Can NFL players use weed to treat their work-related injuries?
NO. THE NFL prohibits its players from using marijuana. This is the rule regardless of whether pot is used recreationally or medically. As with many workers in America, weed use is forbidden for NFL players, even if it’s legal in their state.
NFL players are tested for marijuana, opiates, amphetamines, and other illegal drugs once a year. If a player tests positive, the league places him in an intervention program where the player is tested more frequently and could face penalties like suspension. This confines players to other pain-killing options. According to some cursory research, the painkiller du jour for NFL players is Toradol shots. If that sounds like something someone would give to a horse via syringe, it is.
Pro football takes quite the toll on a person’s body; the guys who play are uncommonly big and fast, and forever in each other’s way. A good number of them need pain relief after every game, and using prescription painkillers can lead to abuse and addiction.