Major League Ganja: The Role of Marijuana in the Big Leagues

Back in January, CBSSports.com reported that Larry Sanders of the Milwaukee Bucks earned a ten game suspension due to violating the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program. Sanders landed in hot water after being caught multiple times using marijuana. This appears to be an appropriate punishment for an inappropriate offense. However, just how prevalent is marijuana use in professional sports leagues and why?

Turns out that Mary Jane is all over the map in the sports world. In the past decade it is believed that somewhere between 50 and 80 percent of players in the NFL use marijuana. In the MLB, there are claims that many players smoke throughout the league, but no one comes forward to admit it. Then of course there’s the NBA and even Olympians-remember Michael Phelps?-have used marijuana both on and off season.

Punishment for drug use is different from sport to sport. In the NBA, the first violation of the rules is admittance into the marijuana program, the second violation carries a $25,000 fine, and the third violation demands a five game suspension without pay; so on and so forth. Back in 2014, the NFL suspended Browns receiver Josh Gordon for an entire year after he tested positive for pot for the second time. This faced major criticism when Ravens running back Ray Rice only received a two game suspension for a domestic violence charge. The MLB suspends players for a minimum of 15 games for marijuana use and while this doesn't deter team members from smoking, it does keep people quiet about who does the smoking.

Despite being widely used across major sports leagues, smoking weed carries significant penalties fines and penalties. So why do players still toke up? With the rigorous schedule and  continuous scrutiny that players are under during every game, the drug is most commonly used as a way to reduce pre-game anxiety. Players in the NFL take a constant physical beating and suffer injuries that can lead to chronic pain. Many of them use marijuana as a pain reliever with a low risk for dependency, as opposed to the opiate painkillers administered by the league that can lead to dependency and substance abuse.

However many users there are in the game, major organizations like the NFL and NBA prefer players to use painkillers and to uphold a certain standard of conduct. And while there are heavy consequences, players will continue to get high off a drug that is on its way towards legalization.

Sources:

http://mashable.com/2014/08/27/nfl-marijuana-josh-gordon-suspension/

http://www.hightimes.com/read/mlbs-marijuana-addict

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/24966721/nba-suspends-bucks-larry-sanders-10-games-for-violating-drug-program

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=bayless/050822&num=0

http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/82863196/

Boston Olympics Persuasive Essay

Emily Durst Grade 12

Norton High School

2015 Will McDonough Writing Contest

Why the Boston 2024 Olympics Are a BAD Idea

             
               The Olympics are a source of national pride and international peace that takes place in one major city every four years. Men and women from across the globe come together to compete in their sport of choice in hopes of winning gold while exhibiting good sportsmanship. Here in Boston, Massachusetts, leaders and citizens are hoping for their great city to be a host of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games; but is it really the right thing to do? The answer is simple. No.
               The Olympics will damage Boston with crippling financial debt and controlled chaos both before and after the Games. The first step in accommodating for the Olympics is the construction of stadiums, hotels, roads, and parking facilities. While construction provides an abundance of jobs for people needing work, there are plenty of inconveniences that accompany this stage. Construction may interrupt the flow of traffic and of everyday life in an already chaotic city setting. Back-ups and accidents can become issues if traffic is not detoured properly and directed by authorities. Then of course, there is the cost of construction. Billions of dollars are spent constructing roads, stadiums, and other facilities. Where will all that money from? Taxes will certainly increase in order to help pay for the expenses; taxpayer dollars will be used on a large scale project that will be temporary. Budget cuts will affect schools all across the state – a state known for its quality of education. The sting will be subdued by the glamour of the Games when they and the tourists flood the streets of Boston. However, the ache will return as soon as the closing ceremony comes into fruition.
            When the Olympic Games are finally over and the excitement has subsided, many people experience what is called post Olympic depression. For Boston, this depression will be both emotional and economic. Out of the billions of dollars spent to accommodate for the Games, there is no guaranteeing that the revenue from tourism will come close to covering the cost. The sudden decrease in activity also poses a problem for new hotels and their employees. If one looks to the past and looks at former Olympic host cities, such as Athens, Sydney, and Montreal, they would see the weight of debt that drags them down. Athens ended up with a national deficit of 5.4 percent after the 2004 Games, Sydney paid $3.8 billion for their games in 2000, and Montreal was saddled with so much debt from the 1976 Games that it took until 2006 for the final bill to be paid – a whole thirty years of debt. However, there is some as a few past cities have found ways to beat the post-Olympic blues. China was able to avoid gaining debt due to growth in taxes and capital. The country also gave two of the venues to the China Agricultural University and to the Beijing Science and Technology University to ensure they did not fall to waste. Seoul was able make a profit of $300 million after the 1988 Games, which only reached a cost of $4 billion. The prognosis of these cities seems to be determined by the planning done beforehand and the actions taken afterward. The question is whether the city of Boston will be so fortunate.
            Massachusetts is a magnificent state and Boston is the cherry on top. Hosting an event as big as this would undoubtedly bury the Commonwealth in a mountain of debt. Having the highest quality of public education in the country, both city and state cannot afford budget cuts that would compromise such excellence. If Massachusetts is going to continue to pursue excellence in the future, Boston should pass up on the Olympic glory.

Source:

Rishe, Patrick. "How Does London's Olympics Bill Compare to Previous Games?" Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 05 Aug. 2011. Web. 27 Feb. 2015. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/sportsmoney/2011/08/05/how-does-londons-olympics-bill-compare-to-previous-games/>.