NFL, Marijuana, NFLPA
 

Most of the nation spent Election Day focused on the presidential race. But the NFL Players Association was focused on something else: Weed.

On Tuesday, three states -- California, Massachusetts and Nevada -- approved recreational marijuana use, joining Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington state and Washington D.C.

Florida, North Dakota and Arkansas – three states that voted for Republican Donald Trump in the presidential election – approved medical marijuana use, traditionally a liberal issue.

The NFLPA reacted to the news almost immediately, telling The Washington Post it is studying the potential use of marijuana as a pain remedy. The union is forming a committee to analyze the details.

"Marijuana is still governed by our collective bargaining agreement," says George Atallah, the NFLPA’s assistant executive director of external affairs. "And while some states have moved in a more progressive direction, that fact still remains.

"We are actively looking at the issue of pain management of our players. And studying marijuana as a substance under that context is the direction we are focused on."


Before this election, only the Broncos and Seahawks were based in states with legal recreational marijuana us. The Redskins play in Maryland, not Washington D.C., where the NFLPA happens to be located). Now, the Patriots, Chargers, Rams, 49ers and Raiders can be added to that list, and the Raiders are still covered if they move to Las Vegas.

The NFL has suspended 38 players for violating the league's substance policies since last season's Super Bowl. This includes players who have used substances to improve athletic performance and "substances of abuse," including recreational drugs like marijuana.

In terms of the "substances of abuse" subsection, NFL players are not suspended until they commit multiple violations of the policy, and NFL teams are only made aware of positive tests if a player is suspended. According to Sports Illustrated, for every player suspended, five to ten NFL players anonymous enter and exit the league's "intervention program."

The NFLPA had been looking into marijuana as a pain reliever before Tuesday's voting. And although the NFLPA would love to give their players a cushion when it goes to marijuana use, any changes would need to be collectively bargained with the NFL.

But after retiring, many athletes have embraced the use of marijuana as a pain reliever. In a recentexclusive interview with ThePostGames, former MLB All-Star pitcher David Wells endorsed CBD.

For now, the NFL goes on unchanged. But as more states continue to gain voter approval on either form of marijuana use, the more leverage the players have on the league.

-- Follow Jeff Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband. Like Jeff Eisenband on Facebook.