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A few days after the NFL suspended David Irving indefinitely for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, the free agent defensive tackle posted a video on social media of him smoking marijuana and announcing his retirement.

So no one was happier than Irving about Monday’s announcement that the NFL and NFL Players Association formed a committee that will study marijuana as a pain-management tool.

“Honestly, I’m happy, but I feel like I need some credit, though. Really,” Irving told Jonathan Jones of SI.com. “Everyone was telling me how crazy I am and, what, two months after I make that stand they’re now openly making changes and having discussions. I love it.”

The Cowboys already had decided not to sign Irving before his suspension March 1. He made 12.5 sacks in 37 games over four years with the Cowboys.

Irving then called it quits and now says marijuana was “the only way for me to get by.”

“I’m a real human being. I have real problems,” Irving said. “I come from poverty. I have family issues. I have sole custody of my daughter. [Marijuana] helped me outside of football. The only way I could deal with football was with my medication, and they took it away from me. And you see what happened with football. They didn’t kick me off. I quit. I chose. Because it is that important to me and nobody’s going to tell me I have to take opioids over smoking marijuana.”