The new NFL collective bargaining agreement will have an updated marijuana policy, but Josh Gordon will still have to abide by the old rules to get back in the league. Per Pro Football Talk, Gordon will still have to reapply to the league in order to return.
Under the approved CBA, there will be a significant reduction of penalties for marijuana use. Included in the changes are no suspensions for positive tests, along with the annual testing limited to first two weeks of training camp. There will be higher thresholds for positive tests -- 150 grams instead of 35 -- and violations for possession "generally will not result in suspension."
The NFL suspended Gordon indefinitely this past December for violating the league's policies against performance-enhancing drugs and substances of abuse. This was Gordon's fifth violation of the league's drug policy. Gordon has missed over 50 games for violations in his career, having just 1,801 yards since the start of the 2014 season.
Here is Gordon's history of violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy:
June 7, 2013: Suspended two games for violating league policy on performance enhancing drugs.
Aug. 27, 2014: Suspended for the entire 2014 regular season for violating league's substance-abuse policy.
Feb. 3, 2015: Suspended indefinitely for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.
Dec. 20, 2018: Suspended indefinitely for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.
Dec. 16, 2019: Suspended indefinitely for violating the league's policies on performance-enhancing substances and substances of abuse.
Any violations of the policy committed by a player who has been reinstated can result in another suspension, so Gordon (and other players who tested positive under the old policy), don't get a lifeline with the new CBA intact. Roger Goodell has "sole discretion" on whether to reinstate Gordon, regardless of the CBA changes.
