Ravens' Monroe donates $80K for medical marijuana research

Eugene Monroe became the first and only NFL player to speak out about the possible medical benefits of marijuana back in March, suggesting it was time for the league to reconsider its stance on the issue.

The Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle has now taken his support a step further.

Helping to fund investigations into the effects of marijuana on pain and brain injuries in football players, Monroe recently donated $80,000 for research at the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins, according to Sam Wood of Philly.com.

Monroe again referenced the prescriptions players receive to more addictive painkillers in explaining the importance of this research.

"As a player I'm not allowed to use cannabis, but I've been prescribed opioids for various injuries," Monroe said. "The opioids work, but they're very dangerous and highly addictive."

Marcel Bonn-Miller, a researcher at Penn's Perelman School of Medicine told Philly.com that the project will look at both current and retired players to best understand the effects of usage in recovery from injury.

"We're doing two studies to start," Bonn-Miller said. "We'll be examining both current and retired NFL players to understand the impact of cannabis or cannabinoid use on recovering from injury."

Monroe, a former first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, is entering his fourth year with the Ravens. The 29-year-old will likely compete with first-round pick Ronnie Stanley for the starting left tackle job in training camp.