Jim McMahon: Marijuana would've helped my long-term health

Jim McMahon is the latest of several prominent NFL figures, both past and present, to support the idea of medicinal marijuana use.

The longtime NFL quarterback spoke Thursday at the Cannabis World Congress and Business Expo, making the case for marijuana over opioid painkillers.

"There's so many uses to this plant," McMahon said, via The New York Daily News. "Hundreds of thousands of people are dying from (painkillers) and there’s not one case of people dying from the hemp plant."

McMahon was diagnosed with early onset dementia after a 15-year NFL career. Among the issues he deals with as a result of the concussions suffered are severe headaches, memory loss, and depression.

Following up on his comments from February, when the 56-year-old explained that marijuana helps him with pain management, McMahon believes he'd be healthier today had he used the substance instead of painkillers during his playing days.

Veteran offensive tackle Eugene Monroe became the first active player to speak out on the issue earlier this year. Following his release Thursday from the Baltimore Ravens, he released a statement indicating he'll "never stop" pushing for the NFL to accept medical marijuana as a pain management option.

Commissioner Roger Goodell conceded earlier this year the league would consider a change to its drug policy, but added he doesn't anticipate any such developments in the near future.