Should The League Penalize Marijuana Usage?

[Hunter Morrow]

With 23 states and the District of Columbia having Medical Marijuana laws and 2 states having explicitly legalized "recreational" marijuana use (Colorado and Washington state), does it even make sense to suspend people for marijuana use? As of right now, somebody could do something legal in two states with NFL franchises, the Broncos and the Redskins, then get randomly drug tested weeks or even months later (it is fat soluble and have you seen some of these linemen?)
and get penalized with a drug suspension as long as a full season.

Right now somebody is about to suspended for a full season for marijuana use. Meanwhile, Chris Cook strangled a woman and was suspended by the Vikings, not the league, and is presently still in the NFL. Doesn't violent crime seem much more serious than something like using marijuana? Especially considering it is legal to one form of the other in half the states and say, beating someone, isn't?

Another instance...

Drunk Driving. Jared Allen was tried and convicted for 3 DUIs in 4 years, 2 in 1 year while he was in the league, and he was only suspended for 2 games!
Is drunk driving, which is rightfully illegal everywhere, worth 1 game an offense, and marijuana usage, which is to some extent legal in about half the country, worth a 4 game or a season long suspension?

[Cliff]

I don't think it should be, unless you're testing players to see if they've been drinking and suspending them for that as well. There's little debate over which drug is more harmful between the two (both to the user and the people around them), it's not a performance enhancer and like you said, it's legal in many cases (between prescriptions and new laws for recreational use).

Businesses have the right to put whatever regulations they want in regards to drug testing though even in that case the NFL has weird standards. Especially when you consider the penalty for marijuana usage compared to other more obviously serious crimes (such as the ones you described).

[Eli]

Can you imagine how easy it would be for an NFL player to get a medical marijuana card?

"Doc, in the past six years I've cracked two vertebrae in my neck, ruptured my Achilles tendon, tore a pectoral muscle and I've blown out both MCLs and an ACL."

"Here, son. You can have two cards...."

[Cliff]

Can you imagine how easy it would be for an NFL player to get a medical marijuana card?

"Doc, in the past six years I've cracked two vertebrae in my neck, ruptured my Achilles tendon, tore a pectoral muscle and I've blown out both MCLs and an ACL."

"Here, son. You can have two cards...."

That's why players get hooked on the 'legal' pain meds that doctors prescribe. It's super easy for them to get those and they're much stronger and habit-forming than Marijuana.

[Hunter Morrow]

That's why players get hooked on the 'legal' pain meds that doctors prescribe.
It's super easy for them to get those and they're much stronger and habit-forming than Marijuana.

That is an excellent point and we know at least one player in Vikings history who obviously would have benefited from medical marijuana
and even self medicated with it, Percy Harvin. Having pre-existing migraine problems and then working as a wide receiver in the NFL? Hell, give him 3 cards!

[Cliff]

I should also say they're much more effective at dealing with pain too though. It's not a wonder that people who are in pretty constant pain from putting their bodies through what an NFL player does get hooked on pills that numb pain.