Mark Brunell thinks marijuana is harmful and NFL needs to crack down

With marijuana being legal in the two states that were represented in the Super Bowl, the discussion about marijuana rules in the NFL being changed has begun. Some have touted the medicinal effects for players who deal with injuries and it is perhaps a safer alternative to prescription drugs.

Some, like New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie, thinks the NFL just needs to let it go because players are going to smoke anyways.

“They need to just let it go. We’re just going to do it anyway,” Cromartie said. “They just need to let it go. They need to go ahead and say, ‘Ya’ll go ahead, smoke it, do what you need to do.'”

Former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Mark Brunell disagrees.

“I believe it’s harmful,” Brunell said. “I believe it has a negative effect on not only NFL players but anybody that does it. . . . Testing should be increased.”

“I think if you’re going to test for marijuana, it needs to be random, it needs to be often,” Brunell said. “It has to be stricter, just like the performance-enhancing drug testing is going to be strict.”