Cannabis Has Made It's Way To The NBA Finals - Mushroomstocks

Marijuana has made its way to the NBA Finals and the industry has found a new supporter in Jalen Rose.

After NBA analyst Brian Windhorst confirmed that the Cleveland Cavaliers’ locker room smelled like marijuana, Rose stood up in support of its use. Rose does not have a problem with the use of marijuana after a game and finds it to be no different than going to dinner have drinks, having wine.

Rose said, “If you can drink alcohol, if you can drink wine, if you can smoke tobacco, you should be able to smoke marijuana.”

Pills Kill, Cannabis Cures

Over the last two years, support for the use of marijuana has significant increased within the sports world. From the National Football League (NFL) to the National Basketball Association (NBA), from coaches to players, several world renown sports figures have come out in support of marijuana.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, Knicks president Phil Jackson, and ESPN’s Jay Williams are just a few of the people that have publicly advocated for the use of medical marijuana for pain relief instead of prescription pills.

In late 2016, Chauncey Billups shocked many people after he claimed that some of his former teammates would play better after they smoked marijuana before games. Billups reported to have also encouraged them to smoke to reduce anxiety before a game.

Earlier in the year, former Chicago Bulls guard Jay Williams told FOXBusiness.com that he estimates that 75% to 80% of current NBA players use marijuana. Williams also advocated for its use and said that they should be permitted to use marijuana without fear of disciplinary action from the league

Williams said, “It’s easy for doctors to prescribe you Oxycontin, and look I was addicted to it for five plus years so I know. But when you say marijuana you get a reaction, ahhh, it’s a gateway drug.”

Alcohol, Not Marijuana is a Gateway Drug

Although many people refer to marijuana as a gateway drugs, research and data prove otherwise. The data actually shows that alcohol, not marijuana, is a gateway drug.

Data from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that 60% of marijuana users end up trying other drugs. The survey, however, showed that 88% of drug users started with alcohol.

The data shows that 50% of people who drink alcohol do not try any other substances. The data also shows that 40% of people who use marijuana do not try any other substances. As such, marijuana is no more of a gateway drug than alcohol.

Support for Marijuana Continues to Grow

Support from high profile athletes and businesspersons have elevated the conversation surrounding marijuana and we are excited by this trend.

Earlier this year, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recommended the lifting of the NFL’s ban on the use of medical cannabis and we expect to this trend to cause other sports to start discussing the use of marijuana as well.

Every year, more than 500,000 people die from tobacco, alcohol, and prescription pills. No one has ever died from overdosing on marijuana. Numbers don’t lie and it is time to legalize marijuana.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2016/03/16/fmr-nba-player-jay-williams-80-players-use-marijuana.html

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2015/07/10/marijuana-study-counters-gateway-theory