Retired DE Chris Long says he used marijuana during his career, thinks NFL should allow its use

Long says he used marijuana to deal with day-to-day stress as opposed to pain

Shortly after announcing the official end of his NFL career, former Rams, Patriots, and Eagles defensive end Chris Long advocated for the league to allow the use of marijuana as pain medication and/or to treat stress.

During an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Long admitted that he used marijuana during his career, but refused to put a number on the amount of players in the league he feels have done the same.

"I'm not a dry snitch, I'm not going to put a percentage on how much the league smokes, but I certainly enjoyed my fair share on a regular basis throughout my career," he said. "So, you know, and I was never afraid to say that and I'm able to say it more explicitly now: if not for that, I'm not as capable of coping with the stressors of day-to-day NFL life. A lot of guys get a lot of pain management out of it. Toradol did more pain management for me."

Long stated that it's his belief the league should allow the use of marijuana, which he says is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco.

"We should be headed to a place where we allow players to enjoy what I would not even call a drug -- it's far less dangerous than guzzling a fifth of alcohol and going out after a game," Long said. "Chances are the player won't even make it to the club [laughs] to do this sort of thing that we all kind of wag our finger at when we hear about a guy getting in a fight or getting a DUI, you're never going to read about him sitting on the couch and binge-watching 'Game of Thrones' again. I think from a standpoint of what's safer for people and the player, certainly people in the spotlight, it is far less harmful than alcohol, it is far less harmful than tobacco, and at various points in the league's history, they have engaged in partnerships on different levels with those respective industries."

Long, a former No. 2 overall pick back in 2008, recorded 70 sacks and won two Super Bowls during his 11-year career. He was named the 2018 Walter Payton Man of the Year after donating his entire salary for the 2017 season to a different charity every week.