NFL pro Eugene Monroe turned heads last month when he announced an $80,000 contribution toward the funding of medical marijuana research. The Baltimore Ravens’ offensive tackle has argued since making public his support for cannabis that the plant is a safe and effective alternative to more traditional pain management methods, such as prescription painkillers and opiates.
Now, it appears that some of the NFL’s top doctors have received Monroe’s message, and recently requested an educational conference call with the researchers funded by Monroe’s contribution to discuss the potential advantages of cannabis treatment, according to a Washington Post report.
Jeff Miller, the NFL’s senior vice president for player health and safety, and neurological surgeon Russell Lonser, a member of the league’s head, neck and spine committee, joined the marijuana researchers for a conference call last Thursday to learn more about the upcoming study.
While Miller and Lonser did not endorse Monroe’s stance, their willingness to have a conversation about marijuana’s potential benefits is a good sign for the NFL.
“They are interested in learning more about the potential for cannabinoids to help current and former players, as is evidenced by them taking the call, and also expressed a desire to learn more,” said Marcel Bonn-Miller, assistant professor for the University of Pennsylvania school of medicine. “They are definitely showing genuine curiosity, and they are definitely not throwing up roadblocks.”