Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Says NFL Could Change Its Marijuana Policy Soon

By The Fresh Toast's Brendan Bures, provided exclusively to Benzinga Cannabis.

Jerry Jones said he expects an ‘adjustment’ around the league’s marijuana prohibition following the leagues’ recent CBA negotiations.

When Major League Baseball removed marijuana from its banned substances list at its major and minor levels this month, some wondered whether football or basketball would follow suit. We might not have to wait much longer, if Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has a say.

In a recent interview with Dallas sports radio station 105.3 “The Fan,” Jones indicated the National Football League would changes its marijuana policy when negotiating the league’s next Collective Bargaining Agreement.

“I think the world is sensitive to the issue regarding marijuana,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan. “It’s also an issue contemporarily we’re excited about being in step with the social and legal scene as it goes forward.

“And, so, we not only have the interest of competitiveness in mind when it comes to any type of substance, we have the issue of the law and we have the issue of the society focus on it. All of that does receive attention when you’re discussing this area with players.”

This isn’t the first time Jones has spoken up regarding NFL players and the league’s marijuana policy. Two years ago, at a private owners’ meeting, Jones reportedly urged the league to drop its prohibition against marijuana use. Jones was told at the time the league couldn’t unilaterally change its policy and needed to wait until CBA negotiations with the NFL’s Player Union to enact such revisions.

Former NFL player and marijuana advocate Eben Britton previously told The Fresh Toast that the NFL was using marijuana as a bargaining chip for the new CBA contract, as it’s widely believed owners want to extend the league’s regular season. The current CBA contract is set to expire following the league’s 2020 campaign.

This is why Jones expects a change in the league’s marijuana policy in the coming year.

“I think that you should expect and will expect an adjustment of the contemporary way or the present way that marijuana is being thought about,” Jones said.

Notable Dallas Cowboy players have been suspended due to marijuana in recent years, including two members in the past month. Former rising defensive stars Randy Gregory and David Irving, both of whom previously played for the Cowboys, have been suspended indefinitely by the league after multiple marijuana-related suspensions.

Photo by Dave Adamson on Unsplash