Former NFL player Chris Long has been making the media rounds to discuss his career as a professional athlete and one stop included an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show. During the interview, the recently retired defensive end announced that he was a regular marijuana user throughout his career.
Long revealed he would use marijuana almost daily to deal with the stresses of playing in the league and the toll the day-to-day activities take on your body.
“I certainly enjoyed my fair share on a regular basis through my career,” Long revealed. “I was never afraid to say that, but I’m able to say it more explicitly now. Listen, if not for that, I’m not as capable of coping with the stresses of day-to-day the NFL life.”
Long’s comments come at a time when the NFL and NFL Players Association announced they will be forming two committees to study the longterm effects of marijuana when it comes to pain management. The report came from the Washington Post.
One of the reasons Long turned to marijuana was as a way to avoid falling into the trap of abusing various pills.
“In that month or two that you stop, you’re going to reach for the sleeping pills, you’re going to reach for the pain-killers and you’re going to reach for the bottle a little bit more On the weekend, you’re going to have a few more drinks, and a few turns into a few too many. It’s just not the same,” Long added. “If you’re serious about players not using, you’d be testing more often. I hope they go the opposite direction and just kind of realize how arbitrary that one test is.”
As the NFL forms its two committees, let’s hope that they can evolve like the rest of the general population to accept that marijuana has incredible medical benefits — especially for athletes who are putting their bodies and longterm health on the line each and every week.
You can watch the full interview below.