In an interview with Vanity Fair, two-time Super Bowl champion and tight end Travis Kelce estimated that 50-80% of NFL players are smoking pot. Kelce’s estimate echoes similar numbers floated by a handful of former NFL players.

Kelce said that he was “so embarrassed” when a failed drug test that ended up getting him suspended from playing football for one season in Cincinnati in 2010 after testing positive for cannabis. His scholarship to the University of Cincinnati was also stripped. But with the NFL’s looser rules regarding cannabis, he assumes that his peers in the NFL are taking advantage of the newfound freedoms.

“If you just stop [smoking] in the middle of July, you’re fine,” he said. “A lot of guys stop a week before and they still pass [drug tests] because everybody’s working out in the heat and sweating their tail off. Nobody’s really getting hit for it anymore.”

The number is high. “He estimates that anywhere from 50 to 80 percent of players in the NFL use cannabis,” Vanity Fair summarized.

Kelce also discussed Super Bowl after-parties and growing up watching Saturday Night Live (SNL) just to see Chris Farley and Will Ferrell and other stars before hosting the show himself. Kelce made a rare athlete appearance hosting SNL, “an exclusive group that includes Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and Peyton Manning,” Vanity Fair reports. His performance hosting the show in March was considered a hit.

Several other former NFL players have made similar statements. Former running back Ricky Williams, who attended the High Times 100 event in 2021, and weathered several drug-related suspensions during his tenure in the NFL, suggested that number is “at least 80 percent.”

Other former players say that number is higher: “I want to say about 89%,” retired tight end Martellus Bennett said on a Bleacher Report podcast. Bennett added that it’s better than the opioids other players are getting addicted to.

Plenty more former and current NFL players are investing in cannabis (or opening dispensaries) including Marshawn Lynch, Calvin Johnson, Jim McMahon, Kyle Turley, and Eben Britton. Former NFL All-Pro DeSean Jackson’s endorsement of Pineapple Wellness, a CBD company, was one of the most recent endeavors.

Kelce’s brother, Jason, is a center for the Philadelphia Eagles.

In 2020, the National Football League (NFL) made a dramatic change to its drug testing policy thanks to a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) that was brokered between players and owners over the weekend. 

Under the new CBA, players will no longer face suspensions if they test positive for cannabis, and the drug testing period will be limited to the first two weeks of training camp. The threshold for a positive cannabis drug test will now rise from from 35 to 150 nanograms of THC, according to ESPN.

“The idea is to focus the drug program on clinical care as opposed to punishment. Basically, if you test positive, your test gets reviewed by a board of jointly appointed medical professionals to determine whether you need any kind of treatment. The NFLPA deal memo also says that ‘violations of law for marijuana possession generally will not result in suspension.’”

Changes in policy are enabling players to smoke much more freely without fear of repercussions. Since 2021, players in the NFL are tested during only a two-week window at the beginning of training camp in the summer.

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Thousands of cannabis entrepreneurs and activists are expected to descend upon Chicago next week for the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference.

The two-day event kicks off on September 13 at the Palmer House Hilton, where attendees will be given an opportunity to broaden their network and listen to a who’s-who of keynote speakers.

It is the 15th edition of the cannabis conference, which Benzinga, a financial media outlet, bills as the top cannabis conference in the world, and a summit where “where stars are made and real deals happen.”

The outlet says that a recent cannabis conference “was the very site where Trulieve Cannabis team met Harvest Health & Recreation, which ultimately led to a $2.1-billion acquisition.”

“At this modern day gathering, you’ll have the opportunity to meet some of the most important cannabis stars at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference where you’ll rub shoulders with executives of top-performing companies, glean priceless insights from the world’s leading cannabis investors, entrepreneurs, social equity leaders, women who have taken the industry by storm and so many more,” the outlet said in an announcement earlier this summer.

“Now in its 15th edition, the CCC is where countless companies, from large to small to startups, have met investors who supported them with tens of millions. Sit in on the numerous presentations, fireside chats and exclusive interviews. Enjoy friendly access to companies representing more than 90% of the cannabis industry’s market capitalization in one place.”

Benzinga is offering three different ticket packages for the conference. For $797.00, attendees can receive a general admission ticket, which will get them two-day admission to conference content tracks, two-day admission to the exhibit hall, as well as access to cocktail receptions.

A VIP Pass will cost you just under $1,300, but it will get you the following: “Access to Conference VIP Lounge; Access to VIP area at the Afterparty; Special Invites to Dinners & Parties; Express Check-In; VIP name badge; Reserved Seating; 2 Day Admission to conference content tracks; 2 Day Admission to the Exhibit Hall; Access to Cocktail Receptions both days; Access to Conference Networking App.”

A third option, the Investor Pass, is “for institutional and accredited investors,” and costs just under $300.

Those in attendance will have the chance to listen to several luminaries from the cannabis industry: Charlie Bachtell, CEO Cresco Labs, LLC; Kim Rivers, CEO Trulieve Cannabis Corp.; Chris Beals, CEO WeedMaps; Wendy Berger, Board Member Green Thumb Industries; Boris Jordan, Executive Chairman of the Board Curaleaf; and Michael DeGiglio, CEO Village Farms.

In addition, the conference will be highlighted by dozens of other notable speakers, such as Vic Mensa, who recently launched Chicago’s first Black-owned cannabis brand 93 Boyz; NFL Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, the founder of Michigan-based cannabis company Primitiv; boxing legend Mike Tyson, the co-founder of the cannabis company Tyson 2.0; and former professional wrestler Ric Flair, who is involved in Tyson 2.0.

Three members of the U.S. House will also speak at the conference: Rep. Marie Newman (D-IL); Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA); and Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH).

The conference will also have a special emphasis on social equity.

“Through our Cannabis Capital Conference series, we strive to put a spotlight on the conversation surrounding social equity via panel discussions with organizations who are combating inequality in the cannabis industry, individuals who have been adversely affected by the War on Drugs, and policymakers who are leading the charge on writing legislation to undo the impacts of prohibition,” Benzinga says. “Additionally, Benzinga has committed to donating a percentage of all event ticket sales to Last Prisoner Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to cannabis criminal justice reform. We are also proud to offer discounted conference tickets to owners of marijuana businesses who have received state certification for their social equity initiatives.”

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