Ex-Eagle Todd Herremans on using pot before & after NFL games

As the NFL continues to outlaw the use of marijuana to manage pain, more and more players admit to using it. Former Philadelphia Eagle and Indianapolis Colts tackle Todd Herremans, whose retirement was celebrated at Lincoln Financial Field last Sunday, came on my show and talked about the use of weed among NFL players both before and after the games.

"I think the vast majority of people take it to ease anxiety and pain and help them sleep after being revved up for an 8 p.m. game, stuff like that," he said.

Herremans knows of some who take weed before a game.

"I do know of a few friends that, I'm not really sure how they do it, but find a way to manage to get it in before the game," he said. Why would players take weed before the game? "They just say it helps them relax and focus a little more during the game and not worry about all the existential stress and stuff."

Herremans could see that, but "It's just nothing that I wanted to toy with."

But staying with the idea of using marijuana to help with focus as opposed to managing pain:

"There's a lot of teachers out there that say studying while you're high is bad, but I think there's a train of thought out there that says if you study while you're high and then take a test while you're high, you'll kind of recount the same area of the brain or something like that. I don't think there's any test to prove one way at this point or the other that it's harmful for them to perform."

Dr David Nathan is the founder and board president of Doctors for Cannabis Regulation (DFCR), the first and only national and international physicians’ organization dedicated to the legalization, regulation and taxation of marijuana.

"You've got to remember that when you talk about the use of a botanical drug, which is what cannabis is, (it) comes in many different varieties just like humans do," he said. "And when you take any given variety and give it to any given person, there's going to be a unique effect, There are people out there who will tell you, and I'm sure they will pass a polygraph when they say, that they can study better on cannabis — and I'm sure you've got a larger number who would tell you that they can't."

As A Giants fan, I had to ask — who was the toughest Giant he had to block?

"I always struggled with Chris Canty, when he was Dallas and when he was in New York, for some reason. He was taller than me and it always got in my head"

I also had to ask i fHerremans would come back and help his former nemesis on the offensive. Jokingly, he said, 'I don't know if i could pass the test these days."

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