Words by Jiggy Jones
In a sit-down with retired NBA player, Al Harrington, David Sterns challenges the National Basketball Association to get rid of their past and marry the Mary Jane.
“I’m now at the point where, personally, I think (marijuana) probably should be removed from the ban list,” exclaimed Stern.
During his 30 year tenure as NBA chief, Stern created the drug testing policy and was extremely adamant in enforcing the policy on NBA’s players. He was once informed of the use in its extremity amongst players. As a result, fines increased and consequences became more severe.
Some players would incorporate getting high as part of their pre-game warm up. Harrington’s former Warriors teammate and NBA champion, Stephen Jackson, confessed to coming into several games high. Jackson stated that Warriors coach, at the time, Don Nelson, was well aware of his off court activities, but did not have a problem with it, once it did not affect his players’ in game performance.
According to the league’s current policy, first time violators are immediately submitted into the league’s marijuana program without a fine, second-time violators are penalized $25,000 and third-time violators are suspended for five games.
“I think there is a universal agreement that marijuana for medical purposes should be completely legal, said Stern.”
Stern is the 4th commissioner of the NBA and served in the years 1984-2014.
As the United States continues to shift in the direction to legalize marijuana, the policy will only perpetuate down to a number of others entities. The use of cannabis, both medicinal and recreational use has been legalized in 9 states including our nation’s capital. These states include Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
Because a fifth of NBA teams are located in those states, where the use of cannabis is legal, it calls for the possibility of policy alterations. The only issue is the change cannot be exclusive to those states. Current NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, stated in July that the league has no intention to change the current policy. The league reiterated this same message following Stern’s suggestions.
