NFL players get paranoid about weed testing after text from players association

Professional athletes? Smoking marijuana cigarettes? The horror!

Thankfully, the National Football League has begun to emerge from America’s enduring and ridiculous Reefer Madness-induced hysteria, and loosen its restrictions on marijuana use. Per the newly ratified CBA, when players are drug tested during the initial window of April 20 through August 9, they will not be tested for THC, the active ingredient in mari-ja-wanna.

But according to a new report from Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk, that particular message wasn’t conveyed to players properly. A text from the NFLPA to players reminded them that they’re required to undergo testing for substances of abuse whenever they return to their team’s facility, but failed to mention the exception for marijuana.

“Players who use marijuana became immediately concerned, given that one of the attractions of the new CBA came from the shrinking and the delay of the once-per-year marijuana testing window until the start of training camp until the first preseason game,” Florio wrote. “Based on the amount of time that it takes to metabolize THC, plenty of players were looking at a potential positive test.”

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  THC typically can stay in your system for up to 30 days. If you really want to get hardcore and test people's hair follicles, THC can live in there for months. But for NFL players, it's a matter of putting the weed away for at least a month until the start of training camp, when the league will begin testing for THC. The testing will only last for the first two weeks.
  
  And even if someone does slip up, a positive test no longer results in a suspension, according to the CBA. They've also increased the threshold for a positive test by about 428 percent (Should've made it 420 percent, just sayin'). But players can still be fined and entered into the league's drug treatment program, so it's still a good idea to avoid a positive THC test anyway.
  
  According to Florio, the NFLPA eventually sent a memo to agents to clarify. So now players should know that they can strap their gas masks back on. They just need to make sure they stop for a month before the start of camp, then once they test negative, they're free to light up for another year or so.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.