marijuana

NFL

Legal Use of Marijuana for NFL Players Could be Coming

Author: Danny Abriano, Current Events/Politics

The NFL, which has seen young players suddenly retire recently out of fear for their long-term health, while retired players are diagnosed with CTE, is apparently willing to discuss the potential of players using marijuana for pain management.

“The NFL has written to the NFL Players Association offering to work in tandem to study the potential use of marijuana as a pain management tool for players, according to people familiar with the situation,” Mark Maske of The Washington Post wrote last week.

According to the Post, the NFL Players Association is also interested in the league adjusting its rules that currently prohibit the recreational use of marijuana.

CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy) is the main issue the NFL needs to address, with so many former players being diagnosed with it. But the potential of the league allowing the players to use marijuana to help with pain is a nice step for the league nonetheless.

Football is a brutal sport, and while there are only 16 games on the schedule, the players beat the hell out of one another during those games.

Allowing the players to use marijuana to cope with the pain — while others, I’m sure, will love to simply be able to use it recreationally — would be wise.

While marijuana has been decriminalized in states such as Colorado, California, and Illinois, players for the Broncos, Raiders, and Bears would be subject to suspension if they tested positive for marijuana. That’s absurd.

It’s also absurd that marijuana is still something that’s causing people to go to jail, while money is wasted on law enforcement agencies targeting those who use. But back to the NFL.

Commissioner Roger Goodell has been getting it from all angles lately with his laissez faire approach to the CTE issue, and it would behoove him to not stand in the way of one small nugget (pun intended) being given to the players who put their health on the line for the sport.

Will Nevada’s Question 2 Bring Out The Millennial Vote?

Author: Mary Grace Donaldson, Current Events/Politics

This week, we came across a very interesting news story that lends itself to our extensive election coverage. The story was titled “Will the Nevada marijuana vote bring out millennials?”

To quote weedworthy.com (yes, that’s the title of this website), “they are young, many of them have never voted before, and they may hold the outcome of the 2016 election in their hands – will millennials be drawn to the polls by marijuana legalization?”

Just to make it clear, we aren’t talking here about already legalized medical marijuana. We’re talking about recreational use.

According to a 2015 Pew Research Center poll, 68% of millennials are in favor of the legalization of marijuana. So, the notion that they will come out to vote in its favor in Nevada is not unfounded.

The news story we found originated at NBC Nightly News’ “Red, White and You” series, in which reporters interview millennials who are heading to voter registration sites. Why are they heading to voter registration sites? To ensure they can vote for Question 2 – or the proposed amendment that will make recreational marijuana legal in Nevada.

However, at least two of the millennials interviewed indicated that they either a) don’t know the party that Donald Trump is running under or b) will vote “for weed,” but won’t vote for President.

On one hand, it is great to see that millennials, regardless of the reason, are coming to vote. It shows that we are informed, we are reading up on the issues and – contrary to popular belief – we are not lazy. We care. We want our voices to be heard.

The other side is the following: I can’t help but shake my head at the fact that one of the millennials showing up to vote didn’t know which party was Trump’s party. It’s important to know all of the issues in your state, whether they’re related to weed or to background checks for gun purchases (which is the premise of Nevada’s Question 1).

Moral of the story (for both millennials and non-millennials alike): before you head to the polls on November 8, make certain you know whom and what you’re voting for.

 

Disclaimer: The political views presented in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Not Another Millennial Blog.