NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills said that it is "'really important' for the league" and the NFLPA to "determine whether marijuana can be used as an effective safe pain-management tool for players," according to Mark Maske of the WASHINGTON POST. Sills, a Vanderbilt Univ. neurosurgeon hired by the league in March, said, "We have a lot more to learn about that. Certainly the research about marijuana and really more particularly cannabinoid compounds as they may relate to the treatment of both acute and chronic pain, that is an area of research that we need a lot more information on and we need to further develop." He added, "We want to talk about health and safety issues that affect the whole player experience. And certainly pain management is a big part of that." Sills said that it is "'very clear that there are long-term health risks associated with repetitive head injuries' and acknowledged the significance" of the recent study on CTE. Sills: "They've obviously been a leader in this space and helping to define and describe the pathology of CTE. And I think it's another important piece of this puzzle." Sills said that the NFL "updated its concussion protocols for the upcoming season based on the latest accepted worldwide medical standards and practices." Beginning with Thursday night's Cowboys-Cardinals HOF Game in Canton, all sideline concussion evaluations of players going forward will be "conducted in medical tents, which are being utilized by the NFL for the first time" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 8/3).
QUID PRO QUO: ESPN’s Dan Le Batard said the NFL “has to cave” on marijuana, and is "going to ask the players’ association eventually for something in return.” But ESPN’s Mina Kimes said, “Nothing is inevitable with the NFL. I think athletes who put their bodies on the field that way should be allowed to manage their pain with marijuana. ... But if the league goes into negotiations with the union and offers marijuana legalization as a carrot for more money, the union should walk right out, because those penalties are not that bad and the players deserve to get paid" (“Highly Questionable,” ESPN, 8/2).
