It seems like most of the longest-lasting NBA players were huge pot smokers. If you look at players playing 15, 16, 17, 18 years in the league, playing until they're 40 as a passable level, they used marijuana. There are real benefits for athletes.
Every human being on the planet was born with a receptor in their brain for THC. If you believe in God, who created that receptor? Also: Genesis 1:29-30 KJV 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
Like every other discussion on Pot.......it is no worse than alcohol. The fact that it stays in your system so long sucks since they could take a small hit two days before a game and still fail a drug test. (or 30 days before the season starts) I think it should be legal as well.
Overly serious response to a tongue-in-cheek question, but I think it'd be allowed in the training facility as a tincture, then they also would stop testing for it, allowing recreational use to go decriminalized.
Allowing medical marijuana would have to come with removing it from the drug testing for the league. It's a clever thing too, because that tacit endorsement from the league, combined with allowing team doctors to prescribe it to players (and basically to all players) makes any recreational use by the players impossible to criminalize (except in DUII scenarios?) It's really subversive by Jon Lovitz, err... David Stern. I like it.
I'm definitely pro legalized marijuana, but... Do we want players playing high in games? I think Stern is talking about medical marijuana, which often has the THC removed or altered to not provide the high. The rules probably need to be changed, especially regarding the penalties for testing positive.
There's a big difference between smoking up on an off day and toking a minute before tipoff (I'm looking at you, JR Rider). The fact is the players already partake, and those that do know when and when not to 420 blaze it to keep peak performance.
I never thought pot was divinely ordained, but I do remember the election when Washington legalized marriage equality & pot. The joke was when the bible said if man lieth with man as with woman he shall surely be stoned, we were interpreting it wrong all these years.
No, we don't want players high in games. We don't want players drunk in games, but alcohol is legal. I don't want my co-workers drunk or stoned at my job, but if they have a cocktail or a toke on their time, it's their business.
I don't disagree, but there's this bit from the article: "In fact, some of our players came to us and said some of these guys are high coming into the game, but we began tightening it up. At that time, people accepted the generally held wisdom that marijuana was a gateway drug and that if you start smoking you're liable to go on to bigger and better stuff." Stern added that he thinks the NBA's collective bargaining agreement needs to be amended to accommodate for new research regarding the positive effects of medical marijuana.
So we've already seen players playing high... what's the big deal? I bet Walton and Jabbar were both high in games against each other.
I think at the beginning of the games the players should exit the tunnel in a thick rolling fog produced by industrial sized vaporizers. The constant munchies should help Zach Collins bulk up as well.
What was the effect on the games? It might be very detrimental to the team's chances. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/dope/body/effects.html 2. Impaired memory for recent events, difficulty concentrating, dreamlike states, impaired motor coordination, impaired driving and other psychomotor skills, slowed reaction time, impaired goal-directed mental activity, and altered peripheral vision are common associated effects. (Adams and Martin 1996; Fehr and Kalant 1983; Hollister 1988a; Institute of Medicine 1982; Tart 1971)
Honestly, it could be a safety issue. Will an intoxicated player be more likely to injure themselves or another player? I'd say yes.
There are a few studies mentioned on that page ^^^. I just pasted one of the bullet points. I don't think they're biased for/against pot.
There are going to be some growing pains with marijuana as the laws change. It will be abused by some and not by others. Eventually it will be a part of life like a daily glass or two of wine at dinner for some.
