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Bills tackle Seantrel Henderson has Crohn’s disease. The disease has a wide range of symptoms and complications. Henderson’s case resides on the severe end of the spectrum.

It’s so severe that, via Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Henderson continues to use marijuana to deal with the pain. And that has put Henderson in the crosshairs of the league office for the next step in the system of progressive discipline for marijuana use.

According to Rapoport, a final decision regarding the appeal of his proposed 10-game suspension will be made this week.

“He needs cannabis,” an unnamed source told Rapoport. “You can’t take pain killers with the way his intestines are.”

Per Rapoport, Henderson hasn’t ruled out litigation to force his way back to the field. However, the league that has shown repeated willingness to ignore the confidentiality provisions of the substance-abuse policy (as proven yet again by media reports from the media company the NFL owns and operates) has shown no willingness to soften its marijuana policy, despite ever-growing evidence of its benefits for medical purposes, and the tolerance of it in many states for recreational purposes.

The NFL will continue to refuse to make changes because the issues a matter of collective bargaining. If the NFL Players Association wants changes to be made, the NFL will want concessions — regardless of whether making changes is the right thing to do.