Eugene Monroe calls for lift of marijuana ban in article about painkller use

Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Eugene Monroe expanded on his advocacy of medical marijuana use in a Players' Tribune article Monday, discussing the dangers of doctor prescribed opioid painkillers.

Monroe discusses the necessity of pain relief for NFL players, painting a well known picture of injections on game days and prescription drug treatments for almost any ailment.

Instead of an injection, some players opt for an oral form of Toradol. The effects are the same, though, and can last through the next day. Some guys don’t feel any pain for two days. Of course, that’s the point of these drugs — they block out the pain and reduce inflammation. But they also temporarily mask injury. That’s not a good thing if you get hurt during a game — you might need to address your injuries right away. But you feel nothing, so you do nothing.

Monroe goes on to link later health problems and the cycle of addiction that afflicts many former athletes to the need for pain relief, and the willingness of team doctors to overprescribe opioids for fast relief.

The piece also calls on the NFL and NFLPA to lift the ban on marijuana use, as Monroe advocates for the drug's use in pain relief, as he has in the past. He calls for the league to:

"Remove marijuana from the banned substances list, fund medical marijuana research, especially as it relates to CTE, stop overprescribing addictive and harmful opioids."