NFL denies free-agent RB Mike James' request to use marijuana as painkiller

The NFL has rejected free-agent running back Mike James' application for a therapeutic-use exemption for marijuana this season, the veteran told NJ.com's Steve Politi.

James sought the exception after developing a dependence for prescription painkillers to cope with injuries, starting with a broken ankle in 2013. He's the first NFL player to file for an exemption specifically for marijuana, according to CNN's Jacqueline Howard.

"I am hopeful that I’ll be able to keep playing football," James said. "It is a game that I love very dearly. I know right now I'm doing something that makes some people uncomfortable, and that I'm going against the establishment to push for a change in the way they look at this medicine. I know there's a greater purpose here for a lot of guys in this league who I consider family members."

Despite not being on an NFL team, James is subject to the league's random drug-testing policies.

"I didn't want to believe the benefits (of marijuana)," he said. "But at that point, I was in so much pain and going through a lot mentally with the demands in the game, I tried it. It gave me instant relief."

James was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2013 draft and had two stints on the Detroit Lions' practice squad, most recently being placed on injured reserve last August due to a concussion.