According to a report by NBA insider Shams Charania, the NBA will remove marijuana from their anti-drug testing program under the new seven-year Collective Bargain Agreement.
Ever since marijuana was decriminalized in most states in the country a few years now, the league has recognized its medical benefits and no longer considers it a harmful drug in their new policy.
Former NBA player J.R. Smith admitted that during their stay in ‘The Orlando Bubble’, a handful of active players consumed or smoked weed on a daily basis to manage their stress.
Current Warriors head coach Steve Kerr famously admitted that he used cannabis to alleviate his back pain after surgery years prior. Former NBA players also use the drug regularly and rave about the benefits of using cannabis in their daily lives.
Perhaps one of the greatest examples is former Mavs coach Donnie Nelson. After retiring from the stands, he went on to live in Hawaii and opened a cannabis farm.
Even though marijuana is legal in most states in the country, players should think twice about bringing their favorite strands outside the US. WNBA player Brittney Griner was imprisoned for almost a year for bringing her cannabis oil to Russia. The prisoner swap was costly for the United States as they had to let go of the so-called ‘Merchant of Death’ in exchange for Griner.
There are a lot of countries that still consider cannabis a dangerous drug and even a small amount can land you in serious trouble when crossing borders. But removing it from its anti-drug policy is a great step in the right direction for the league as its benefits far outweigh its negatives.
