© Provided by MediaNews Group d/b/a Digital First Media FOXBORO, MA. - OCTOBER 25: Rob Gronkowski announces CBDMEDICÕs partnership with Gillette Stadium & Patriot Place on October 25, 2019 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Staff Photo By Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

Former Patriots Tight End Rob Gronkowski is calling on the NFL to allow players to use CBD products to aid their recoveries, in part so that he won’t face repercussions if he chooses to return to the league.

“I don’t want to be banned from playing the sport I love because I’m using a product that anyone can buy right off the shelf at their local pharmacy,” Gronkowski said at a news conference Friday. “I’m not really sure why it’s banned.”

Gronkowski’s comments came as he and CBD Medic — the Abacus Health Products company he partnered with in August — announced their partnership with Gillette Stadium and Patriot Place.

When Gronkowski announced he was partnering with CBD Medic two months ago, he said the toll the game was taking on his body was what led him to step away from the NFL.

“Football was bringing me down, and I didn’t like it. And I was losing that joy in life,” he said in August.

While he remained cryptic about a possible return to the league on Friday, Gronkowski indicated that doing so would weigh on whether or not the NFL changes its CBD policies.

“I also want to have the option to get back into the game, and if I’m banned next year I can’t,” Gronkowski said.

The future Hall-of-Famer emphasized the benefits of CBD when aiding injury recovery on Friday, saying it’s an excellent tool to complement other medical treatments.

“There were many times where you’re just sitting in meetings and you’re in agony, and you can’t really be focused because you’re in pain,” he said. “I’m not saying you put this on and you’re going to be healed, that it’s a miracle. But you can apply this and it’ll help manage the pain, and then you can get treatment and it’ll be a lot less stressful to the body.”

In addition to CBD, the NFL has faced criticism from fans and players alike over its ban on player use of marijuana and related products. While Gronkowski avoided taking a stance on whether or not the league should allow marijuana as well as CBD, he said he applauds the effort from other players who are working to have it be allowed.

“I’m not not advocating for THC, but I would say that they’re on the right path too. But I’m advocating for CBD to be legal and to be used everywhere,” Gronkowski said.