According to the Bleacher Report, last month, former NBA commissioner David Stern said he believed that the NBA, and other major sports, should remove marijuana from the list of prohibited substances, as several states in the United States legalize the recreational and medicinal use of the substance.
He agrees with former NBA commissioner
A few days past and Minnesota Timberwolves superstar, Karl-Anthony Towns, supported Stern's idea and explained his reason for it in an interview with ESPN. "I agree with David Stern about marijuana. You do not need to smoke but could use for medicinal purposes to make many people better.
This is something that Adam Silver has to do, it's something that runs away from my control, but maybe it would be nice to legalize," Towns said.
Towns claims that he has never smoked anything
Asked if marijuana legalization is discussed among the players, Towns replied: "Yes. But I look at my experience. I've never smoked, never picked up, but I deal with autistic children in schools in New Jersey. My girlfriend has an autistic nephew. And you realize that marijuana used in a medical way works well for him. We are not superhuman. Some are able to use medical marijuana in our daily lives."
Towns comes from a family of doctors and admitted that if he were not a basketball player, he would like to be working in the health field since he researches the subject even in his free time.
Current NBA policies about this matter
The NBA's current marijuana policy punishes players who test positive by a mandatory completion of substance abuse treatment. A second offense leads to a $25,000 fine, followed by a five-game suspension and a 10-game suspension for a third and fourth offense, respectively.
Can it go forward?
It is now necessary to wait to see whether David Stern's ideas and Town's support can create a strong enough impact to initiate a discussion about whether or not marijuana can be used in one of the most watched and supported sports in the United States, but also around the world.
Despite being very young, Towns have already shown a lot of potencial, averaging 21.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 1.8 stumps, in the presente 2017-2018 season.
Do you think that this initiative could be positive for NBA players, especially when they are in very stressful situations? Or Towns might even be harmed by publicly talking about this matter? What do you think about the use of marijuana in the NBA? Leave your opinion below.