The majority of teams in the National Football League (NFL) are located in states where recreational marijuana has been legalized.
(Photo credit: Getty Images).
Currently 18 of the league’s 32 teams are in legal marijuana state. This number could grow to 20 next month, as an initiative to legalize marijuana is being considered during the November 7 election in Ohio (and polling gives proponents of the initiative reason to be optimistic). Ohio is the home of the Cleveland Browns as well as the Cincinnati Bengals.
It’s worth noting that at the start of the 2012 season, the number of NFL teams located in legal marijuana states was 0. The rapid expansion of legal marijuana, mixed with the NFL’s conservative approach to the substance, has resulted in a league that has spent years playing catchup.
This is noteworthy because players like Chiefs TE Travis Kelce have predicted that as many as 80% of the league’s players consume marijuana. This is likely one of the reasons the NFL Players Association pushed for a rules change in 2021 – one that was adopted that same year – which reduced the penalties for players that test positive for marijuana, while reducing the number of drug tests to once per year.
Still, many players argue that this is not enough, and are demanding a change similar to that made recently in the NBA; the league signed a contract with their player’s association in June that removed marijuana as a banned substance and gave players permission to invest in marijuana companies.
Here’s a list of NFL teams located in legal marijuana states:
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Rams
- Los Angeles Chargers
- San Francisco 49ers
- Denver Broncos
- Chicago Bears
- Baltimore Ravens
- Washington Commanders
- New England Patriots
- Detroit Lions
- Minnesota Vikings
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Las Vegas Raiders
- New York Giants
- New York Jets
- Buffalo Bills
- Seattle Seahawks
Here are the teams located in states that have not legalized recreational marijuana (although some have legalized marijuana for medical use):
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Miami Dolphins
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Atlanta Falcons
- Indianapolis Colts
- New Orleans Saints
- Carolina Panthers
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Tennessee Titans
- Dallas Cowboys
- Houston Texans
- Green Bay Packers
