NFL Reportedly Writes NFLPA with Offer to Study Marijuana for Pain Management

The NFL reached out to the NFL Players Association with an offer to work together in order to research the effects of marijuana in pain management.

According to Mark Maske of the Washington Post, the NFLPA is already conducting a study on the matter, and it has yet to respond to the NFL.

NFL Executive Vice President of Communications Joe Lockhart said the following regarding the matter in an email to CNN:

"Can confirm we did reach out to the NFLPA in early July proposing we work together on some research on the impact of marijuana and pain management. While they've acknowledged our letter, we don't yet have a commitment from them to work together on this."

Marijuana has been heralded by some as a preferred option for pain relief among NFL players than opiates due to the possible perils of opiate addiction.

Among those who have publicly supported marijuana use among NFL players are former offensive linemen Eugene Monroe and Kyle Turley.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has taken a different stance, as he said on ESPN's Mike & Mike (h/t Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith) in April that marijuana is addictive:

"I think you still have to look at a lot of aspects of marijuana use. Is it something that can be negative to the health of our players? Listen, you're ingesting smoke, so that's not usually a very positive thing that people would say. It does have addictive nature. There are a lot of compounds in marijuana that may not be healthy for the players long-term. All of those things have to be considered. And it's not as simple as someone just wants to feel better after a game. We really want to help our players in that circumstance but I want to make sure that the negative consequences aren't something that is something that we'll be held accountable for some years down the road."

If the NFL and NFLPA eventually come to terms on allowing marijuana use as a pain management tool, it will require sweeping changes from a disciplinary perspective.

As things currently stand, players are tested for marijuana and can be suspended for using it.