Pubdate: Fri, 31 Jan 2014
Source: Orlando Sentinel (FL)
Copyright: 2014 Orlando Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/325
Note: Rarely prints out-of-state LTEs.
Author: Mike Bianchi

NFL NEEDS TO CHANGE ITS RIDICULOUS POT POLICY

That pungent aroma emanating from the biggest football bong of them 
all - the Super Bowl - is the smell of the NFL getting a massive buzz 
on the idea of accepting marijuana - medical and otherwise - into its 
sport. To this, I say ... "Killer, dude!"

It's about time professional and college sports stopped with this 
reefer madness whereby big-time athletes can be suspended if they 
take a single toke from a marijuana cigarette but can drink a bottle 
of Jack Daniel's every night and nobody thinks twice about it.

The old argument that alcohol is legal and marijuana isn't no longer 
applies, and the Super Bowl has brought this to light. The two Super 
Bowl participants - the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks - are 
from the only two states in the country where recreational marijuana 
use is legal. However, 11 of the NFL's 32 franchises are from states 
that have legalized medical marijuana and that number may soon jump 
to 19, which would be significantly more than half the league.

Could the NFL seriously continue to suspend players who have been 
legally prescribed marijuana to help them deal with pain or the 
effects of concussions?

Could the league tell players that it's OK to continue to take strong 
and addictive painkillers, but it's not OK to use legalized medical marijuana?

"If you had a choice, would you want your players using OxyContin or 
medical marijuana?" says John Morgan, the high-powered Orlando 
attorney who has led the successful drive to get a proposed 
constitutional amendment on medical marijuana placed on Florida's 
November general-election ballot. "That's like asking would you want 
your daughter's drink of choice in college to be beer or tequila?"

 From listening to recent comments from NFL Commissioner Roger 
Goodell, it doesn't sound like he necessarily disagrees with Morgan. 
In fact, he has left the door wide open for the use of medical marijuana.

"I don't know what's going to develop as far as the next opportunity 
for medicine to evolve and to help either deal with pain or help deal 
with injuries, but we will continue to support the evolution of 
medicine," Goodell said this week. "... If medical experts ever say 
medical marijuana would help with concussions then [he] would 
consider allowing it."

Added Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll when asked if the league 
should consider allowing medical marijuana: "We have to continue to 
explore and compete to find ways that are going to make our game a 
better game and take care of our players in the best way possible. .. 
Regardless of what other stigmas may be involved, I think we have to 
do this because the world of medicine is trying to do the exact same thing."

Carroll's use of the word "stigma" is incredibly appropriate 
considering the reasons pot was first made illegal back in the 1930s. 
MSNBC did some research a few years ago and found marijuana was 
outlawed in the 1930s mainly because of the ridiculous and racist 
rants of former federal narcotics commissioner Harry Anslinger, who 
believed marijuana made black men "think they're as good as white men."

"There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are 
Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers," Anslinger ranted to 
Congress back then. "Their satanic music, jazz and swing, result from 
marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual 
relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others. . ... Marijuana 
leads to pacifism and communist brainwashing. ... Marijuana is the 
most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind."

Says Morgan incredulously: "Can you believe that racist rhetoric is 
the basis of our marijuana laws today?"

That's right, ignorance is why marijuana is illegal and alcohol is 
not. It is why the NFL makes billions off of beer ads but puts 
marijuana in the same forbidden category as heroin and cocaine in its 
drug-testing policy.

Even Jimbo Fisher, whose Florida State Seminoles just won the 
national championship, has railed against the arbitrary nature of our 
legal system and drug testing policies.

When FSU star cornerback Greg Reid - as required by university policy 
- - was dismissed from the team last year reportedly for failing 
multiple drug tests for marijuana, I asked Fisher his thoughts on the 
double standard between alcohol and marijuana.

"We look at alcohol like it's not a problem," Fisher answered in 
front of roomful of reporters. "Alcohol isn't illegal, and I 
understand that, but I'll tell you what, it causes as many deaths and 
bad circumstances as any other drug. But alcohol is accepted."

Fisher looked around at the horde of media members: "What if somebody 
told everybody in this room that you can't drink a beer again or 
you're going to get fired?"

A recently constructed billboard near the site of the Super Bowl in 
New Jersey probably said it best.

"Marijuana: Safer than alcohol ... and football."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom