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