fridayfrenzy
Footballguy
And yet the NFL paid out a billion dollars in a settlement that a full contact sport causes concussions. Maybe should have helped them on that one.massraider said:
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Why does the NFL even test for Weed? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter steelers1080
- Start date
ghostguy123
Footballguy
fridayfrenzy
Footballguy
Testing for PEDs, marijuana, substance abuse issues and the new policies on player safety are about image and limiting liabilities in the future. If you don't agree, then so be it. A lawsuit that sounds idiotic at first glance is never what it seems so to assume a case of retired players suing the NFL being easy to defend is absolutely ridiculous.
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ghostguy123
Footballguy
Has someone ever sued their former employer for getting addicted to a drug that the employers did not test for?
Now factor in that weed is technically a non addictive substance.
Now factor in that weed is legal in some states and is likely to be legal in most if not all states within the somewhat near future.
Now factor in that the NFL would not have ALLOWED anything. Not testing for it is not the same as allowing it.
Baeddel Moon
Footballguy
Even if they consider marijuana to be harmless enough, testing for the other controlled substances can be a nightmare. Marijuana will be in a person's system longer than cocaine, PEDs, opiates, amphetamines, or hallucinogens, for a urine screen. It's probably a tool to get players into the system where they can be tested more regularly. A messed up, inefficient, unfair way to do so, but seemingly effective.
fridayfrenzy
Footballguy
You're missing the point. Why does the NFL care about anything the players put in their bodies if it isn't for the future effects they will have?
A regular employer tests for drugs to ensure their abilities aren't affected negatively.
PEDs and marijuana are the opposite to this line of thinking. PEDs enhance performance and marijuana is a good tool for managing pain.
The benefits of testing and having a chance of limiting a liability in the future outweighs losing a few dozen players every year to suspensions.
The NFL has to have the appearance they care.
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JoeSteeler
Footballguy
The better question is why do players keep smoking it when they know they will be tested?
renesauz
IBL Representative
All day this. The NFL lets them know when they're going to test. TO fail a test for pot and give up hundreds of thousands or even MILLIONS of dollars over it is beyond stupid on the players part. Debate the policy all you want, but the overwhelming bulk of the blame falls on the fool who can't stop smoking weed.
renesauz
IBL Representative
I hear this all of the time, and I know what the studies say.
I also know that my dumb-$#% kids can't stay off of it long enough to pass a test. (20, 19, 19 y.o) All three claim they can't stop. It's embarrassing and more than a little bit frustrating.
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ghostguy123
Footballguy
Meanwhile no other league does (regarding weed). Also, when you say a "regular employer" tests for drugs, that is mostly false based on everyone I have ever talked to who has a "normal" job. I am a nurse and have not been tested in 12 years, and only a couple people I work with have been tested with the "random" test, and even that was only once in the past decade.
Anyone else I talk to says they company does do random drug testing, but it is so rare that it is almost non existent. most places seem to test you if you are involved in some sort of incident.
And the original point was some player suing down the road for the league ALLOWING them to get addicted to weed. Hence, the other poster's reply to that. That is what started this conversation. I get the point just fine.
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ghostguy123
Footballguy
The league is full of idiot uneducated meatheads who destroy their bodies and futures to play a few years of this sport with MOSTLY small compensation considering most of the players don't earn millions upon millions upon millions. I imagine a good chunk of these players have grown uip with crappy upbringings and were passed along in school cause they were BALLERS, and are now basically idiot adults with minds of children with no self control.
It doesn't make it right, and they do have to follow the rules, but it is not the least bit surprising that a league full of monsters is full of players with poor discipline.
ghostguy123
Footballguy
That does not mean it is addictive. There are countless things these same people would not be able to give up if they needed to in order to pass a test. Irresponsible does not mean addicted. It also does not matter what they "claim". People are manipulative.
Now of course, anything CAN be addictive to the right person. Sex, tanning, social media, shopping, plastic surgery.............and the list goes on and on of things that are NOT addictive but can be to the right person. Weed falls on that list but is more common than those, and is generally involving some other sort of mental illness, mostly depression, bipolar, or schizophrenia.
Ruffrodys05
IBL Representative
Exactly. I can stop smoking weed anytime I want, and have on plenty of occasions, but for the most part I do not want to unless I have to. Plenty of rea$on$ I'd have to $top, and would $top if that rea$on required it.
jvdesigns2002
Footballguy
Reading through this thread--I find it strange that the majority of people that have posted are on the players side here. To be clear--I am very much for the legalization of marijuana. I have never tried it myself--but I know enough about it to know that there are substances that are far worse for humans that are legal. With that being said--the banned substances list is something that was collectively bargained upon. Essentially--the title of this thread could be changed to "why does the NFL even test for a substance that the players contractually agreed not to use". Until weed is collectively re-negotiated to come off of the banned substance list--this issue is completely on the players and not on the NFL in my opinion.
JoeSteeler
Footballguy
ghostguy123
Footballguy
Then you are misinterpreting what people are saying. I don't see anyone here saying a guy like Gordon should be playing right now or that he should never have been suspended.
People are saying the rules are simply too damn strict for Weed. Period.
Players are stupid, rules are stupid. Both can be true.
ghostguy123
Footballguy
Ilov80s
Footballguy
The interesting part is that science has started to show marijuana has a significantly positive effect on people that suffer concussions and brain injuries. This is obviously the biggest issue the NFL has. The NFL should probably make the use of marijuana mandatory.
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Ilov80s
Footballguy
Not much, but I imagine having guys like Josh Gordon on the field draws more people to the Browns games and makes it them more money.
ghostguy123
Footballguy
It just hasn't happened YET. It will. Maybe not as a MANDATORY thing, but yeah, at some point people will wake the F up on marijuana.
It boggles my mind just how uneducated people are about marijuana. They will type endless pages about how it is illegal and blah blah blah and have gone years doing that over and over, yet won't take a few hours out of their life to read up on some legitimate research about the positive effects of marijuana.
Hell some people (yes this is true) actually still think that marijuana is harmful because of the smoke, and do not even realize the other NON HARMFUL methods of marijuana use. It's just simply amazing to me when people tell me weed is bad and don't even know that it can be vaped or ingested in a harmless way. They look at me like I am lying when I tell them.
And, in case I need to mention it again, I do NOT use marijuana, and have not for like 15 years. Even then I only used like like 4 times. I am also a registered nurse and have talked to several rather brilliant physicians about this, all of which would LOVE the ability to prescribe marijuana in Ohio but can't yet. They share my sentiments about how people in control need to wake the F up. Thousands upon thousand of legitimately SICK people would be able to improve their quality of life a tremendous about if marijuana was legal.
Insein
Footballguy
I wonder how the legality would be if Obama made one of his out the door decrees to legalize weed.
jvdesigns2002
Footballguy
I think you are very much over-simplifying things. The rules that you say are too "strict" for weed are rules that were actively negotiated and agreed upon by the very people that are complaining about them being too harsh---the players themselves. The players are not innocent victims of some unfair rule enforcement by the NFL that came out of nowhere. The players played an active part in creating and agreeing to these rules--which makes them fully accountable. If you create and agree to a rule that you yourself cannot oblige by--it's not the rule that is stupid--it's you that is stupid.
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renesauz
IBL Representative
Let's not pretend it has zero negative effects though. Marijuana smoke does contain carcinogens. And prolonged heavy useage does seem to have a negative effect on cognitive abilities. More than one study has shown that in teens it affects brain development in a negative way.
To be fair, the negative effects seem to connected to heavy (daily) use, making pot no worse than alcohol (and probably better/safer).
renesauz
IBL Representative
This isn't a fair summary though.
Gordon failed numerous tests, even when he knew he was going to be tested. He failed a test for pot WHILE ALREADY SUSPENDED FOR POT.
The "savage wife beaters" were kept off of the field as long as the NFL was able to. Had the "savage wife beater" beaten his wife again before his suspension was lifted, do you really think that suspension would have been lifted???????
Otis
Footballguy
If you can't see the massive difference between a violent crime against another human being -- a small defenseless woman, no less -- and relaxing and smoking a joint and hurting absolutely nobody, then I can't help you.
renesauz
IBL Representative
Again with a misleading and unfair interpretation. NOBODY is equating them.
What I'm saying is that to be caught doing exactly what you were suspended for, WHILE STILL SUSPENDED for it, is beyond stupid. Trying to compare the two is silly. Do you really think if the wife beater got caught beating his wife again while suspended, HIS suspension would be lifted?
You've made a silly apples to oranges comparison that does nothing to explain the incredible lack of maturity and the enormous level of stupidity it takes to keep smoking pot when it's already cost you millions. And one can agree the NFL's policy on pot is silly and STILL believe guys like Gordon are A#1 class A morons who don't deserve our pity or sympathy.
renesauz
IBL Representative
More...the wife beaters get suspended the first time..the pot smokers don't. And it isn't until getting caught multiple times that an "indefinate" suspension is even considered. EDven then...a clean piss test or two and he'd already be re-instated.
It isn't a reasonable comparison whatsoever
It isn't a reasonable comparison whatsoever
ghostguy123
Footballguy
What the F are you talking about? I dont play in the NFL. I didnt collectively bargain anything.
ghostguy123
Footballguy
I have said multiple times in several threads that marijuana is much more harmful to people under the age of 21.
And also i dont know why you said anything about the carcinogens. Marijuana does not need to be "smoked".
ghostguy123
Footballguy
You're right but the argument is WHY the NFL would suspend someone for pot in the first place. If you can differentiate the severity between smoking a joint and beating a woman, then the argument at least has some credence.
massraider
Footballguy
The WHY is already known.
It's an old rule, and if the league was starting out, clean slate, they might not test for it. It's a matter of changing the rule. That doesn't happen right away, and I'm not even sure the NFLPA is pushing that hard.
It's an old rule, and if the league was starting out, clean slate, they might not test for it. It's a matter of changing the rule. That doesn't happen right away, and I'm not even sure the NFLPA is pushing that hard.
ghostguy123
Footballguy
One could also argue that the NFL's players would get into less fights and aggressive situations in their free time because rather than boozing up they can relax and vape a doobie.smoke monster said:
Amazingly, "allowing" weed very well makes the NFL look better cause their players just might get drunk and stupid less often.
ghostguy123
Footballguy
No, they wanna look good in the eye of the public. They just have no idea how.
At this point it seems they are super popular because football sells itself, not to mention the tremendous impact that fantasy football has on viewership. NFL is king.
Yet almost everyone I talk to thinks their leader is a total power hungry doofus and their processes are insanely idiotic and inconsistent, and that the league is turning into a soap opera.
At this point it seems they are super popular because football sells itself, not to mention the tremendous impact that fantasy football has on viewership. NFL is king.
Yet almost everyone I talk to thinks their leader is a total power hungry doofus and their processes are insanely idiotic and inconsistent, and that the league is turning into a soap opera.
jvdesigns2002
Footballguy
I didn't mean "you" specifically---I meant "you" as in "anyone" or "one". The point that I was trying to make is that if a person is involved in agreeing to the creation of a rule that they know that they cannot follow---it's not the rule or the enforcement of the the rule that is stupid--it's the person that is. I'm sorry if you took my comment to be directed at you personally.ghostguy123 said:
ghostguy123
Footballguy
The players themselves should also be allowed to think the rule is stupid. The very large vast majority of them did not collectively bargain anything either.
As I said countless times. The players are stupid, and the rule is stupid. Both can be stupid.
ghostguy123
Footballguy
CapnJB
Footballguy
Can you tell me your top 5 jobs that pay over $100k that would be cool with staff smoking weed.
ghostguy123
Footballguy
NBA player
NHL player
Pro Golfer
MLB player
CEO of a weed business
I didnt understand the relevance of your question pertaining to what I have said, but I figured I would answer anyway.
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ghostguy123
Footballguy
I did forget to mention the million other jobs where employees are allowed to use medical marijuana if appropriately prescribed. So there's that.
ghostguy123
Footballguy
renesauz
IBL Representative
That's neither the question, nor the point. ONE wife beating gets a suspension, possibly indefinite. It takes multiple positive tests to get an "indefinate" ban for pot. ONe drunk moment of stupidity can result in the first. It take multiple moments of immaturity and stupidity to repeatedly pop for the second.ghostguy123 said:
NOBODY is trying to say that pot is worse, even multiple occasions of it, but it could easily be argued that the guy popping over and over again for pot is far more likely to have maturity and reliability issues. Continuing to argue that a guy popping for the tenth time while already suspended for pot DOESN'T deserve to continue to remain suspended is just dumb, and the comparison to wife-beaters is a straw-man.
ghostguy123
Footballguy
Ummmmmmmm, who said Gordon doesn't deserve to be suspended. He broke the rules.
It is just a dumb rule. Not even so much a dumb rule but a terribly OVER enforced rule.
Also, it is not strawman at all. The NFL punishes someone who was caught using marjuana a few times more than they punished Ray Rice who knocked his wife out cold, in essence saying it is worse to keep getting caught using weed that to KO your wife.
How many times can it be said before it sinks in. Dumb rule. Dumb player. Both are true.
It is just a dumb rule. Not even so much a dumb rule but a terribly OVER enforced rule.
Also, it is not strawman at all. The NFL punishes someone who was caught using marjuana a few times more than they punished Ray Rice who knocked his wife out cold, in essence saying it is worse to keep getting caught using weed that to KO your wife.
How many times can it be said before it sinks in. Dumb rule. Dumb player. Both are true.
