Former lineman O'Callaghan calls marijuana 'a godsend' for NFL players

The NFL's policy and stance on marijuana use has long been a hot topic, and former offensive lineman Ryan O'Callaghan believes the time is now for the league to make a progressive change.

The 33-year-old O'Callaghan, who retired with a litany of injuries that have caused a considerable amount of damage to his body, is against the idea that marijuana is both addictive and performance enhancing to NFL players, and says the league knows full well that marijuana use isn't harming players, according to Josh Peters of USA TODAY Sports.

"For people like me, marijuana is a godsend because you don't want to take these pills,'' O'Callaghan said. "Marijuana is not addicting. People who say that have never smoked it. I have an addictive personality. It's not addictive."

"They know it's harmless, and it's not performance enhancing. I've known guys who've played stoned. Absolutely."

O'Callaghan confirmed that he currently has a medical marijuana card and uses that as well as Ibuprofen in order to make the pain of his injuries tolerable. He has a left shoulder that needs replacing after five different surgeries, and has undergone procedures on his right shoulder and left hand.

O'Callaghan previously suffered from addiction to painkillers, something he sought treatment for after coming out as gay to his therapist. He publicly acknowledged his sexuality in June.

Copyright (C) 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.