NFL and NFLPA Open to Relaxing Medical Marijuana Policy

As parts of the nation begin to move away from the status quo of opposition to the concept of marijuana, the question remains on what the country's sports leagues should also do policy-wise as more states begin to decriminalize or even legalize the long-condemned substance.

The National Football League has always officially been an anti-marijuana institution, but could that be changing? Maybe, due to some "joint" action between the league and the NFL Players Association.

The current collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and its players was agreed upon by both parties in 2011, just in time to begin the season that year on time. The contract is set to expire after the 2020 season, and the terms of the next one have already been a point of discussion.

Obviously, NFL owners may ask for something in return if players are allowed to use marijuana for medical reasons. One idea surrounds the trade-off relating to voluntary offseason workouts. Players already feel obligated to attend them, and potentially reclassifying them as mandatory could be a possible return for loosened marijuana rules.

The permission to consume cannabis may be what both labor and management can mutually agree upon to avoid negotiations from going south. The 2011 lockout was the longest work stoppage in league history, and signs such as the NFL Network's budget cut have led to speculation that the next lockout could be even longer and more polarizing.