NBA Players Allowed to Consume Marijuana
The NBA has officially announced that basketball players in this league will be able to consume marijuana without fear of being fined or penalized.
This decision is historic within the best basketball league in the world.
This was revealed by American journalist Shams Charania, who is an NBA specialist.
"NBA players will no longer be prohibited for marijuana under the new seven-year Collective Bargaining Agreement. It's been removed from the anti-drug testing program, a process that began during the 2019-20 season," explained in his Twitter.
Sources: NBA players will no longer be prohibited for marijuana under the new seven-year Collective Bargaining Agreement. It's been removed from the anti-drug testing program, a process that began during the 2019-20 season. - Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 1, 2023
What did the previous agreement state?
Under this agreement, which was active between 2017 and 2023, consuming marijuana was grounds for a five-game suspension if there were three positive tests, as it was a banned substance within the league. Basketball players were subjected to four toxicological exams throughout the year.
What is the players' opinion regarding this decision?
Some reports indicated that more than half of NBA players consumed marijuana, which is why many of them started promoting this new agreement to avoid sanctions.
One of the basketball players who has openly admitted to consuming cannabis is Kevin Durant, currently a player for the Phoenix Suns, who has always defended the use of this substance.
"Marijuana is just marijuana, and it doesn't harm anyone. It helps and improves things. It shouldn't even be a debate," he once said.
Other players who have publicly admitted to consuming marijuana are Lamelo Ball, Steve Nash, Allen Iverson, and even LeBron James, among others. In fact, some basketball players have stated that marijuana consumption increased when they were competing in the Orlando bubble; the NBA suspended drug tests since 2020.
