Cue the groans, get ready for the cheers: Josh Gordon has been reinstated and will be allowed to play in the upcoming season after countless suspensions and problems with the NFL involving the use of marijuana. This once again brings one of the hottest social issues in this country to the sport this country loves so much, and it’s a problem that is not going away anytime soon.
Simply put, the use of marijuana by NFL players is illegal. But seeing as its illegality has done little to dissuade many of the NFL’s stars from using it, and that many states in which teams reside have begun to legalize it, many have called for the NFL to revise its substance abuse policy. “Weed is weed,” many will say. “The health benefits are undeniable,” others will pitch in. But unwavering in the social winds, the NFL righteously sits.
NFL players are paid millions of dollars a year to play the sport they love. They are given an opportunity few will ever have — an opportunity that they were given based off athletic gifts they were born with. They put in hard work to get there. For 16 weeks, often more, these athletes get to lace up shoes that they are paid to wear, to perform in front of thousands of fans who adoringly show up in coldest times of the year to cheer on the athletes they love and often idolize. And yet, with all of this being said, these athletes who appear to have it all seem all too willing to throw it away.
Players such as Martavis Bryant are willing to risk a year in the primes of their careers to be high for just a few hours. Seemingly, their lives aren't good enough. The money, the fame, the dream finally coming true — it all seems insignificant compared to the temporary relief that marijuana has to offer them. They are willing to let down their teammates, their fans, their coaches and their family for a few puffs on a joint.
It’s not the duty of the NFL to relax its rules, especially with regard to marijuana. As of now, it is still illegal under federal law to consume marijuana. And until the day that changes, the NFL has no reason to even consider revising their rule book in regard to it. Just because more and more players seem to be caught using, many of them high-profile names, does not mean that the NFL should make the punishment lighter. It is the responsibility of these players to abide by the law of the league and country they play in, to accept the punishment that they receive and to own up to their mistakes.
Hopefully Josh Gordon has learned from his mistakes, and hopefully other players have too, because no high is worth throwing away the opportunity they have been so lucky to receive. Weed is weed, and for NFL players, they will rightfully be punished for using it.