Snoop Is Wrong for Backing NFL's Weed Rules, Says David Irving

Snoop Dogg's claim that David Irving was "not smart" to quit the NFL in a pot-smoking blaze of glory is just "ignorant" ... so says Irving, who now has a message for the rap legend.

Snoop went after Irving during a conversation with Stephen A. Smith -- essentially saying waging a pot war with the NFL is unwinnable and stupid.

Long story short ... Snoop says Irving blew up a golden opportunity to make millions of dollars all because he wanted to smoke weed. And, this is SNOOP saying this.

Well, Irving says he respects Snoop ... but tells TMZ Sports the rapper is just wrong in this case.

Irving says Snoop made uninformed assumptions about why he stepped away from the game -- and he's now inviting the rapper to have a 1-on-1 conversation to talk things out.

The 25-year-old's point is that it's not about getting high ... it's about finding safer ways to treat pain -- and if anyone should be sympathetic, it's Snoop.

"I'm pretty sure if I could've met with Snoop and let him know exactly what I'm doing, the businesses I've set up and the things I'm doing, I'm pretty sure he would say different."