In the fictional movie North Dallas Forty the wide receiver of the story, Phil Elliott, was ostracized by his team owner for smoking marijuana. The owner said to Elliott, “Elliott you know smoking marijuana is an illegal act and forbidden by the rules of the league’s.”Marijuana or cannabis is a controversial topic in the NFL right now. Should players be able to use it?

At times people don’t see cannabis or marijuana for its medicinal purposes. Many NFL players especially ones with longer careers can suffer from headaches, anxiety depression, and even suicidal thoughts. To combat many of these issues players can often be seen taking ibuprofen. But these supplements might not always be enough. In the states that have legalized marijuana it’s said that the drug can be used only if you have a prescription from a doctor. Although only certain people can get these prescriptions many suffer from similar issues as many of the NFL players.

Concussions have been a widely discussed topic throughout the U.S and even talked about in other countries. In the year of 2013 the NFL had 229 documented concussions. The protocol for concussions is typically just rest, however players experience dizziness and pain that the typical over the counter drugs would not help. Cannabis on the other hand is known to affect every part the body’s nervous system taking one’s mind off of a concussion or any other injury.

Bill Murray once said, “ I find it quite ironic that the most dangerous part about weed is getting caught with it.” Like many celebrities, NFL players gain a lot of publicity when caught with cannabis. From suspension to the loss of endorsements getting caught with cannabis can be tough. The NFL is a dangerous league and players are under a lot of pressure to go out and perform at their highest level every night. So if a harmless drug can take off even a little bit of that pressure It can help players to have a more relaxed career.

Every NFL team goes through a season of 16 games over a 17 week period not including playoff time. During this period players are expected to focus on only football. Although the pay is good it is very exhausting to focus on one thing for over 2 months. Since players aren’t allowed to take off randomly during their season a quick fix like cannabis would be able to do the job of getting a break. The effects only last on average 2 to 3 hours compared to a trip or day off like most regular jobs can give for 2 to 3 weeks.

NFL players put their bodies on the line day and night for the entertainment of its viewers. Which is why we should take care of our beloved athletes as best we can. This is the next big thing for the NFL community.