Nfl To Seantrel Henderson: We Don't Care About Your Crohn's Disease

[zachw]

 

In a way, the NFL's stance on marijuana is admirable. The league holds it in the face of science, rationality, evolving societal norms and the laws of states home to two of its teams.

 

Forget all that, the league says. If you get caught smoking weed, you will be suspended — even if you're doing it to combat a debilitating intestinal disorder. Just have our doctors prescribe you opiates instead.

 

That's what Bills tackle Seantrel Henderson found out this week. He's been suspended four games for a positive test, and he's not going to appeal, agent Brian Fettner told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

 

“Merciful or not, there is no medical exception that the NFL will accept. It doesn’t matter that Seantrel is battling Crohn’s disease, and has had his intestines outside his body. It doesn’t matter how you take it, if you digest the cannabis, that’s it," Fettner said.

 

"And they don’t care. So you can appeal and lose, and push it back, or you can get it over with. Per the negotiated letter of law, it seems like a futile appeal. We don’t want to waste anyone’s time. We want Seantrel back as soon as possible.”

 

It's stupid and merciless, and the NFL, as always, comes across as a hybrid of stentorian hall monitor and shameless hypocrite. There's a dwindling amount of high ground for the league to stake out here. That's nothing new, and if it ever changes, it'll have to be collectively bargained. That won't happen until weed is legal nationwide.

 

If nothing else, though, on the next go-round, the league and the NFLPA have got to figure out how to handle medical exceptions. It's too late for Henderson, but it shouldn't be. Good luck to Eugene Monroe and Co.

 

Full article here.

Edited September 10, 2016 by zachw

[Kingdiamond]

The main drive behind this is the insurance companies and the beer company endorsements .

[+washtenaut]

Weediquette on the Viceland channel has an episode on the NFL and brain trauma.  Here is a short clip.  The show is worth the watch if you are a football fan.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aergmYHWR-k

 

The episode is playing on TV on Sun 9/11 @9:30pm eastern on the Viceland channel or if you go to viceland.com you may be able to get access.  Choose 'Shows' and then 'Weediquette' then 'Gridiron Ganja'

 

You have to tell them your TV provider and the login and password you use to sign in to that provider.

[pergamum362]

I love that channel.

[+washtenaut]

http://buffalonews.com/2016/10/27/seantrel-henderson-opens-battle-crohns-disease-drug-suspension/

[trichcycler]

 Will you NFL medical cannabis users boycott the games and let the NFL know about it?

 

I promise not to watch one single game or give two chits about any NFL game points this year and next, to do my part, set an example maybe.

[+washtenaut]

He got 4 game suspension earlier this season.  Second violation carries 10 game suspension.

 

http://buffalonews.com/2016/11/29/seantrel-henderson-suspended-10-games-nfl/

 

The team claims to be sympathetic but they are also planning to move forward without this player. 

[Restorium2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hocrv7DF8U

[williams2311]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hocrv7DF8U

That dude is a bum with no valuable points.

[+washtenaut]

They didn't really consider medical.  I think the discussion becomes much different if they had.

 

I have read of people saying that the NFL players association just has to bargain for cannabis use during the next collective bargaining opportunity.  Until then, the players take their suspension lumps.  End of story.  I don't like that in the case of this player and his Crohn's disease issues but I guess it is fair.   Certainly not compassionate but given the cannabis precedent setting possibility, understandable.

 

I think the medical possibilities of cannabis use adds a little nuance to the overall story.  What if, like the concussion data, it later comes to light that the NFL management side knew that cannabis could help reduce long term brain damage from head trauma but played dumb?  I think that could be possible and I think the players association would reap billions if that were ever proved.

[+washtenaut]

 Will you NFL medical cannabis users boycott the games and let the NFL know about it?

 

I promise not to watch one single game or give two chits about any NFL game points this year and next, to do my part, set an example maybe.

 

No, no I won't boycott the games.  I do promise not to drink Budweiser though.

 

Years ago in the 80's the NFL threatened to start scrambling it's satellite TV signal.  Millions of satellite dish owners got sort of screwed over as the NFL gave them no option to watch games and many had bought the equipment just for that purpose.  People protested and wrote letters to the league for months but they did not budge.  The scrambling plan was still in place for the upcoming season.

 

Someone then organized a boycott of Budweiser, a main TV sponsor.  In 2 weeks the games were unscrambled again.

 

Do I think this will help?  No, not really but I hate Bud

[Restorium2]

They didn't really consider medical.  I think the discussion becomes much different if they had.

 

I have read of people saying that the NFL players association just has to bargain for cannabis use during the next collective bargaining opportunity.  Until then, the players take their suspension lumps.  End of story.  I don't like that in the case of this player and his Crohn's disease issues but I guess it is fair.   Certainly not compassionate but given the cannabis precedent setting possibility, understandable.

 

I think the medical possibilities of cannabis use adds a little nuance to the overall story.  What if, like the concussion data, it later comes to light that the NFL management side knew that cannabis could help reduce long term brain damage from head trauma but played dumb?  I think that could be possible and I think the players association would reap billions if that were ever proved.

Already proven. They would have to be living under a rock not to know. It was on all the networks today. Of course it's only proven in rats.