Boardroom examines how some of the major sports leagues in the United States continue to grapple with regulating cannabis consumption.
Weedmaps is a sponsored partner of Boardroom.
Science has routinely shown the medicinal properties of cannabis. Over the last several years, many states have decriminalized the plant as its healing properties have been demonstrated as a low-risk alternative to opioids. However, despite its promising properties, major American sports leagues continue regulate cannabis use.
In recent years, Kevin Durant found himself advocating directly to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, encouraging him to make the temporary pause on drug testing for the plant permanent.
“I actually called him and advocated for him to take marijuana off the banned substance list,” Durant told CNBC’s Aaron Ross Sorkin at July 2023’s CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan event. “I just felt like it was becoming a thing around the country around the world [and] that it was the stigma behind it wasn’t as negative as it was before. It doesn’t affect you in any negative way.”
Durant’s efforts came to fruition in the league’s newest collective bargaining agreement, ratified earlier this year.
However, the NBA’s policies are among the most lenient in American sports.
Boardroom consulted cannabis physician Bonni Goldstein to understand why cannabis is banned in most professional sports leagues and the potential positive impact it could have on the sporting world. Additionally, we spoke to several athletes, including Calvin Johnson, Ricky Williams, and Mike Tyson, to understand how cannabis could be a powerful supplement for athletes.
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