The NFL has been adjusting its policies regarding marijuana use, allowing players more leniency. The league adopted a more progressive approach, focusing on player well-being and moving away from strict penalties for cannabis use.
Over the years, the debate on whether to make marijuana legal has been changing in the US. Medically, marijuana is a good pain relief. However, the athletes trained their bodies to extreme levels that are sometimes very painful. So use of marijuana in sports becomes more demanding. On the other hand, the legality of marijuana (weed) in the United States varies at the state level.
Can NFL Players Smoke Weed?
The answer to the question is Yes and No.
According to online sources and NFL weed policy players can use marijuana during the off-season. If players use weed during the season and test positive then they are more likely to be fined rather than suspended.
Former Dallas Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett once said that about 89% of players use it. Chiefs’ Travis Kelce also said the same that 80 per cent of players use marijuana.
Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ricky William is one of the players who was an apologetic cannabis user in his NFL active career, for this he was suspended five times and missed two full seasons.
Rob Gronkowski also stated in one of his interviews that he used CBD to help reduce lingering pain in his active career.
Gronk said “CBD is the part of my recovery,” in 2019 when he endorsed CBD medic’s line of products. “Now, for the first time in more than a decade, I’m pain free.” He also gave credit to CBD for fast recovery and allowed him to play 2 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after leaving the Patriots.
NFL Marijuana Policy 2023
According to the latest NFL drug policies, “SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS are PROHIBITED“. Players are required to undergo just a single annual marijuana test at the start of training camp. but previously imposed suspensions for repeat violations, but previously NFL imposed suspensions for repeat violations.
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NFL Players Suspended for Smoking Weed
#1 Randy Gregory
Randy Gregory is currently a Linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers. Despite his successful NFL career, he is one of the most controversial players in the NFL. In 2017 and 2019, he was suspended for the entire season after his specimen came up positive for weed.
In his college time he played two sports: Football and Basketball. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 2015. He was a member of the team that won 2 times First-team All-Big Ten in 2013 and 2014. With 92 tackles and 17 sacks as a senior, he was on the list of top 15 players in the state of Indiana.
Randy Gregory got suspended for an entire season (twice!) for smoking weed… https://t.co/nOLoGKxZs4
— Elijah Herbel (@HerbelEssences) August 1, 2022
#2 Darren Waller
Darren Waller is currently a Tight End (injured reserve) for New York Giants in season 2023. Waller was exposed to drugs at an early age; he started to drink alcohol at the age of 16. Due to his drug addiction, in 2017, he was found positive in a drug test and violated the NFL substance abuse policy. Therefore, he was suspended for the entire season for smoking weed during the season.
He played college football for Georgia Tech from 2011 to 2014. Later in 2015, he was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens and made his NFL debut.
Ravens TE Darren Waller has been suspended for at least one year for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy: https://t.co/YdIYx83GXf pic.twitter.com/MBAKTm6gry
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) June 30, 2017
#3 Ricky Williams
Ricky Williams (Errick Miron) a former skillful NFL running back with more than 10,000 rushing yards in his NFL career. He was drafted in 1999 by the New Orleans Saints as a round 1, fifth pick. In his successful NFL career, he won many awards, including the College Football Hall of Fame, Pro Bowl, NFL Rushing Yard Leader, Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp Award, Maxwell Award, and AP College Football Player of the Year.
Despite his successful career, he was suspended many times for violating NFL substance abuse policy. He was suspended in May 2004 for smoking weed.
Back in 2004, Ricky Williams, the American football player, left the Miami Dolphins after a third strike for smoking weed and disappeared. He’d had a notable career besides, but this was the capper: He said goodbye to his coach from Hawaii and vanished off the face of the Earth.
— Chris Jones (@EnswellJones) January 29, 2021
#4 Josh Gordon
Josh Gordon, also known as “Flash”, is a wide receiver for Seattle Sea Dragons (a team of XFL). He made his NFL debut in 2012, drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Supplemental Draft 2012.
Gordon was suspended multiple times for smoking weed in his NFL career. He was suspended for a total of 78 games for smoking weed in the years 20213, 2014, 2015, and 2016. Gordon has a successful NFL career with one Super Bowl Championship, First-team all pro in 2013, Pro Bowl, and NFL receiving yard leader awards.
Let me get this right @NFL:
— Jamey Baskow (@JameyBaskow) August 1, 2022
Josh Gordon was suspended for 78 games for smoking weed
Calvin Ridley was suspended for 1 season, maybe more, for making a bet that his team would win.
Deshaun Watson had at least 24 sex allegations, and was only suspended 6 games
Wow, stupidity
#5 Martavis Bryant
Martavis Bryant is currently a wide receiver (Offseason and/or practice squad member only) for the Dallas Cowboys. He made his NFL debut in 2014, selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He was suspended for four games for smoking weed in August 2015 after failing multiple marijuana tests.
In March 2016, Bryant was suspended for the entire season for violating NFL substance abuse policy.
#Steelers WR Martavis Bryant’s looming 4-game suspension is for multiple failed marijuana tests, source said. Appeal is in the latter stages
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 27, 2015
Bryant’s NFL career stats are receptions 145, receiving yards 2183, rushing yards 94, return yards 151, and touchdowns 18.
