With people including NFL players finding new ways to get high, the league has to keep updating the banned list. The NFL has now added synthetic marijuana to the list of banned substances within its 2016 drug policy.
Per the policy, any player whose drug test reveals more than 2.5 ng/ML of synthetic cannabinoids will be in violation and subject to the normal course of intervention and potential discipline. It is one of nine drugs, including cocaine, PCP and traditional marijuana, that are part of the NFL’s standard drug testing panel. The policy is developed jointly by the league and the NFL Players Association.
Synthetic marijuana, also known as “Spice,” “K2” or “Blaze,” is most commonly made by spraying chemicals on dried and shredded plant material. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, it may affect the brain more powerfully and unpredictably than traditional marijuana.
The NFL has already experienced one high-profile incident related to synthetic marijuana. In January, then-New England Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones was behaving bizarrely after reportedly using the drug. Jones arrived at the Foxborough, Massachusetts police station seeking help for a bad reaction, according to police records obtained by ESPN. He was transported to a local hospital but returned to the Patriots’ facility for work the next day. He was later traded to the Arizona Cardinals during the offseason.
Synthetic marijuana is very dangerous, especially since consumers do not know what the ingredients are. It can cause high blood pressure, blurred vision, heart attack, vomiting, seizures, hallucinations, severe anxiety, and paranoia.
source: ESPN
