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Last Friday, Seattle Seahawks defensive end Bruce Irvin was suspended by the NFL for a violation of their substance abuse policy, the sixth member of the squad to receive such punishment since 2010.
Since the NFL can’t disclose why, Irvin did as teammate Richard Sherman did before him: hint that the violation was for taking Adderall without disclosing it. While heavily prescribed, Adderall isn’t without risks, but it certainly can have it’s performance-enhancing advantages — same as any number of drugs that areallowed in sports. If the league is going are going to be hypocrites, then why not allow one of the best natural performance enhancers out there: marijuana?
With the World Anti-Doping Agency announcing they’re allowing more THC in your pee, it seems that using marijuana may be the best option for athletes around the world.
Pain
It’s the #1 reason people get their medical marijuana card in our nation, and no one knows pain like an NFL player who slams themselves into other giant men repeatedly for 16 weeks. I played flag football last week and am still walking like Mr. Burns.
What sounds better than getting in the hot tub after a game and puffing a joint? (Nothing.) There’s an absolute advantage to being able to take a big hit after taking a few big hits off your bong before the game — but it is any more or less than an Advil or Tylenol?
ADD and ADHD
If you guys really need all that Adderall, you may be better off skipping the ‘scripts and getting on some of Mother Nature’s own focus medication. A 2009 study done at USC shows that marijuana is great at controlling the symptoms of ADD and ADHD, and a corner back like Sherman benefits the more he can get “in the zone” on the field.
Personally, I play my best Madden high as a kite, much to the chagrin of the ‘tweens on Xbox live. Suck it, GomezFan1996!
Appetite Stimulation
Rookies coming into the league need all the help they can get stepping up from the college ranks. According to the New York Times, in 1970 there was one player in the NFL that weighed more than 300 pounds. Training camps in 2010 saw over 500.
If you want to pack on the pounds, pack a bowl and hit the Cheesecake Factory – a favorite among pros. Those looking to cut weight might benefit from THCV, one of the hottest cannabinoids out there due to it’s appetite suppressing properties. Yes, that’s a thing.
Alzheimer’s
If you were four times more likely to die from Alzheimer’s than the general population like some NFL players, you’d probably be looking into pot. Life after the NFL can be tough, so let’s embrace some preventative medicine and get these guys some MMJ which has been shown to reduce and stop degenerating nerves. It’s hard to feel bad for millionaires, but it’s harder to watch ex-athletes struggle with dementia, loss of motor skills, and then passing on before their time.
We argue a lot that marijuana is medicine. So maybe it’s time acknowledge that it actually does have some benefit in the world of sport, even if we’re only participating in a round of disc golf.
Box Johnson is a comedian, writer and cannabis geek living in Denver. Read more of his rants and raves in our Box Corner archives.