NBA players can exhale without worrying about random grass tests
The league suspended testing during the 2020 playoff bubble. now it extends the policy until the 2021-22 season
ESPN reports that the NBA will continue to turn a blind eye to cannabis use during the 2021-2022 campaign.
According to the @NBPA memo shared with players and received by ESPN, players will not be randomly tested for marijuana this season. That was adjusted by the Orlando restart and the 2020-21 season. Testing for “drugs of abuse and performance enhancers” continues.
– Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 6, 2021
The league didn’t conduct random testing for cannabis during its playoff bubble in 2020 – news that got some players figuring out how long a pound they would last on the Disney campus.
A positive change for many professionals
The decision for 2020 caused quite a few laughs at the time. But few recognized the importance of changing policies that once hampered many promising careers.
Retired players have long been talking loudly about why they choose cannabis over other medicinal and recreational substances. Despite fines, bans, and public ridicule, dozens of professional athletes have insisted that cannabis is healthier than opioids for treating pain and anxiety. Unfortunately, most professional leagues have been slow to listen.
Industry pioneers
Many hoopers who were once severely fined for weed are doing their best to normalize themselves and starting their own cannabis stores and brands.
In an interview with Taylor Rooks this week, Hall of Famer Allen Iverson revealed that opposing fans mocked him during games for his reputation for mocking him. At one point, Iverson was forced to join the league’s drug abuse program as a punishment for a property arrest.
“It was this stigma that was so bad (cannabis) back then. And I went through the bad boy thing when I first got into the league. The fact that I had all of these guys with me and we smoked marijuana was branded a bad guy or bad guy for smoking. That’s what I remember most. I had to go through that. I heard people in the crowd call me “weed head” on the street. When I was a rookie I was stopped and had some weed on me. And that’s what I actually went to jail for. Now, all these years later, look at how far we’ve come. ”- Allen Iverson, Partner at Viola Brands
Political advocates too
Today Iverson is a partner and lead endorser for viola brands with two varieties named after him (Allen Iverson OG and Iverson 96). Viola was founded by Iverson’s NBA contemporary, Al Harrington.
Together with his NBA colleague Kevin Garnett, Harrington recently signed a letter calling on him to forgive President Biden for all non-violent cannabis offenders.
“First, it’s about changing the stigma,” said Harrington, who did not use cannabis during his career as a player. The 16-year-old NBA veteran was converted to attorney after Gras helped treat his grandmother’s glaucoma.
About damn time
Eric Waden, a reporter for the NBA’s Utah Jazz, responded to news in an ESPN 700 interview Wednesday that there were no more random tests. “That was a long time coming,” said Walden, “and honestly I expect that we will see a permanent change by the next collective agreement where they simply codify that they will not test anymore.” For marijuana. “
Retired players including Chris Webber, Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp have joined Iverson and Harrington on the front lines and are fighting the stigma by joining the industry. Webber, fined and publicly ridiculed as a gamer, recently opened a huge cannabis compound in his home in Detroit. The facility will provide acreage, consumption zones, vocational training and pharmacies for the community.
Stephen Jackson, co-host of All The Smoke podcast and NBA champion, was one of the first players to admit smoking before games to ease anxiety. Former trainer Don Nelson reportedly high-five Jackson and teammates after passing their last drug tests of the season.
The message was clear: avoiding detection was more important than stopping use.
By submitting this form, you subscribe to Leafly news and promotional emails and agree to Leafly’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages at any time.
Post a comment: