The Tale of Two Bushes

dr Oz and Durant on cannabis

This is the story of two bushes… and no, not the former US Presidents or a duo of 1970’s porn stars… no, we’re talking about the cannabis bush and, more importantly, how two very different people see the same plant.

First, while I’m talking about two real people, I want to point out that neither of them has actually spoken or commented on the other’s viewpoints. Rather, what struck me in my typical online research was how these two people viewed cannabis and how strikingly different they were.

Now that I’ve got that disclaimer out of the way, let’s get down to business. On one side of the debate we have Dr. Oz claiming that smoking weed makes you lazy, unmotivated and will lead to major accidents.

On the other hand, you have Kevin Durant, a professional basketball player who appeared on David Letterman’s Netflix show. Durant takes the other side of the debate, saying, “It helps eliminate distractions!”

Here we are in this moment, the question is – which one is right?

What Oz actually said…

I hate putting words in people’s mouths, so I’m quoting from this Business Insider article.

In case you didn’t already know, Dr. Oz is running for the Pennsylvania Senate seat, which means he’ll be drumming up talking points from the old “GOP playbook.” This means he will take a firm stance against marijuana in all forms.

As predicted, here’s what he had to say in numerous different interviews and appearances. They are not arranged chronologically and are intended only to provide a general overview of Oz’s views on cannabis.

“There aren’t enough Pennsylvanians to work in Pennsylvania, so giving them weed to stay home isn’t an ideal move in my opinion,” he told Newsmax host Greg Kelly in an on-camera interview.

“I don’t want young people to think they have to smoke a joint to get out of the house in the morning,” he said. “We need to get the Pennsylvanians back to work.”

“You have to give them their mojo, and I don’t want marijuana to be an impediment to that,” the famous doctor added.

He expressed concern that people under the influence of marijuana might drive or operate heavy machinery, or as he put it, “When you’ve hit your fourth joint of the day.” – Business Insider

This is in response to a legalization bill pending in the state. However, Oz has no evidence to support his claims. “Amotivation Syndrome” has been debunked and while some people may become demotivated by smoking, this is not the norm.

Considering that most cannabis users have a lower body mass index than non-smokers, this suggests that cannabis users are actually quite active.

Additionally, the bill makes no mention of allowing children to smoke or buy weed — meaning the claim that “kids will smoke weed” is only true if they buy it on the black market … which is already illegal everywhere World.

On the other hand, you have Kevin Durant with a different story.

What a professional basketball player had to say about cannabis

When Durant appeared on Letterman’s Netflix show he was high and came to talk about the cannabis misconceptions. According to a Complex.com article;

The Brooklyn Nets star, who informed Letterman that he was high during the interview, said weed “clears the distractions out of your brain a little bit.” He continued, “It calms you down.” – SOURCE

He also went on to talk about his partnership with Weedmaps, saying:

“We’re collaborating with them on content and trying to find ways to change the narrative around athletes and marijuana,” Durant told Letterman of his involvement with the company. He went on to say that there will be “dispensaries everywhere” in New York City where people can legally buy marijuana for the next few years. He then brought up the injustice that people are still locked up for weed across the country. – Complex.com

In a Forbes article, Durant also voiced his support for cannabis

“In the sports world, it was sort of an undercover thing for players to use cannabis while actively playing. And I always found that interesting, even when I first started getting into the league. Now you hear the discussion in the league about it more and more often [cannabis]- Forbes.

This is a very different view often held by people who actually use cannabis. As Durant points out, cannabis can actually be very beneficial in recovery and pain management, and while it’s technically “illegal” in most sports, many athletes prefer cannabis over opioids.

Why such a stark difference?

Two schools of thought produce two opinions. The truth is that while some people are more “lazy” with weed, the vast majority continue to work without major disruption. Sure, the National Institute on Drug Abuse has stats that postal workers are more likely to be absent when they smoke weed — but when you work for the post office, any excuse is a good excuse to avoid work.

These are hardly the kind of people we should be testing to see if cannabis is affecting their productivity.

On the other hand, people with real-world experience with cannabis understand how to use cannabis effectively. Durant and other athletes use it at the end of their workouts to rest and recover, which is an important part of any training plan.

While individuals can be respected for sticking to their beliefs, Durant has more science on his side than Oz in the fictional Oz-Durant debate. Most cannabis users can attest – cannabis only makes you lazy when you already are.

I personally use it to achieve my goals and to unwind at the end of a long day… probably just like Oz does with a glass of wine.

Read this Reddit on Durant here!

dr Oz Reddit on Weed, read that!

DOCTOR OZ ABOUT CANNABIS, READ THIS…

DR. OZ IS RIGHT ON CANNABIS, IT’S NOT A GATEWAY DRUG!