive” marijuana policy because it’s “a (collective bargaining agreement) issue, not a law-enforcement issue” for the NFL.

“We are talking about how players get treatment under our jointly agreed…

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Possible NFL marijuana policy change? Commissioner Roger Goodell chimes in.

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HOUSTON — The league is listening. But it wants facetime.

The NFL Players’ Association recently announced its intent to propose to the league a “less punitive” approach to dealing with recreational marijuana use among players.

“I do think that issues of addressing it more in a treatment and less punitive measure is appropriate,” union executive director DeMaurice Smith told The Washington Post.

Smith did not specify the changes in the NFLPA’s proposal, which was expected to be…

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NFL Players Association announces a proposal for “less punitive” approach to player pot use

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Leaders of the NFL Players Association are preparing a proposal that would amend the sport’s drug policies to take a “less punitive” approach to dealing with recreational marijuana use by players, according to the union’s executive director, DeMaurice Smith.

The proposal will be presented to union’s board of player representatives, Smith said Tuesday. If it is approved by those players, Smith said, the proposal will be made to the league. The NFL would have to agree to any changes to the…

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NBA Head Coach: “Only a Matter of Time” Before Pro Sports Allow Medical Marijuana Use

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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (Keith Allison/WikiMedia Commons)

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (Keith Allison/WikiMedia Commons)

Ross Baglia | December 3, 2016

Earlier this week, the NFL issued a 10 game suspension to Buffalo’s Seantrel Henderson, who failed a drug test after using marijuana to treat Chron’s disease, once again bringing up the discussion of whether professional sports leagues should relax their anti-marijuana policies.

On Friday, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr chimed in, speaking on on The Warriors Insider podcast, said that he…

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NFL: Miami Dolphins Player Arrested on Marijuana Charges in Florida

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Leon Orr (Collier County Sheriff's Department)

Leon Orr (Collier County Sheriff’s Department)

Ross Baglia | December 1, 2016

The Miami Dolphins have released defensive tackle Leon Orr following his arrest for marijuana possession in Florida.

Orr was arrested Tuesday on marijuana charges by the Collier County Sheriff’s Department, and faces a misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana (not more than 20 grams) and a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance.

The 24 year old, playing in his second season in the NFL, was stopped by deputies on…

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NFL: Bill’s Player Suspended 10 Games for Using Marijuana to Treat Chron’s Disease

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seantrel-henderson

Ross Baglia | November 30, 2016

The NFL has issued a 10-game suspension to Buffalo Bill’s offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson for violating the league’s substance abuse policy after failing a drug test, which does not tolerate marijuana use, not even for medical conditions.

Henderson appealed the ruling, but the suspension was upheld and formally announced by the NFL on Tuesday, releasing the following statement:

Seantrel Henderson of the Buffalo Bills has been suspended without pay for the team’s next 10…

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NFL takes notice as union develops pain management committee involving marijuana

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In January, former quarterback Jake Plummer sat side by side with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell at Sports Authority Field in Denver to watch the Broncos defeat the Steelers in a divisional playoff game. The meeting was informal, with the real talking points — the ones that would be raised in the months ahead — put aside.

But only temporarily.

Plummer and many other active and retired players were in the beginning stages of building a campaign and raising money to spread awareness of…

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NFL adds synthetic marijuana to list of banned substances

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The NFL and NFL Players Association announced Wednesday that they modified their drug policies and, among other changes, have added synthetic marijuana to the list of banned substances.

Also known as “Spice,” “K2” and “Blaze,” synthetic marijuana has been added to the standard testing panel for substances of abuse, and players are banned from having more than 2.5 nanograms of synthetic cannabinoids per milliliter of urine.

A growing contingent of former and current players…

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The fitness-first, cannabis-second 420 Games come to Denver this weekend, Boulder next

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The 420 Games — described as athletic events “that promote the healthy and responsible use of cannabis” — are coming to Colorado for the first time. Events will be held at Denver’s Berkeley Lake Park on Sept. 24 and at the Boulder Reservoir on Oct. 1.

The Cannabist did a Q & A with the creator of the games, Jim McAlpine, a Bay Area-based former ski-industry entrepreneur.

Here’s what they found out:

The Cannabist: So the 420 Games are not consumption-friendly? This is not…

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Bills OT Seantrel Henderson appealing suspension, citing marijuana use for Crohn’s disease

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ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson is appealing the NFL’s four-game suspension for testing positive for marijuana, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity Wednesday because the suspension is being appealed and the NFL has not announced its ruling.

The person said Henderson’s appeal is based on him using marijuana for medicinal purposes to relieve the…

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Floyd Landis, pro cyclist who admitted to doping, selling high-grade weed in Colorado

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LEADVILLE — Floyd Landis’ perfect life began to unravel within days of winning the Tour de France a decade ago last month. He tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Like every other racer caught doping, he denied it and then launched several years of expensive, and yet fruitless litigation.

The scrutiny weighed heavy as he was ostracized from his tribe for following, as it turned out, the well-worn doping path.

“That was a hard couple years. There were very few of us out…

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Retired NFL player begins writing cannabis column, says “I am worried about my NFL family”

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Editor’s note: Former Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Eugene Monroe made headlines in March 2016 when he became the first active NFL player to advocate for cannabis research. He retired from football in July at age 29 because of concerns about his future health.

Recently retired NFL player Eugene Monroe pens his first column for The Cannabist:

As I make an exit from the world I’ve known for the past 18 years, I’m stepping into another that I had avoided for many more. This new…

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Eugene Monroe retires, vows to continue advocating for medical marijuana research

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Eugene Monroe, the former Ravens offensive tackle and advocate for cannabis research in the NFL, announced Thursday he is retiring from football, citing his health and family for reasons to walk away.

“I’m only 29 and I still have the physical ability to play at a very high level, so I know that my decision to retire may be puzzling to some,” wrote Monroe in a first-person piece for The Players’ Tribune. “But I am thinking of my family first right now — and my health and my…

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New study aims to examine whole-plant cannabis in treatment for sports injuries

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A push for cannabidiol research has gained steam in recent months, with current and former NFL players backing two studies on CBD’s efficacy in alleviating football-related pain without getting them high. But another study, led by a California-based cannabis extract producer Constance Therapeutics and the Gridiron Cannabis Coalition, aims to examine whether whole-plant cannabis is more effective than isolated compounds in treating players’ pain.

Led by Dutch researcher Dr. Arno…

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Marijuana found during investigation of Aqib Talib shooting in Dallas

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CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 18: Cornerback Aqib Talib #21 of the Denver Broncos celebrates on the sidelines after intercepting a pass and returning for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium on October 18, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Andrew Weber/Getty Images)
Cornerback Aqib Talib #21 of the Denver Broncos at Cleveland Browns Stadium on October 18, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio.

A Dallas police report about the June shooting of Broncos’ cornerback Aqib Talib indicates a gram of marijuana was discovered during the investigation.

The June 11 police report offers few details and does not indicate whether the marijuana had been found with Talib or to whom the drugs belonged.

No one has been arrested as a result of the drugs and the presence was a…

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CBD research for NFL players spurs “productive dialogue” with NFLPA

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Interest in a campaign for cannabidiol (CBD) research for NFL players continues to grow. The movement that started in Colorado and has gained steam with the backing of offensive tackle Eugene Monroe, former Bronco Jake Plummer and, most recently, Titans linebacker Derrick Morgan, has reached the NFL Players Association.

About a week after speaking with two NFL officials about the studies, Dr. Marcel Bonn-Miller, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman…

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Titans’ Derrick Morgan becomes second active NFL player on CBD campaign

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Derrick Morgan’s educational process started with headlines and movies. The Titans’ seventh-year linebacker had seen the reports about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). He had read the study that found the disease in the brains of 87 out of 91 deceased NFL players. He had seen the movie “Concussion” and, of course, he had heard the stories of former players dealing with lingering effects from football injuries.

But Morgan’s research also included the 2013 CNN…

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