- AP News quoting Megan Rapinoe, Former Women's World Footballer of the Year
'[Sha'Carri] Richardson is just one of many athletes who use cannabis. From professional basketball players to football stars, cannabinoids have helped athletes recover, manage anxiety, stay focused, and stay off of pain killers. In this case, Richardson explained that she had been using cannabis to cope with the loss of her biological mother just one week before she qualified for the [Tokyo] Olympics with a trials-winning 10.86 seconds 100-meter race in Oregon last month. The issue brings harsh focus on a played-out issue. Society continues to rely on athletes to entertain and represent us on some of the world’s biggest stages, but when do we allow them to participate in the same cannabis self-care that the rest of the world does?'
- Leafly
'What was it like for those humorless, god-fearing Alger-bent Jesus Freaks to go out on that field in front of one hundred-thousand people in New Orleans and get beaten like gongs by the only certified dope freak in the NFL? Thomas ran through the Dolphins like a mule through corn-stalks.
It was a fine thing to see; and it was no real surprise when the Texas cops busted him, two weeks later, for Possession of Marijuana...and the Dallas coach said Yes, he'd just as soon trade Duane Thomas for almost anybody.
They don't get along. Tom Landry, the Cowboys' coach, never misses a chance to get up on the platform with Billy Graham whenever The Crusade plays in Dallas. Duane Thomas calls Landry a "plastic man." He tells reporters that the team's general manager, Tex Schramm, is "sick, demented and vicious." Thomas played his whole season, last year, without ever uttering a sentence to anyone on the team: not the coach, the quarter back, his blockers - nobody; dead silence.'
- Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'"My way of joking is to tell the truth. That's the funniest joke in the world."
Is sporting talent and skill only available in these select elite nations of the world? As any person would acknowledge, this is not the case. All the necessary sporting talent that is needed to become a medal winner is equally distributed across the human population of the world. What finally appears to determine who makes it to the top today is the amount of money that a nation is willing to put in to produce winners in a sporting arena.
Does this mean that only the rich will always corner sporting glory? Well, if we continue down the path that we are on today, this will always be the case. Most nations in the world allocate more of their budgetary spending on military arms procurement than on sports, education, the environment and health combined. For a rich nation, even this minuscule fraction is sufficient to produce a winner. Besides financial allocations, there are a myriad number of factors that cripple sports in most poor nations. There is the corruption in the administration which corners even the little finances that get allocated to a particular sport. For a poor nation, it means that the money allocated will hardly be enough to feed the sports person three square meals a day, let alone buy the basic clothes and sports equipment to participate in a sporting event. Then there are the inherent biases that exist in most nations that pull down a sportsperson even further. These biases include caste, gender and class discrimination. A poor person turning up for a local sports event in shabby clothes and without the latest state-of-the-art sports equipment will not even be allowed to register, if they have enough money to register that is. Then, there are the questions such as what do your parents do, who do you know in the administration, what favours are you willing to do - sexual or otherwise - for the administration to deserve a second look, and so on.
All professional sports persons participate in sports that are governed by the respective sport's ruling body or association. This governing body sets the rules of the sport, determines competitions and sports person's eligibility. These associations also determine what is legal and illegal in the sport. Anything that is said to unfairly give an advantage to a sports person, such as an external device or an ingested compound, is prohibited and illegal. Professional sports persons have teams of medical personnel, privately hired, or provided by the team or sports association that the person belongs to. These medical personnel include physicians, dieticians, exercise coaches , physiotherapists and psychologists. There are often dedicated medical facilities available to ensure that the sports person is in peak condition and following the legal guidelines of the sport. This is however applicable if you are a successful sports person in a developed country or a wealthy sportsperson in a poor country. Young, upcoming sports persons, especially from poor and indigenous communities, receive none of the above privileges mentioned till they have attained a certain measure of success or have been lucky to be spotted by talent scouts. Many of the most talented sports persons, coming from economically challenging situations, never make it big because they are forced to leave sports to take up another career for livelihood or because they never get access to the medical infrastructure that most professional sports persons get.
Most sports persons are put through a regime of a cocktail of harmful synthetic prescription pharmaceutical medications that the pharma industry, physicians and sports associations profit from. In modern sports medicine, there is one - and sometimes even more than one - medication to treat each of the above mentioned health conditions that sports persons suffer from. There are separate medications for pain, inflammation, sleep, wounds, muscular injuries, appetite, weight loss, weight gain, nausea, anxiety, stress, depression, and so on. The sports person typically ends up consuming a cocktail of prescription synthetic pharmaceutical medication to stay fit. The effect of these cocktails on individual physiology, and the effects of the interaction of these various drugs is largely unknown. So far, the default medicine made available to sports persons to handle their pain is opioids. The highly addictive and harmful opioids have been the number one killer when it comes to deaths from drug overdose in the US in the past few years. The opioids lead a user down a spiral staircase to the bottom where they eventually end up injecting heroin, and if that is not available the even deadlier fentanyl. For those who cannot afford the opioids, or who wish to stay away from it, the other available choice is alcohol that contributes to possibly ten times more deaths than opioids, besides being one of the main contributors to addiction and violence in society, including domestic violence. Even if sports persons attempt to replace these cocktails of poisons with the safe and effective cannabis, they are dissuaded from doing so, often being threatened with action including suspensions from sports associations and bans from competing in sporting events which are their livelihood. For stimulants, there is cocaine - the stimulant of the elites if the sports person can afford it, and methamphetamine for those who cannot afford or access cocaine.
For the wealthy nations, their systems that have all the so-called winning factors that I listed earlier enable their sports persons to remain at peak performance levels longer and more consistently. For the poor nations, they mostly have alcohol and opioids, and that too if they are extremely lucky. Legalizing cannabis for all purposes across the world will tremendously level the playing field in the area of sports. Even the poorest nations will be able to grow their own cannabis and provide it to their sports persons as medicine, nutrition and beverage. The use of hemp for manufacture of sporting apparels, sports equipment and sports infrastructure will make these areas economically and environmentally sustainable. Each of the areas listed above, that contribute to the successful sports person in the wealthy nations, have multi-billion dollar industries associated with them. Each of these sports related industries are ultimately tied to the petrochemical, synthetic pharmaceutical, medical, and concrete based construction industries. Cannabis legalization is not something that these industries that thrive on the current state of affairs relish.
One of the key arguments that keeps cannabis banned from sports is that it is a performance enhancing drug. Cannabis is probably as much a performance enhancing drug as a cup of coffee or a bar of chocolate, but this has not dissuaded the opponents of cannabis from using this argument to keep the playing field skewed in favor of the elites. Springer Publications reports, 'Results: Resting heart rate was the only physiological measure that significantly differed between groups, and only in one of the four studies included herein. The strongest predictors of athletic performance (VO2Max and PWC) were not found to be significantly different between groups in any of the included studies. Chronic cannabis consumption had no significant effect on athletic performance. The included studies did not assess other elements, such as recovery or endurance. Conclusion: No evidence exists for ergogenic or ergolytic effects from chronic cannabis consumption. In some sports, advantages may plausibly be conveyed by psychotropic enhancement or pain reduction.' NORML reports '“While a growing number of athletes have reported turning to cannabis and its components as an alternative to certain prescription drugs (e.g., opioids), there exists no scientific consensus that the acute effects of marijuana enhance athletic performance.' CBC reports '"There are those who say it inhibits fears. So it allows an athlete to take greater risks in high-risk sports. There are even those who suggest that it adds to an athlete's creativity in sports where creativity may be of some value," Melia said. "I think a closer look at the scientific literature would suggest it's equivocal when it comes to its performance-enhancing benefit. We've never wanted the Canadian anti-doping program to be used to police recreational drug use by athletes."' NCBI reports 'Medical and nonmedical cannabis use among athletes reflects changing societal and cultural norms and experiences. Although cannabis use is more prevalent in some athletes engaged in high-risk sports, there is no direct evidence of performance-enhancing effects in athletes. The potential beneficial effects of cannabis as part of a pain management protocol, including reducing concussion-related symptoms, deserve further attention.'
One of the key problems with cannabis testing is that traces of cannabinoids remain in the body long after it has been used. NORML reports, 'It is also highly unlikely that top-level athletes are consuming cannabis prior to taking part in athletic competitions,” stated NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano, “Unfortunately, conventional drug screening can only identify the presence of past marijuana use — which may be indicative of exposure some days, weeks, or even months beforehand. In other words, these tests are more about identifying those who may choose to consume cannabis in their off-time to relax rather than they are about identifying athletes seeking an unfair competitive advantage.”' In 2018, New York Times reported that 'Twenty years ago, when he was 26, Mr. Rebagliati came to global fame — and infamy — after winning a gold medal in the giant slalom at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics in Japan. But his Olympic dreams subsequently imploded after he tested positive for cannabis and was stripped of the medal. And while his life appears to be turning around, he said the gold medal would remain in the cabinet — at least for now. “Perhaps if things change, I will finally frame it and put in on the wall,” he said, quickly adding, “I don’t have plans to hang it any time soon.”' The snowboarder had apparently used cannabis months before the Olympic event, but it showed up in the tests. So, a sports person who used cannabis weeks before a sports event will likely test positive for it just before or after the event, prompting the authorities to unfairly ban the sports person for consuming something that is very beneficial to well-being in their free time. The elite nations excel in figuring out the best cocktails of performance-enhancing drugs that can be used without getting caught. That is one of the areas of expertise that those in the field of sports medicine and coaches possess these days. As in the case of the synthetic drugs used for recreation, these synthetic performance enhancing drugs are extremely hard to regulate. No sooner does a synthetic compound appear in the list of banned substances for sports persons, the pharmacist tweaks the chemical cocktails with new synthetic compounds that are not yet on the list. The sports persons of elite nations enjoy the benefit of these new drug cocktails until someone gets caught and the drug comes into the attention of the authorities. How many of these synthetic performance enhancing drugs finally make it to the list of banned substances, what the criteria is, and how many are given the blind eye to help a wealthy sports association, the pharma and medical industry, and nation is anybody's guess. This regulatory action, when it comes to sports, mirrors the regulatory action for medicine and recreational drugs. The natural drugs that are the most easy to detect - and the most likely to be used by sports persons from poorer nations and poorer economic backgrounds - figure prominently on the list of banned substances. The statistics of those found using these natural substances bloats the drug-busting performance figures of sports drug regulatory bodies, much like they bloat the statistics of law and drug enforcement, creating the impression that these regulatory bodies are doing a fine job. This also aids in increasing budgetary allocations for the regulatory bodies, hence the incentive for them to keep these natural substances on their banned substances list, and the resistance from these regulatory bodies to take these natural substances out of their lists, despite all the scientific evidence to the contrary.
Sporting associations - with their strong links to, and funding from, businesses that are opposed to cannabis - are reluctant to explore cannabis as a medicine for their sports persons as they possibly fear that the inflow of revenue to the sporting body will be affected. They prioritize their financial profits over the well-being of the sports person when they refuse to acknowledge cannabis as a valuable aid for the sports person. Speaking about the use of cannabis instead of harmful opioids for pain management, Hemp Industry Daily reported sometime back that, 'The NFL says it is looking for information about “alternatives to opioids in routine pain management.” The request mentions CBD but is open to research on other cannabinoids. The request issued Wednesday also mentions research on the “impact of cannabis or cannabinoids on athletic performance.”' Like as if there is not enough evidence to support the use of cannabis as an alternative to opioids, sports associations themselves want to do further research on the subject. It appears that the US NFL in particular was not satisfied with the widespread evidence of the benefits of cannabis. Marijuana Moment reports that 'A commission formed between the NFL and the league’s players union plans to award up to $1 million in grants for researchers to investigate the therapeutic potential of marijuana, CBD and other alternatives to opioids for treating pain. At a press conference on Tuesday, a representative from the NFL-NFLPA’s Joint Pain Management Committee (PMC) said “clearly there are a lot of great ideas in this space and there’s a lot of important research that needs to be funded.”' To me, this appears like one more way to stall the use of cannabis by sports persons, much like how the US federal government keeps insisting that there is not enough evidence to legalize cannabis, despite the mountains of evidence, and the fact that states like Colorado and Washington have had legalized cannabis for more than a decade now. The Press Herald reported sometime back that 'Professional athletes are turning to cannabis products to help them manage pain, but leagues such as the NFL aren’t yet ready to get on board. Last week, the league said it wants to see more studies of how cannabis affects fitness. At the moment, there’s no scientific evidence that the products work, or that they’re safe, NFL officials said. Additionally, elite professionals aren’t your average jock — a lot of money is at stake and the NFL wants to know exactly how cannabis will affect their performance.' New Frontier Data reported some time back that 'As the National Football League (NFL) prepares to open its training camps later this month, it looks to be a whole new ballgame where legal cannabis is concerned. Last month, the league and the NFL Players Association announced their joint funding of a combined $1 million in research pilot studies to better quantify the effects of cannabis and CBD regarding athletic performance, pain management, and non-pharmacological medical treatments. By the league’s own mission statement, its “intent is to demonstrate the potential for translational breakthroughs by leveraging innovative research, emerging science, current data sets, and archival material related to use of alternatives to opiates in the management of pain, as well as the impact of cannabis or cannabinoids on athletic performance in elite football players.”'
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) associations in the US were among the first to take proactive steps to remove cannabis from the list of banned substances. The Athletic reported, in May 2021, that 'The Florida State Boxing Commission officially removed marijuana, a previously banned substance for MMA fighters and boxers in the state, from its prohibited list Tuesday. "Right move by FL Commission," Jeff Novitzky, UFC's senior VP of athlete health and performance, said on Twitter in response to the news. "They took a close look at the science behind THC excretion and saw it has little to no correlation to being impaired. Hopefully other commissions will follow FL’s lead and the recommendation of ABC Medical Committee."' Marijuana Moment reported in Nevada that '“I think being the gold standard with regard to combat sports—both [Mixed Martial Arts] and boxing—being a world-class destination, and having our state show the leadership and the fortitude in light of some of the recently circumstances we’ve all seen on television, we should be always at the forefront of these issues,” Commission Chair Stephen Cloobeck said at Wednesday’s meeting. “I believe it’s warranted and merited since it is legal in this state,” he said. “I think we need to jump forward being the leader as we’ve always been.” Drug tests for marijuana will continue under the commission’s policy for data collection purposes for six months—without fighters being punished for positive results—after which time NAC, which regulates boxing, mixed martial arts and other combat sports, will revisit whether such ongoing screening is necessary.' The Athletic further reported 'The Athletic recently conducted a wide-ranging survey with 170 professional MMA fighters, 45.9 percent of whom said they currently use marijuana for either recovery or recreational purposes. Another 4.7 percent regularly used marijuana in the past but now don’t. Additionally, 76.5 percent of surveyed fighters said they have used cannabidiol (CBD) products, which are derived from the cannabis plant, for recovery purposes. “I think that sounds pretty accurate,” Novitzky, the UFC’s senior vice president of athlete health and performance, said. “I’ve never polled our roster — it’s all anecdotal — but I have had many, many, many discussions. It’s probably the No. 1 topic of questions that I’m asked from fighters.”' Jiujitsu Times reports 'Gone are the days that an avid competitor would be stocked with mere protein shakes, rash guards, and BJJ t-shirts. Recovery is an integral part and oft-budgeted component of any jiu-jitsu practitioner’s regimen. In correlation with an increasingly tolerant legal landscape coupled with growing evidence about its effectiveness in aiding recovery, CBD products and companies are emerging at an unprecedented rate, many of them aligning themselves directly with the jiu-jitsu culture through events like High Rollerz and the Black Belt CBD Invitational.'
The US National Baseball League (NBL) has been, along with MMA associations, among the few that showed that it was changing with the times. This was especially necessary since hosting sporting events in US states with legalized cannabis was starting to pose challenges to the organizers, given that cannabis businesses were coming forward to sponsor these sporting events. MJBizDaily reported some time back that 'This year’s matchup between the American and National Leagues will mark the first time the All-Star Game has been hosted by a state with a legal recreational marijuana market. Attitudes and policies in professional sports have become friendlier toward cannabis in recent years. In late 2019, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced it was removing marijuana and other “natural cannabinoids” from its list of banned substances. Also, a number of former professional baseball players have embraced cannabis as their preferred anti-inflammatory, pain relief or anti-anxiety medication.' Wall Street Journal reports 'Another “sin industry” universities are embracing appears to be cannabis, particularly in states where marijuana has been legalized—19 and counting [now 24 and counting]. The financial crunch caused by the pandemic is a big reason why the University of Colorado dipped its toes into the space this spring, about nine years after the state legalized weed. “We had to get creative and look at how we could increase our revenues,” said Lance Gerlach, the university’s assistant vice chancellor of advancement. Colorado became one of the first major universities to add a cannabidiol purveyor as a corporate sponsor in April, signing a multiyear partnership with Synchronicity Full-Spectrum Hemp Oil, a local supplier of CBD products.'
Leafly published a list of cannabis smoking superstars in the National Basketball Association (NBA). It reports 'Between drug tests, criminal charges and racist myths that weed stunts leadership and work ethic, many NBA legends had to keep their love for the plant on the low. Other budding stars had their careers sidetracked because of stigmas about the plant. In celebration of another 420-friendly season, Leafly saw it fit to honor the high-flying pioneers who paved the way for this moment. Without further ado, light one up for Leafly’s inaugural All-Reefer team.' Finally, in 2023, Marijuana Moment reported that the US NBA was doing away with cannabis testing for its sports persons. The report says 'The National Basketball Association (NBA) is reportedly removing marijuana from its list of banned substances and will no longer drug test players for it as part of a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement. The move, first reported on Saturday by Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, formally codifies what has been the league’s decision to temporarily suspend cannabis testing for the past three seasons. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver signaled in late 2020 that the policy could eventually become permanent after the league initially suspended cannabis testing when players competed in a quarantined “bubble” in Orlando at the start of the coronavirus pandemic earlier that year. “We decided that, given all the things that were happening in society, given all the pressures and stress that players were under, that we didn’t need to act as Big Brother right now,” he said at the time. “I think society’s views around marijuana has changed to a certain extent.”' Speaking about the changing landscape in the US, Marijuana Moment reports, quoting NBA star Kevin Durant, 'Durant said that the stigma around marijuana use among athletes has been gradually eroding. “The band aid has been ripped off in the sports world,” he said. However “it’s kind of an undercover thing that players use cannabis, and use it throughout when they’re actively playing.” “I thought it was always interesting that the rest of the world was a little slower to be open about cannabis and its use, but to see, walking down the street—I live in San Francisco—you walk around the corner, there’s four or five dispensaries right on the corner.”'
When the fake pandemic Covid - aimed at boosting the pharma, petrochemical and medical industry - shook the world, the sports community were among those who felt the brunt the most with increased isolation and widespread disruption of sports. This led to an increase in cannabis usage by the community to manage the heightened stress that the situation created. During this period, a number of sports associations chose to turn a blind eye to cannabis usage by their sports persons. The Athletic reports that 'Joe Vardon, NBA senior writer: When the league was set to resume the 2020 season at Disney, severe restrictions were put in place due to COVID-19 that limited the players’ sociability. For two months, no families were allowed into the bubble, friends were never allowed, and no one was permitted into anyone else’s room. Players weren’t allowed to leave campus for any reason. So to ease the mental stress of it all the league chose to look the other way if players wanted to use marijuana.' In 2021, the US National Basketball Association (NBA) reported that it was temporarily suspending cannabis testing for the 2021-2022 season, possibly as a follow up to the Covid relaxation. Marijuana Moment reports 'The NBA is extending its policy of not randomly drug testing players for marijuana through the 2021-2022 season, a league spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver signaled late last year that the temporary suspension of cannabis drug testing may continue. And now Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass is confirming that the policy will be in place at least through the upcoming season that begins this month, according to The Associated Press. “We have agreed with the [NBA Players Association] to extend the suspension of random testing for marijuana for the 2021-22 season and focus our random testing program on performance-enhancing products and drugs of abuse,” he said. The development was first reported by ESPN, which obtained a memo on the issue that was recently circulated to NBA players.' Leafly also reported on the same subject, stating 'ESPN reports that the NBA will continue to turn a blind eye to cannabis consumption during the 2021-2022 campaign. The league did not conduct random testing for cannabis during its 2020 playoff bubble—news that sent some players scrambling to figure out how long a pound would last them on the Disney campus.' This leniency did not last for long, as per my understanding, as the associations resumed their cannabis testing soon after the world had kicked the fake pandemic out of the door.
The harassment by authorities of sports persons who use cannabis to protect their health continues however. The main reason why this problem exists in the US is the disparity between individual state cannabis policies and the federal US government. While 24 US states have legalized cannabis for recreational use, 38 US states have legalized cannabis for medical use, and overwhelming support for cannabis legalization among the US public, the US federal government continues its reefer madness policies to protect the industries opposed to cannabis. In this way, the federal US government punishes the very people who are responsible for making it the global power that it is. So, while Republican politicians go about wearing MAGA caps and undergarments, they push their soldiers and sports persons to opioid and alcohol addiction by opposing every single cannabis legalization measure that can truly help to make America great. Discrimination against Blacks on the basis of cannabis is widely known. This holds true for Black sports persons as much as it does for the rest of society. Leafly reports, 'For decades, the relationship between cannabis and sports was non-existent. Every major league except Major League Baseball has a ban on cannabis use. And the “character” issues associated with Black athletes and drug use has always been volatile. Luckily, the ‘20s are shaping up to be a new era for cannabis and the Black athlete. From investments to deals with TV networks, Black athletes are quickly becoming champions of both sports and cannabis.' Nowhere was this harassment of elite sports persons more evident than the treatment meted out to the 100 meters sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson when she was banned by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) from competing in the Tokyo Olympics for cannabis usage in her native state of Oregon, where recreational use has been legalized. Marijuana Moment reported before the Tokyo Olympics that 'Sha’Carri Richardson, known as the fastest woman in America, was set to compete in the Tokyo Olympics this month before testing positive for THC in violation of USADA policy. The runner admitted to consuming cannabis in Oregon, where marijuana is legal for adult use, after learning about the death of her biological mother during a press interview.' On the same subject, Leafly reported that 'Richardson is just one of many athletes who use cannabis. From professional basketball players to football stars, cannabinoids have helped athletes recover, manage anxiety, stay focused, and stay off of pain killers. In this case, Richardson explained that she had been using cannabis to cope with the loss of her biological mother just one week before she qualified for the Olympics with a trials-winning 10.86 seconds 100-meter race in Oregon last month. The issue brings harsh focus on a played-out issue. Society continues to rely on athletes to entertain and represent us on some of the world’s biggest stages, but when do we allow them to participate in the same cannabis self-care that the rest of the world does?' ESPN reports that 'The Transportation and Security Administration searched [LA Lakers] Caruso's bags and found a herb grinder that contained marijuana, Richardson said. According to online records, Caruso was arrested for possession of less than two ounces of marijuana. He was released after posting bond.'
Writing about Duane Thomas, the cannabis using NFL legend, Hunter S Thompson says in Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, 'What was it like for those humorless, god-fearing Alger-bent Jesus Freaks to go out on that field in front of one hundred-thousand people in New Orleans and get beated like gongs by the only certified dope freak in the NFL? Thomas ran through the Dolphins like a mule through corn-stalks. It was a fine thing to see; and it was no real surprise when the Texas cops busted him, two weeks later, for Possession of Marijuana...and the Dallas coach said Yes, he'd just as soon trade Duane Thomas for almost anybody. They don't get along. Tom Landry, the Cowboys' coach, never misses a chance to get up on the platform with Billy Graham whenever The Crusade plays in Dallas. Duane Thomas calls Landry a "plastic man." He tells reporters that the team's general manager, Tex Schramm, is "sick, demented and vicious." Thomas played his whole season, last year, without ever uttering a sentence to anyone on the team: not the coach, the quarter back, his blockers - nobody; dead silence.' Thompson further wrote about the subject, saying 'All he did was take the ball and run every time they called his number - which came to be more and more often, and in the Super Bowl Thomas was the whole show. But the season is over now; the purse is safe in the vault; and Duane Thomas is facing two to twenty for possession. Nobody really expects him to serve time, but nobody seems to think he'll be playing for Dallas next year, either...and a few sporting people who claim to know how the NFL works say he won't be playing for anybody next year; that the commissioner is outraged at this mockery of all those government-sponsored "Beware of Dope" TV shots that dressed up the screen last autumn. We all enjoyed the spots, but not every one found them convincing. Here was a White House directive saying several million dollars would be spent to drill dozens of Name Players to stare at the camera and try to stop grinding their teeth long enough to say they hate drugs of any kind...and then the best running back in the world turns out to be a goddamn uncontrollable drug-sucker.' Duane Thomas even faced resistance from his mother, as do most cannabis users whose parents come from the reefer madness generation, when he tried to get his mother to use cannabis as medicine for her medical conditions. A report says, 'When his mom got sick, her appetite just wasn’t there and the doctors who were trying to get her to eat wanted to prescribe cannabis. However, as many others in her generation, Mrs. Thomas still thought of the plant as a dangerous drug — and her response was to succinctly decline the prescription. "Well, I’m not smoking no reefer!," Thomas recalls his mother’s stern response to the doctor’s offer. Although today he remembers his mom’s reply with laughter, it was certainly no laughing matter at the time. The “prescribed cannabis experience,” however, had a significant impact on Thomas’ perception of the plant. He now knew about its medicinal benefits and felt like something had to change in the world.'
The use of drugs - especially that loathsome cannabis - is something that never fails to excite the media, politicians and the general public. Why, even the global anti-drug regulatory agency calls itself 'World Anti-Doping Agency' or WADA. In case you are wet behind the years, the word 'dope' is slang for cannabis. Opium is 'junk', methamphetamine is 'meth' and cocaine is 'coke'. So, what sports anti-drug regulatory agencies hate the most is that ganja used by freaks, misfits, social outcasts and the despicable lower classes and castes that form the poorest nations of the world and poorest sections of society. A sports person from these sections of society, and a 'dope' at that, must surely be banished by the elites who consume the squeaky clean white powders and inject themselves with expensive liquids that come from vials, no? Speaking about the inherent bias in society against drug taking sports persons, Hunter Thompson writes in Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, 'Most sportswriters are so blank on the subject of drugs that you can only talk to them about it at your own risk - which is easy enough, for me, because I get a boot out of seeing their eyes bulge; but it can be disastrous to a professional football player who makes the casual mistake of assuming that a sportswriter knows what he's talking about when he uses a word like "crank." Any professional athlete who talks to a sportswriter about "drugs" - even with the best and most constructive intentions - is taking a very heavy risk. There is a definite element of hysteria about drugs of any kind in pro football today, and a casual remark - even a meaningless remark - across the table in a friendly hometown bar can lead, very quickly, to a seat in the witness chair in front of a congressional committee. Ah...drugs, that word again. It was a hard word to avoid in NFL circles last year - like the "missile gap" in the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon election, or "law and order" in 1968. Nineteen seventy-three was a pretty dull press-year for congressmen. The Senate's Watergate Committee had managed, somehow, to preempt most of the ink and air-time...and one of the few congressmen who managed to lash his own special gig past that barrier was an apparently senile sixty-seven-year-old ex-sheriff and football coach from West Virginia named Harley Staggers. Somewhere in the spastic interim between John Dean and "Bob" Haldeman, Congressman Staggers managed to collar some story-starved sportswriter from the New York Times long enough to announce that his committee - the House Subcommittee on Investigations - had stumbled on such a king-hell wasps' nest of evidence in the course of their probe into "the use of drugs by athletes" that the committee was prepared - or almost prepared, pending further evidence - to come to grips with their natural human duty and offer up a law, very soon, that would require individual urinalysis tests on all professional athletes and especially pro football players.' As an example of the media's role in the continued anti-cannabis propaganda, and its role in inflicting suffering on sports persons, an article in a leading newspaper, The Hindu, in India - the land of Siva and ganja - says 'The big surprise is that it is for marijuana, a recreational drug, that Davinder has tested positive for. The Punjab athlete’s urine sample had been taken during the Indian Grand Prix in New Delhi on May 15. There has been a raging debate for years on whether recreational drugs help improve performance, and many feel that they do not. Yet, there is a school which believes that the euphoric effect the drug produces and the ability to increase alertness for short spells could aid performance.' Another article in The Hindu says 'Sportspersons using recreational drugs is nothing new around the world. In India, the practice has, however, shown an upward trend, especially among school-going athletes, recently.' When India's leading media voices have this to say, is it any wonder that the country of 1.4 billion goes over the moon when it manages to register itself in the Olympics tally with a couple of bronze medals?
The World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) is as strongly influenced by the US Anti Doping Agency (USADA) as the United Nations is influenced by the US. The US wields the same kind of power and influence in both these global areas because it is one of the key funders to both. So, it is the US money that talks in both places, keeping cannabis prohibited to protect US international and national interests. This forms one of the main reasons for US power and influence both in the areas of international policy and sports. This also forms the basis of thinking such as cannabis is more harmful than alcohol or opioids. LA Times reports 'WADA should take marijuana off its list of banned substances and review the rest of its prohibitions. A 2018 paper co-written by WADA’s medical director found no evidence that marijuana is a performance enhancer. WADA has in the past rationalized its rule by saying that athletes who are competing under the influence “potentially endanger themselves and others because of increased risk taking, slower reaction times and poor executive function or decision making.” Let’s get real. They think all that and more isn’t possible for a drunk athlete? Yet in 2018, alcohol was taken off the list of prohibited substances, and one of the founders of WADA has said the marijuana ban had more to do with government attitudes toward the drug than anything else.' Even if the USADA wants to change its cannabis policy in keeping with the latest scientific and medical evidence, it is shackled by the US federal government. Marijuana Moment reports that 'The response letter also acknowledged that the origin of the marijuana ban was largely influenced by the U.S. government in the 1990s—something the first president of WADA touched on in a recent interview with Marijuana Moment. And while advocates have strongly opposed the penalty against Richardson, USADA said that questions still remain as to whether marijuana should be considered a performance enhancing drug, as it “has also been reported in scientific literature and anecdotally by athletes that marijuana can decrease anxiety, fear, depression and tension thereby allowing athletes to better perform under pressure and alleviating stress experienced immediately before and during competition.”' This is much like how the UN is shackled by the US federal government even if the WHO says cannabis is not harmful and the UN wishes to legalize cannabis. The wealth, power and influence of the industries opposed to cannabis can be gauged from all this, as they continue to hold the federal US government by its balls despite all the evidence and pressure from the public. In response to all this, the US makes cosmetic changes such as showing that it is trying to move cannabis to the least restrictive schedule of its Controlled Substances Act, when cannabis should never have been on the list at all, in the first place. Marijuana Moment further reports on this subject at the time of Sha'Carri Richardson's ban, saying 'Richard Pound, who served as the first president of WADA, spoke to Marijuana Moment about the origins of the cannabis ban and said that the U.S. was “really quite adamant that [cannabis] was on the list” of prohibited substances. “The U.S. was a leader in saying—and this was the ONDCP saying this—’in our view, marijuana is the entry-level drug. If you can keep people from using marijuana, they don’t graduate to cocaine and heroin and some of the other the other chemical variations of these things.'”' Reporting on how the US federal attitude towards cannabis has come to bite it in its own backside, Marijuana Moment reports '“On the contrary, as has been reported by some media, the U.S. has been one of the most vocal and strong advocates for including cannabinoids on the Prohibited List,” the letter from Witold Banka, WADA’s president, said. “The meeting minutes and written submissions received from the U.S. over nearly two decades, in particular from [the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency], have consistently advocated for cannabinoids to be included on the Prohibited List.”' After decades of bullying nations across the world to sign up to the 1961 Single Convention Treaty prohibiting cannabis, the US now claims that it is one of the more liberal nations. It claims that even if it removed the cannabis ban on its sports persons, other nations would not be as liberal as it. Trashing this hypocritical argument, WADA sent a letter to US lawmakers making it clear that the US played a leading role in global cannabis prohibition. Marijuana Moment reports 'The [US] sports official also noted that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is a comprehensive body comprised of “650 organizations,” and “neither the United States Olympic Committee nor USADA nor the [USA Track & Field] have anything to do with making up the rules.” “In most countries in the world, it’s still an illegal substance,” Moses said. “And there’s countries in the world that under no circumstance will they ever be as liberal as we are.” But WADA recently made clear in a letter to Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) this month that the U.S. itself played a leading role in imposing the cannabis prohibition. And the first president of WADA, Richard Pound, made similar comments in a recent interview with Marijuana Moment, pointing to how the country essentially bullied the rest of the world in including cannabis on the banned substances list.' The former British running great Sebastian Coe, who is now a top global sports official, is quoted by Marijuana Moment as saying '“It’s not an unreasonable moment to have a review” of the international marijuana policy, Coe said. According to Reuters, the official added that he has spoken to the chairman of the Athletics Integrity Unit about undertaking a formal review of current policies. Coe is far from alone in saying it’s time to reconsider cannabis penalties in sports. Athletics officials and lawmakers alike have argued that Richardson’s suspension for using marijuana in a legal state after learning of her mother’s death highlights the need for reform.'
Recently WADA relaxed its policies on the usage of cannabidiol (CBD). It however continued to keep delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on the banned substances list. THC is, in fact, the most medicinal compound in cannabis, so this decision by WADA is akin to the US saying that it will move from its most restrictive schedule to its least restrictive schedule of the Controlled Substances Act. These moves have no practical benefit for the common person, and the common sportsperson, as cannabis still is as tightly controlled as before and the policies are as stringent as before. Leafly reports that 'For high-level athletes, and those of us who strive to reach such heights, the search for performance-enhancing substances is eternal and challenging. Supplements have to conform to anti-doping laws, be safe, and preferably natural. Enter CBD, or cannabidiol. CBD is currently creating ripples among athletes, who claim benefits as varied as accelerated recovery from injury, sounder sleep, and reduced muscle pain. Although many organizations regard cannabis’ other main cannabinoid, THC, an illicit substance, the World Anti-Doping Agency permits the use of pure CBD isolate. CBD is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid with anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anti-anxiety, and analgesic properties, and could represent a legal, game-changing supplement.' The whole banning of THC, claiming that it is psychotropic and setting a completely unscientific limit of 0.3% on THC, is at the core of the global cannabis ban, not just in sports. The allegations are that THC makes you 'high' i.e. induces feelings of euphoria and well-being, and that this is not allowed. Well then, why not ban sports itself altogether because that is precisely what sports does - it makes you high and induces a sense of well being - which means that sports itself is psychotropic. You might as well add sex, walking, cooking, reading, and every possible human activity to the list of psychotropics then. Why, living itself makes one feel euphoric and promotes human well-being. Add life itself to the list of psychotropics to be banned? This again brings us to the question of what is it that must be controlled, monitored or banned? The answer is the same, whether it is in the field of sports or in the field of life itself. Let me restate it. What needs to be monitored, controlled and possibly banned are the dangerous substances emerging from the laboratory as the result of human creation - the synthetics. Any natural substance has been time tested by nature and humans for thousands of years across diverse human populations. If a human continues to use these natural substances after all this extensive field testing, then that substance is safe for human usage. The synthetics that emerge from the lab and the pharmacy are compounds created by humans in a short span of time - often driven by motives of profit maximization rather than providing medicinal benefits to the user. These synthetics have not been field and time tested. Unscrupulous pharmaceutical companies position these synthetics as performance enhancers, and sports persons and their coaches fall into the trap. They consume it and end up harming themselves, even though they gain an unfair advantage over a short period of time in their field of sports. The focus of regulators in the field of sports must be the same as the focus of regulators in the overall field of drugs. All regulators must focus on the human created synthetics and not on the natural substances abounding in nature. Cannabis especially, with its vast health benefits, must first and foremost be taken out of the lists of banned substances everywhere, be it the field of sports or the field of public health. Then, maybe we will have a level playing field across the world, and we will see more and more medals for the poorer nations in the medals tally rather than the elites who dominate sports, and every other field, using their wealth and their synthetics.
The Sha'Carri Richardson incident brought widespread national attention in the US on the hypocrisy of federal US cannabis policies. Marijuana Moment reports, 'But the reality of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) marijuana ban may change amid the public pushback against it that followed Richardson’s suspension. The runner said she’d be happy if the prohibition was lifted and if the reaction to her circumstances led to reforms that protected other athletes from being penalized over cannabis. “If those rules do change, honestly I’m just blessed and proud of the fact I could do that for other athletes,” she said.' Various eminent persons weighed in their opinions on the subject. Marijuana Moment reports 'To understand the sports ban, it’s important to look at the broader origins of marijuana prohibition in the U.S., Gruber said. Despite the historic use of cannabis as a medicine, it was banned and demonized during a period of hysteria driven by the 1936 propaganda film “Reefer Madness,” when the nation “really fell under this spell” that marijuana was dangerous and warranted criminalization. While many myths about cannabis have been debunked and there’s a growing scientific literature demonstrating its therapeutic value, the government—and sports associations—have stalled on enacting reform that reflects that reality. StarTalk co-host Chuck Nice pointed out that while Biden has emphasized the need to follow the science when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic, the same can’t be said with respect to his marijuana policy position. The president remains opposed to federally legalizing cannabis. [Neil Degrasse] Tyson said that makes sense “because he’s the Reefer Madness generation—that’s why, that’s why.”'
Following the Sha'Carri incident WADA said that it would review its cannabis policies. Marijuana Moment reported in September 2021 that 'The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will conduct a scientific review of marijuana next year to determine whether it should continue an international ban on cannabis use by athletes. WADA’s marijuana policy became a major focus this summer following the suspension of U.S. runner Sha’Carri Richardson from participating in the Olympics over a positive THC test. The organization’s executive committee on Tuesday said it had accepted a recommendation from a drug list advisory board to reexamine the science on marijuana, which could inform a potential policy change.' Did anything change? Nothing that I am aware of.
Most sports associations focus on cannabis as a key drug for its testing of sports persons, though recent changes to cannabis policy are starting to show a decreased focus. Sports associations however do not make the sports persons aware of the increased relaxation of cannabis policies, as they themselves are still very much opposed to cannabis, preferring dangerous and addictive opioids and other synthetic pharmaceutical medications where they can make money, over the safe sports medicine that cannabis is. NBC reports that 'Before the 2020 CBA, the NFL’s annual testing window for marijuana and other drugs covered by the substance abuse policy opened on April 20. (Yes, 4/20.) Under the 2020 CBA, the window still opens on April 20 for all street drugs other than marijuana. On April 19, a text message sent by the NFL Players Association to all players created a panic because it didn’t mention the marijuana exception.' Even the relaxation of rules on CBD - which was already in place before the Sha'Carri incident - was done so discretely and in such a way that I think that most sports persons and sports associations are still unaware, after three years, that cannabidiol is not a banned substance for a sports person. This was hardly publicized and I suspect that numerous sports persons are being banned and harassed for the use of CBD, even today, by sports associations and the authorities for a substance that WADA now permits, at least officially that is. Sports Medicine reported 'Cannabis has been prohibited in all sports during competition since the World Anti-Doping Agency first assumed the responsibility of establishing and maintaining the list of prohibited substances in sport 15 years ago. In 2018, however, CBD was removed from the Prohibited List, presumably on the basis of mounting scientific evidence that the cannabinoid is safe and well-tolerated in humans, even at very high doses (e.g. 1500 mg·day-1 or as an acute dose of 6000 mg). While several recent reviews have described the impact of cannabis on athlete health and performance, the influence of CBD alone has yet to be addressed. The aim of this narrative review was to explore evidence on the physiological, biochemical, and psychological effects of CBD that may be relevant to sport and/or exercise performance and to identify relevant areas for future research. Given the absence of studies directly investigating CBD and sports performance, this review draws primarily on preclinical studies involving laboratory animals and a limited number of clinical trials involving non-athlete populations.' Hemp Industry Daily reported in 2018 that 'CBD got an even bigger boost among athletes in January, when the World Anti-Doping Agency removed cannabidiol from its list of banned substances. The change freed athletes at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea to use CBD and has prompted a surge in products aimed at athletes.'
The US PGA Tour, however, warned its golfers to stay away from CBD even though it had been permitted by WADA. Marijuana Moment reports that 'The PGA Tour is warning golfers to use CBD at their own risk. While the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) dropped the marijuana compound from its list of banned substances for athletes last year, the golf organization wants its players to be advised that some CBD products may contain THC, which is still prohibited by the league. WADA’s decision “led to an increase of CBD products and marketing directed toward athletes at all levels of play,” reads a notice in a PGA Tour newsletter sent out to players last month. “CBD products (like all supplements) pose a risk to athletes because they have limited government regulation and may contain THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis that is prohibited.”' The PGA Tour would not want some dreadlocked tramps walking onto the golf course, swinging their clubs into the faces of the elites in their neatly ironed trousers and cologne drenched t-shirts, would they?
The World Health Organization (WHO) should know a thing or two about public health and medicine, shouldn't it? Cannabis Now reported in 2019 that 'As more jurisdictions across the planet are moving to legalize marijuana for medical and recreational purposes, it feels like a sensible move for the world’s leading health authority to publish the truth on the safety of the cannabis plant. And it has done just that… and in a big way. It was just last week that the World Health Organization (WHO) gathered in Switzerland to conduct a first-of-its-kind peer-review of the entire cannabis plant, not just specific compounds. Now, the agency’s Drug and Dependence Committee has published a new report, calling marijuana “a relatively safe drug” that causes no significant health issues, only “euphoria, laughter and talkativeness.”' Forbes reported in 2019 that 'The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for whole-plant marijuana, as well as cannabis resin, to be removed from Schedule IV—the most restrictive category of a 1961 drug convention signed by countries from around the world. The body also wants delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its isomers to be completely removed from a separate 1971 drug treaty and instead added to Schedule I of the 1961 convention, according to a WHO document that has not yet been formally released but was circulated by cannabis reform advocates. Marijuana and cannabis resin would also remain in Schedule I of the 1961 treaty—they are currently dual-designated in Schedules I and IV, with IV being reserved for those substances that are seen as particularly harmful with limited medical benefits. (That's different from the U.S. federal system, under which Schedule I is where the supposedly most dangerous and restricted drugs—like marijuana, heroin and LSD—are classified.)' In 2020, the UN moved cannabis from its most restrictive schedule to the least restricted one. That had no benefit for the sports person as cannabis remained as tightly controlled as before. Now, after 4 years, the US finally is debating, yes debating, whether to align its own Controlled Substances Act with UN policy.
Today, obesity is one of the key challenges facing the human population world wide. This is primarily driven by large periods of inactivity and the consumption of improper diets. This is not just a problem among the wealthy nations but appears to be a health pandemic affecting even large sections of the lower classes world wide. Smartphones and junk food are factors that contribute to it. The lack of importance given to sports across society, especially at the school levels is also a key factor. What is alarming globally is the rise in obesity and malnutrition among the younger generations who, historically, were much fitter before they succumbed to the lifestyles of the modern world. Cannabis usage increases the fitness levels of the general population, reducing obesity and increasing physical activity because it works both as an excellent stimulant and healer of stress and fatigue. NORML reports that 'Young adults who consume cannabis are far less likely than never users to suffer from metabolic syndrome (MetS), according to data published in the American Journal of Open Medicine. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors, including unhealthy cholesterol levels and abdominal fat, that are linked to an increased risk of heart disease and adult-onset diabetes, among other serious health consequences. Researchers affiliated with the University of Miami assessed the relationship between cannabis use and MetS in a nationally representative cohort of nearly 4,000 young adults (ages 18 to 25). Consistent with prior studies, current cannabis consumers had lower waist circumference and lower BMI compared to controls. Overall, current cannabis consumers possessed 42 percent lower odds of having MetS. Non-Hispanic Blacks, who acknowledged consuming cannabis at higher rates than other subjects, were least likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome. “Current cannabis users had a lower prevalence of MetS, predominantly noted among NHB [non-Hispanic Blacks], the group with the highest prevalence of current cannabis use,” the study’s authors concluded. “Future prospective studies are warranted to examine the role of specific cannabinoids on MetS by race/ethnicity.”' On the same subject, New Frontier Data reports, 'Now, let's talk about getting high on fitness—literally. 14% of cannabis consumers are blending their workouts with a touch of green. Before they hit the pavement, 47% reach for cannabis to kickstart their motivation. And afterward, 47% using it to soothe sore muscles and 33% for a speedy recovery. Intriguingly, there's some gender differences in cannabis usage for fitness, with women favoring it more for post-workout soreness relief at 56%, compared to men at 40%. While men are more likely than women to incorporate cannabis into their weightlifting routines.' It is not just the younger population that benefits from cannabis as an aid to physical activity, it is the older generation as well, who feel exercise-induced pain and fatigue much more than youth. Cannabis usage is seeing maximum increase in the elderly age group which includes retired sports persons and coaches. This is what makes the older generation the key demographic seeing the most increase in cannabis usage since its legalization in various parts of the world. Marijuana Moment reports that 'To explain that trend, the study suggests that cannabis “is being used for exercise-induced pain recovery, since [physical activity] brings about pain and muscle soreness, and a decreased pain threshold and muscle hypersensitivity have been documented with increasing age.”' Cambridge Publications reports 'Cannabis is not a short cut to physical fitness. You need to still do what is necessary to stay active and fit. Fitness and cannabis however can work together for a better overall quality of life. 'Following monitored abstinence, increased CAN use was associated with poorer performance in working memory and psychomotor speed. Higher aerobic fitness level moderated the impact of CAN on visual memory, executive function and psychomotor speed, as more aerobically fit CAN users demonstrated better performance relative to low-fit users. Therefore, aerobic fitness may present an affordable and efficacious method to improve cognitive functioning in CAN users.' Westword reports that '“We’re really excited to create a new community for cannabis enthusiasts and runners to unite,” Stratos sales and marketing director Kate Heckman says in a statement announcing the group's formation. “Whether it’s applying a cannabis salve to sore muscles, relaxing with cannabis after a run or using CBD to decrease inflammation after a long workout, cannabis can support athletic training in so many ways.”' Nature reports that 'The stereotypical image of a cannabis smoker is someone who sprawls on the sofa for hours surrounded by a haze of smoke and half-eaten snacks. The scene is played up for laughs in films, but social psychologist Angela Bryan thought it could be cause for concern. After all, cannabis is known to increase appetite and aid relaxation, which might put people at risk of health conditions such as obesity, says Bryan, who is at the University of Colorado Boulder. But digging into health trends revealed the opposite. Nationwide US studies report that, compared to non-users, cannabis users actually have a lower prevalence of obesity.'
Leading sports persons have not only advocated the benefits of cannabis, they are also jumping onto the bandwagon of cannabis as a business these days, in places that have legalized cannabis for recreational purposes, thus offering a way to improve the financial security of sports persons who would otherwise find themselves struggling to make ends meet once their relatively short sporting careers end in middle age. Business Insider reports, 'Adding to his business acumen during the COVID-19 pandemic, Earvin "Magic" Johnson has made an entrepreneurial move into a rapidly growing industry — the retail sale of hemp and CBD.' Boston Globe reports 'The announcement by the three-time Super Bowl champion [Rob Gronkowski] instantly raised the profile of a substance that is exploding in popularity, even as questions swirl about its legality and medical effectiveness. Though Gronkowski is the latest in a long line of celebrities to promote CBD, his endorsement could signal a key moment in the drug’s evolving acceptance among sports leagues and consumers.' Lancaster Online reports 'The roughly 1,200-square-foot Lancaster cafe will have coffee and small plates of food, with seating for around 15. It will showcase bikes from Van Dessel, which sponsors Floyd’s Pro Cycle, Landis professional cycling team. Van Dessel also makes an electric bike, in conjunction with Panasonic, which will be featured. The shop will have some bikes for sale but will not be a full-service shop offering repairs and service. And while Landis has a business selling marijuana in Colorado where it is legal, his Lancaster shop will only sell cannabidiol (CBD) products such as softgels, tinctures and creams that are legal in Pennsylvania without a special license.' Even former members of sports associations are entering cannabis businesses.
As long as the sports person is active, sports associations foot the medical bills, but once sports persons retire from age or injury, they themselves need to foot the medical bills for these cocktails in most cases. By this time, the sports person is likely to be severely addicted to many of these medications, besides alcohol and recreational drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin. The necessity for these drugs just to stay functional often sees the sports person's life nosediving into poverty. The chances of being gainfully employed in most other fields is not available to them, and it is only a lucky few who get coaching, consulting or commentating contracts if they have the necessary skills. The life of a former sports person is similar to that of a former soldier. The sports person is abandoned by society, ending up living alone, often in poverty and forced to use alcohol and synthetic prescription drugs to fight the pain and injuries of the battered body and mind. Many are addicted to the alcohol and opioids that the sports associations only allowed them. NORML reports on the benefit of cannabis for former elite athletes, 'The twice-daily use of topical CBD is well-tolerated and alleviates chronic pain in former elite-level (professional) athletes, according to observational data published in the Journal of Cannabis Research. Researchers with Louisiana State University assessed the safety and efficacy of a proprietary topical CBD product in a cohort of former athletes suffering from chronic pain. Study subjects took 10mg of CBD twice daily via a controlled dispenser for six weeks. Patients reported significant decreases in pain and improvements in their quality of life during the course of the study. CBD treatment was well-tolerated and only minor adverse effects (e.g., skin dryness) were reported. Authors concluded: “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study testing the efficacy of CBD treatment on elite athletes. … The current findings support the continued development of topical CBD with all participants reporting relief from pain and almost all participants seeing a decrease in disability related to pain during the 6-week study period.”' The same benefits apply to former coaches and sports administration staff as they do for former sports persons. CBS Sports reports 'It's been nearly a decade since Don Nelson coached his last NBA game, but the former Warriors coach has apparently been keeping busy in retirement. Specifically, he's been smoking pot, man. The 78-year-old Nelson confirmed as much on Thursday night in Golden State during a press conference alongside former Warriors stars Jason Richardson and Stephen Jackson.'
Even if you are a sports fan, sitting in front of the television watching a sport rather than actually participating, cannabis helps to make it a truly immersive experience. I can vouch from personal experience that there is nothing better than lighting up a joint before watching a sporting event to make the whole experience much more pleasurable. Marijuana Moment reports, 'The poll, conducted by Morning Consult, breaks down how common cannabis consumption is among 14 groups of self-identified sports fans. For e-sports, 35 percent of fans said that they smoke or ingest marijuana often or sometimes, while 29 percent said they used CBD products. By contrast, 20 percent of MLB fans said they consume marijuana and 17 percent said the same about CBD.'
Will the elites who control the entire field of sports, and the narrative currently, legalize cannabis? That remains to be seen. But the change is inevitable, as we can see in places where cannabis has been legalized for the general public. You cannot stop cannabis from re-entering every field of human activity, especially once awareness about the benefits of cannabis, the harms of its prohibition, the falsehood of the anti-cannabis narrative, the way in which cannabis prohibition skews things in favor of the elites, increases among the people. The science will do the work, and the sportsperson will have their rights back. Cannabis will enable the talented sports person, and those for whom sports really matter, to create innovative and sustainable ways to find success where money and synthetics are not the overriding factor. When we see the spread of medal winners including those from the poorest nations of Africa and Asia, persons who can perform and win with the bare minimum in addition to their talent and skill, then we can say that equality has truly arrived in the field of sports. Cannabis will make that happen. It is not a question of if, but of when. As I write this, Sha'Carri Richardson finished second in the finals of the 100m sprint at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She has overcome tremendous challenges, grief and discrimination to reach this point. She has, through her case, brought focus on the discrimination that cannabis users face in the field of sports, and in society in general. Cannabis is back, and it is here to stay. You cannot change that. What needs to change is the attitude of the elites who seek all means - fair or foul - to secure their advantage in every sphere of life. What needs to change is discriminatory anti-cannabis sports policies, and discriminatory global anti-cannabis policies. Only then will equality be restored. In case you did not notice, the Olympic symbol, its rings of five colors has red, gold and green in it - the colors of ganja - besides blue and brown...
Related articles
Listed below are articles taken from various media related to the above subject. Words in italics are the thoughts of your truly at the time of reading the article.
Young adults who consume cannabis are far less likely than never users to suffer from metabolic syndrome (MetS), according to data published in the American Journal of Open Medicine. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors, including unhealthy cholesterol levels and abdominal fat, that are linked to an increased risk of heart disease and adult-onset diabetes, among other serious health consequences.
Researchers affiliated with the University of Miami assessed the relationship between cannabis use and MetS in a nationally representative cohort of nearly 4,000 young adults (ages 18 to 25).
Consistent with prior studies, current cannabis consumers had lower waist circumference and lower BMI compared to controls.
Overall, current cannabis consumers possessed 42 percent lower odds of having MetS. Non-Hispanic Blacks, who acknowledged consuming cannabis at higher rates than other subjects, were least likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome.
“Current cannabis users had a lower prevalence of MetS, predominantly noted among NHB [non-Hispanic Blacks], the group with the highest prevalence of current cannabis use,” the study’s authors concluded. “Future prospective studies are warranted to examine the role of specific cannabinoids on MetS by race/ethnicity.”
https://norml.org/news/2024/07/25/study-cannabis-use-inversely-associated-with-metabolic-syndrome-in-younger-adults/
Now, let's talk about getting high on fitness—literally. 14% of cannabis consumers are blending their workouts with a touch of green. Before they hit the pavement, 47% reach for cannabis to kickstart their motivation. And afterward, 47% using it to soothe sore muscles and 33% for a speedy recovery.
Intriguingly, there's some gender differences in cannabis usage for fitness, with women favoring it more for post-workout soreness relief at 56%, compared to men at 40%. While men are more likely than women to incorporate cannabis into their weightlifting routines.
https://info.newfrontierdata.com/cannabis-fitness-infographic
https://norml.org/news/2023/11/16/meta-analysis-cannabis-use-associated-with-weight-loss-lower-bmi/
'Adding to his business acumen during the COVID-19 pandemic, Earvin "Magic" Johnson has made an entrepreneurial move into a rapidly growing industry — the retail sale of hemp and CBD.'
https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/magic-johnson-on-his-new-partnership-with-a-cbd-retailer-and-the-start-of-the-nba-bubble/articleshow/77248745.cms
'The poll, conducted by Morning Consult, breaks down how common cannabis consumption is among 14 groups of self-identified sports fans.
For e-sports, 35 percent of fans said that they smoke or ingest marijuana often or sometimes, while 29 percent said they used CBD products. By contrast, 20 percent of MLB fans said they consume marijuana and 17 percent said the same about CBD. The chart below does not include responses where individuals said they “rarely” use the substances.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/poll-reveals-which-sports-fans-use-marijuana-and-cbd-the-most-and-least/
'For decades, the relationship between cannabis and sports was non-existent. Every major league except Major League Baseball has a ban on cannabis use. And the “character” issues associated with Black athletes and drug use has always been volatile.
Luckily, the ‘20s are shaping up to be a new era for cannabis and the Black athlete. From investments to deals with TV networks, Black athletes are quickly becoming champions of both sports and cannabis. Check out these athletes making history in the cannabis industry.'
https://www.leafly.com/news/industry/black-athletes-trailblazing-cannabis-industry
'When his mom got sick, her appetite just wasn’t there and the doctors who were trying to get her to eat wanted to prescribe cannabis. However, as many others in her generation, Mrs. Thomas still thought of the plant as a dangerous drug — and her response was to succinctly decline the prescription.
"Well, I’m not smoking no reefer!," Thomas recalls his mother’s stern response to the doctor’s offer.
Although today he remembers his mom’s reply with laughter, it was certainly no laughing matter at the time. The “prescribed cannabis experience,” however, had a significant impact on Thomas’ perception of the plant. He now knew about its medicinal benefits and felt like something had to change in the world.'
'Results
Resting heart rate was the only physiological measure that significantly differed between groups, and only in one of the four studies included herein. The strongest predictors of athletic performance (VO2Max and PWC) were not found to be significantly different between groups in any of the included studies. Chronic cannabis consumption had no significant effect on athletic performance. The included studies did not assess other elements, such as recovery or endurance.
Conclusion
No evidence exists for ergogenic or ergolytic effects from chronic cannabis consumption. In some sports, advantages may plausibly be conveyed by psychotropic enhancement or pain reduction. Further research (particularly longitudinal or interventional studies) is required to determine whether cannabis, or constituents thereof, may provide indirect supplemental benefits to athletes.'
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-020-00037-x
'“When it’s taken after a hard training and before bed, I feel it gives me a better night’s sleep and I feel like I’m able to relax a little bit easier,” Megan Rapinoe said. “So, I kind of just have it in my daily routine, like I would eat healthy and take natural products and drink a lot of water and take CBD and get as much sleep. It’s kind of the secret sauce.”'
https://apnews.com/article/megan-rapinoe-womens-soccer-nhl-portland-soccer-50d2ceb1d8ccd836a12201acb99fdb25
'The NFL says it is looking for information about “alternatives to opioids in routine pain management.” The request mentions CBD but is open to research on other cannabinoids.
The request issued Wednesday also mentions research on the “impact of cannabis or cannabinoids on athletic performance.”'
https://hempindustrydaily.com/nfl-requesting-research-on-cbd-for-pain-management/
'Participants (N = 63) exhibited increased euphoria and decreased anxiety after 45 min of running (RUN) on a treadmill in a moderate-intensity range compared to walking (WALK). RUN led to higher plasma levels of the eCBs anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoglycerol (2-AG). Opioid blockade did not prevent the development of euphoria and reduced anxiety as well as elevation of eCB levels following exercise. Moreover, the fraction of participants reporting a subjective runner's high was comparable in the NAL and PLA-treated group. Therefore, this study indicates that the development of a runner's high does not depend on opioid signaling in humans, but makes eCBs strong candidates in humans, as previously shown in mice.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453021000470
'Before the 2020 CBA, the NFL’s annual testing window for marijuana and other drugs covered by the substance abuse policy opened on April 20. (Yes, 4/20.) Under the 2020 CBA, the window still opens on April 20 for all street drugs other than marijuana.
On April 19, a text message sent by the NFL Players Association to all players created a panic because it didn’t mention the marijuana exception.'
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/04/22/vague-nflpa-text-message-to-players-about-substance-abuse-testing-sparked-a-panic/
'The study’s authors concluded, “Our results support the potential role of cannabis and cannabinoids in the treatment of DM1-associated symptoms which will need to be thoroughly investigated.”
According to the US National Institutes of Health, DM1 [myotonic dystrophy type 1] is characterized by wasting, muscle weakness, and prolonged muscle tensing.'
https://norml.org/news/2021/04/29/more-than-one-in-five-patients-with-inherited-form-of-muscular-dystrophy-acknowledge-using-cannabis
'To explain that trend, the study suggests that cannabis “is being used for exercise-induced pain recovery, since [physical activity] brings about pain and muscle soreness, and a decreased pain threshold and muscle hypersensitivity have been documented with increasing age.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/frequent-marijuana-consumers-are-actually-more-physically-active-than-non-users-study-finds-smashing-stereotypes/
'The Florida State Boxing Commission officially removed marijuana, a previously banned substance for MMA fighters and boxers in the state, from its prohibited list Tuesday.
"Right move by FL Commission," Jeff Novitzky, UFC's senior VP of athlete health and performance, said on Twitter in response to the news. "They took a close look at the science behind THC excretion and saw it has little to no correlation to being impaired. Hopefully other commissions will follow FL’s lead and the recommendation of ABC Medical Committee." '
https://theathletic.com/news/florida-state-boxing-commission-removes-marijuana-from-prohibited-list/hXnqTRZRwAgz
'Joe Vardon, NBA senior writer: When the league was set to resume the 2020 season at Disney, severe restrictions were put in place due to COVID-19 that limited the players’ sociability.
For two months, no families were allowed into the bubble, friends were never allowed, and no one was permitted into anyone else’s room. Players weren’t allowed to leave campus for any reason. So to ease the mental stress of it all the league chose to look the other way if players wanted to use marijuana.'
https://theathletic.com/news/nba-players-representing-team-usa-to-resume-marijuana-testing/F1sA8DL719Gt
'A commission formed between the NFL and the league’s players union plans to award up to $1 million in grants for researchers to investigate the therapeutic potential of marijuana, CBD and other alternatives to opioids for treating pain.
At a press conference on Tuesday, a representative from the NFL-NFLPA’s Joint Pain Management Committee (PMC) said “clearly there are a lot of great ideas in this space and there’s a lot of important research that needs to be funded.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/nfl-funds-marijuana-research-saying-federal-prohibition-adversely-impacts-studies-into-opioid-alternative-for-players/
'The Transportation and Security Administration searched Caruso's bags and found a herb grinder that contained marijuana, Richardson said.
According to online records, Caruso was arrested for possession of less than two ounces of marijuana. He was released after posting bond.'
https://www.espn.in/nba/story/_/id/31690313/los-angeles-lakers-guard-alex-caruso-arrested-texas-marijuana-possession
'Professional athletes are turning to cannabis products to help them manage pain, but leagues such as the NFL aren’t yet ready to get on board.
Last week, the league said it wants to see more studies of how cannabis affects fitness. At the moment, there’s no scientific evidence that the products work, or that they’re safe, NFL officials said. Additionally, elite professionals aren’t your average jock — a lot of money is at stake and the NFL wants to know exactly how cannabis will affect their performance.'
https://www.pressherald.com/2021/06/20/when-it-comes-to-pro-sports-cannabis-as-a-pain-reliever-faces-unique-challenges/
'As the National Football League (NFL) prepares to open its training camps later this month, it looks to be a whole new ballgame where legal cannabis is concerned.
Last month, the league and the NFL Players Association announced their joint funding of a combined $1 million in research pilot studies to better quantify the effects of cannabis and CBD regarding athletic performance, pain management, and non-pharmacological medical treatments. By the league’s own mission statement, its “intent is to demonstrate the potential for translational breakthroughs by leveraging innovative research, emerging science, current data sets, and archival material related to use of alternatives to opiates in the management of pain, as well as
the impact of cannabis or cannabinoids on athletic performance in elite football players.”'
https://newfrontierdata.com/cannabis-insights/the-nfl-opening-a-new-playbook-for-cannabis-and-cbd/
'Sha’Carri Richardson, known as the fastest woman in America, was set to compete in the Tokyo Olympics this month before testing positive for THC in violation of United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) policy. The runner admitted to consuming cannabis in Oregon, where marijuana is legal for adult use, after learning about the death of her biological mother during a press interview.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/white-house-declines-to-defend-runner-suspended-from-olympics-over-marijuana-test-while-lawmakers-step-up/
'Richardson is just one of many athletes who use cannabis. From professional basketball players to football stars, cannabinoids have helped athletes recover, manage anxiety, stay focused, and stay off of pain killers.
In this case, Richardson explained that she had been using cannabis to cope with the loss of her biological mother just one week before she qualified for the Olympics with a trials-winning 10.86 seconds 100-meter race in Oregon last month.
The issue brings harsh focus on a played-out issue. Society continues to rely on athletes to entertain and represent us on some of the world’s biggest stages, but when do we allow them to participate in the same cannabis self-care that the rest of the world does?'
https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/shacarri-richardson-doesnt-need-to-apologize-for-smoking-weed
'“I think being the gold standard with regard to combat sports—both [Mixed Martial Arts] and boxing—being a world-class destination, and having our state show the leadership and the fortitude in light of some of the recently circumstances we’ve all seen on television, we should be always at the forefront of these issues,” Commission Chair Stephen Cloobeck said at Wednesday’s meeting.
“I believe it’s warranted and merited since it is legal in this state,” he said. “I think we need to jump forward being the leader as we’ve always been.”
Drug tests for marijuana will continue under the commission’s policy for data collection purposes for six months—without fighters being punished for positive results—after which time NAC, which regulates boxing, mixed martial arts and other combat sports, will revisit whether such ongoing screening is necessary.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/nevada-sports-regulators-ditch-marijuana-testing-for-fighters-days-after-richardsons-olympics-suspension/
'“While a growing number of athletes have reported turning to cannabis and its components as an alternative to certain prescription drugs (e.g., opioids), there exists no scientific consensus that the acute effects of marijuana enhance athletic performance. It is also highly unlikely that top-level athletes are consuming cannabis prior to taking part in athletic competitions,” stated NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano, “Unfortunately, conventional drug screening can only identify the presence of past marijuana use — which may be indicative of exposure some days, weeks, or even months beforehand. In other words, these tests are more about identifying those who may choose to consume cannabis in their off-time to relax rather than they are about identifying athletes seeking an unfair competitive advantage.”'
https://norml.org/blog/2021/07/02/let-richardson-race/
'WADA should take marijuana off its list of banned substances and review the rest of its prohibitions. A 2018 paper co-written by WADA’s medical director found no evidence that marijuana is a performance enhancer.
WADA has in the past rationalized its rule by saying that athletes who are competing under the influence “potentially endanger themselves and others because of increased risk taking, slower reaction times and poor executive function or decision making.” Let’s get real. They think all that and more isn’t possible for a drunk athlete? Yet in 2018, alcohol was taken off the list of prohibited substances, and one of the founders of WADA has said the marijuana ban had more to do with government attitudes toward the drug than anything else.'
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-07-07/editorial-sha-carri-richardsons-suspension-was-fair-but-the-marijuana-rule-isnt
'The response letter also acknowledged that the origin of the marijuana ban was largely influenced by the U.S. government in the 1990s—something the first president of WADA touched on in a recent interview with Marijuana Moment.
And while advocates have strongly opposed the penalty against Richardson, USADA said that questions still remain as to whether marijuana should be considered a performance enhancing drug, as it “has also been reported in scientific literature and anecdotally by athletes that marijuana can decrease anxiety, fear, depression and tension thereby allowing athletes to better perform under pressure and alleviating stress experienced immediately before and during competition.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/top-u-s-sports-regulator-says-marijuana-policy-must-change-as-white-house-pursues-global-meeting/
'Richard Pound, who served as the first president of WADA, spoke to Marijuana Moment about the origins of the cannabis ban and said that the U.S. was “really quite adamant that [cannabis] was on the list” of prohibited substances.
“The U.S. was a leader in saying—and this was the ONDCP saying this—’in our view, marijuana is the entry-level drug. If you can keep people from using marijuana, they don’t graduate to cocaine and heroin and some of the other the other chemical variations of these things.'”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/how-u-s-bullying-in-the-1990s-led-to-the-olympics-marijuana-ban-behind-richardsons-suspension/
'This year’s matchup between the American and National Leagues will mark the first time the All-Star Game has been hosted by a state with a legal recreational marijuana market.
Attitudes and policies in professional sports have become friendlier toward cannabis in recent years.
In late 2019, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced it was removing marijuana and other “natural cannabinoids” from its list of banned substances.
Also, a number of former professional baseball players have embraced cannabis as their preferred anti-inflammatory, pain relief or anti-anxiety medication.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/colorado-cannabis-companies-plan-to-capitalize-on-mlb-all-star-game/
'“On the contrary, as has been reported by some media, the U.S. has been one of the most vocal and strong advocates for including cannabinoids on the Prohibited List,” the letter from Witold Banka, WADA’s president, said. “The meeting minutes and written submissions received from the U.S. over nearly two decades, in particular from [the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency], have consistently advocated for cannabinoids to be included on the Prohibited List.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/world-anti-doping-agency-says-u-s-bears-responsibility-for-marijuana-ban-that-led-to-richardsons-suspension/
'The sports official also noted that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is a comprehensive body comprised of “650 organizations,” and “neither the United States Olympic Committee nor USADA nor the [USA Track & Field] have anything to do with making up the rules.”
“In most countries in the world, it’s still an illegal substance,” Moses said. “And there’s countries in the world that under no circumstance will they ever be as liberal as we are.”
But WADA recently made clear in a letter to Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) this month that the U.S. itself played a leading role in imposing the cannabis prohibition. And the first president of WADA, Richard Pound, made similar comments in a recent interview with Marijuana Moment, pointing to how the country essentially bullied the rest of the world in including cannabis on the banned substances list.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/u-s-sports-authority-backs-liberalization-of-marijuana-laws-official-tells-lawmakers/
'With Canna, Zeiger developed the Athlete PEACE (Pain, Exercise, and Cannabis Experience) Survey in 2019 to learn more about the prevalence of common cannabis use among athletes and how it was being used. The study, published in the journal PLOS One, involved canvassing more than 1,200 athletes from a variety of sports and levels to explore their patterns of cannabis use, its benefits, and any adverse reactions. "On a research level, everything prior to our work was focused on negative outcomes," she says. "I decided to position our work to study cannabis in a neutral manner and look at the positive effects as well, with an ultimate goal of helping people figure out the right dosage with the least number of side effects."
The study found that 26% of the athletes had used cannabis over the defined two-week time period, and 67% had used it in their lifetimes. About 61% of the respondents said they had used the drug for pain, and of those, 68% reported relief.'
https://hub.jhu.edu/2021/07/20/marijuana-cannabis-athletes-zeiger/
'“It’s not an unreasonable moment to have a review” of the international marijuana policy, Coe said. According to Reuters, the official added that he has spoken to the chairman of the Athletics Integrity Unit about undertaking a formal review of current policies.
Coe is far from alone in saying it’s time to reconsider cannabis penalties in sports. Athletics officials and lawmakers alike have argued that Richardson’s suspension for using marijuana in a legal state after learning of her mother’s death highlights the need for reform.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/another-top-global-sports-official-suggests-marijuana-penalties-for-athletes-should-be-reevaluated/
'For high-level athletes, and those of us who strive to reach such heights, the search for performance-enhancing substances is eternal and challenging. Supplements have to conform to anti-doping laws, be safe, and preferably natural.
Enter CBD, or cannabidiol. CBD is currently creating ripples among athletes, who claim benefits as varied as accelerated recovery from injury, sounder sleep, and reduced muscle pain.
Although many organizations regard cannabis’ other main cannabinoid, THC, an illicit substance, the World Anti-Doping Agency permits the use of pure CBD isolate. CBD is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid with anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anti-anxiety, and analgesic properties, and could represent a legal, game-changing supplement. '
https://www.leafly.com/news/cbd/cbd-sports-athletic-performance
'Durant said that the stigma around marijuana use among athletes has been gradually eroding. “The band aid has been ripped off in the sports world,” he said. However “it’s kind of an undercover thing that players use cannabis, and use it throughout when they’re actively playing.”
“I thought it was always interesting that the rest of the world was a little slower to be open about cannabis and its use, but to see, walking down the street—I live in San Francisco—you walk around the corner, there’s four or five dispensaries right on the corner.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/nba-star-kevin-durant-teams-up-with-weedmaps-to-destigmatize-marijuana-in-sports/
'But the reality of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) marijuana ban may change amid the public pushback against it that followed Richardson’s suspension. The runner said she’d be happy if the prohibition was lifted and if the reaction to her circumstances led to reforms that protected other athletes from being penalized over cannabis.
“If those rules do change, honestly I’m just blessed and proud of the fact I could do that for other athletes,” she said.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/shacarri-richardson-says-shed-be-blessed-if-her-marijuana-suspension-led-to-end-of-the-ban-for-other-athletes/
'Gleason said medical marijuana gave him the ability to find new purpose in life. He went back to sleeping in his king-size bed alongside his wife and worked on growing his ALS advocacy foundation, Team Gleason, which has since given $18 million in adventure, technology, equipment and care services to over 20,000 people living with ALS.
“I’m not saying it all happened because of the help of medical marijuana, but I can say with 100 percent confidence that those accomplishments, the inspiration, nor the tens of thousands of people that we serve—none of it happens if I were still on those prescription pills,” Gleason said before exchanging parting words with the lawmakers and closing with his famous motto: “No White Flags.”'
'To understand the sports ban, it’s important to look at the broader origins of marijuana prohibition in the U.S., Gruber said. Despite the historic use of cannabis as a medicine, it was banned and demonized during during a period of hysteria driven by the 1936 propaganda film “Reefer Madness,” when the nation “really fell under this spell” that marijuana was dangerous and warranted criminalization.
While many myths about cannabis have been debunked and there’s a growing scientific literature demonstrating its therapeutic value, the government—and sports associations—have stalled on enacting reform that reflects that reality.
StarTalk co-host Chuck Nice pointed out that while Biden has emphasized the need to follow the science when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic, the same can’t be said with respect to his marijuana policy position. The president remains opposed to federally legalizing cannabis.
Tyson said that makes sense “because he’s the Reefer Madness generation—that’s why, that’s why.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/biden-opposes-marijuana-legalization-because-hes-from-the-reefer-madness-generation-neil-degrasse-tyson-says/
'The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will conduct a scientific review of marijuana next year to determine whether it should continue an international ban on cannabis use by athletes. WADA’s marijuana policy became a major focus this summer following the suspension of U.S. runner Sha’Carri Richardson from participating in the Olympics over a positive THC test. The organization’s executive committee on Tuesday said it had accepted a recommendation from a drug list advisory board to reexamine the science on marijuana, which could inform a potential policy change.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/world-anti-doping-agency-reviews-marijuana-ban-for-athletes-following-pushback-after-richardson-suspension/
'Another “sin industry” universities are embracing appears to be cannabis, particularly in states where marijuana has been legalized—19 and counting. The financial crunch caused by the pandemic is a big reason why the University of Colorado dipped its toes into the space this spring, about nine years after the state legalized weed.
“We had to get creative and look at how we could increase our revenues,” said Lance Gerlach, the university’s assistant vice chancellor of advancement.
Colorado became one of the first major universities to add a cannabidiol purveyor as a corporate sponsor in April, signing a multiyear partnership with Synchronicity Full-Spectrum Hemp Oil, a local supplier of CBD products.'
https://www.wsj.com/articles/college-football-beer-gambling-cannabis-sponsorships-11631759264
'The NBA is extending its policy of not randomly drug testing players for marijuana through the 2021-2022 season, a league spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver signaled late last year that the temporary suspension of cannabis drug testing may continue. And now Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass is confirming that the policy will be in place at least through the upcoming season that begins this month, according to The Associated Press.
“We have agreed with the [NBA Players Association] to extend the suspension of random testing for marijuana for the 2021-22 season and focus our random testing program on performance-enhancing products and drugs of abuse,” he said.
The development was first reported by ESPN, which obtained a memo on the issue that was recently circulated to NBA players.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/nba-wont-randomly-drug-test-players-for-marijuana-for-another-season-league-announces/
'ESPN reports that the NBA will continue to turn a blind eye to cannabis consumption during the 2021-2022 campaign.
The league did not conduct random testing for cannabis during its 2020 playoff bubble—news that sent some players scrambling to figure out how long a pound would last them on the Disney campus.'
https://www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle/nba-players-can-exhale-without-worry-of-random-weed-tests
'Between drug tests, criminal charges and racist myths that weed stunts leadership and work ethic, many NBA legends had to keep their love for the plant on the low. Other budding stars had their careers sidetracked because of stigmas about the plant.
In celebration of another 420-friendly season, Leafly saw it fit to honor the high-flying pioneers who paved the way for this moment. Without further ado, light one up for Leafly’s inaugural All-Reefer team.'
https://www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle/draft-your-all-reefer-team-of-nba-trail-blazers
'In March 1966, after Ali’s draft status was reclassified and he became eligible to serve in the military, the champ made headlines around the world when he refused his induction into the U.S. armed forces, invoking his constitutional right to decline service as a conscientious objector. The Vietnam War was still supported by a majority of Americans at the time; Ali’s decision to speak out against it was hugely controversial, and he was pilloried by politicians and the media as a coward and traitor. “I ain’t got nothing against them Vietcong,” explained Ali of his motivations. “How can I shoot those poor people? Just take me to jail.”'
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/muhammad-ali-4-ways-he-changed-america
'The National Basketball Association (NBA) is reportedly removing
marijuana from its list of banned substances and will no longer drug
test players for it as part of a new seven-year collective bargaining
agreement.
The move, first reported on Saturday by Shams Charania
of The Athletic and Stadium, formally codifies what has been the
league’s decision to temporarily suspend cannabis testing for the past
three seasons.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver signaled in late 2020
that the policy could eventually become permanent after the league
initially suspended cannabis testing when players competed in a
quarantined “bubble” in Orlando at the start of the coronavirus pandemic
earlier that year.
“We decided that, given all the things that
were happening in society, given all the pressures and stress that
players were under, that we didn’t need to act as Big Brother right
now,” he said at the time. “I think society’s views around marijuana has
changed to a certain extent.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/the-nba-is-lifting-its-ban-on-marijuana-in-new-deal-with-players-union-according-to-report/
'The
twice-daily use of topical CBD is well-tolerated and alleviates chronic
pain in former elite-level (professional) athletes, according to
observational data published in the Journal of Cannabis Research.
Researchers
with Louisiana State University assessed the safety and efficacy of a
proprietary topical CBD product in a cohort of former athletes suffering
from chronic pain. Study subjects took 10mg of CBD twice daily via a
controlled dispenser for six weeks.
Patients reported significant
decreases in pain and improvements in their quality of life during the
course of the study. CBD treatment was well-tolerated and only minor
adverse effects (e.g., skin dryness) were reported.
Authors
concluded: “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study
testing the efficacy of CBD treatment on elite athletes. … The current
findings support the continued development of topical CBD with all
participants reporting relief from pain and almost all participants
seeing a decrease in disability related to pain during the 6-week study
period.”'
https://norml.org/news/2023/04/20/study-topical-application-of-cbd-provides-significant-relief-from-pain-in-former-elite-level-athletes/
'The
announcement by the three-time Super Bowl champion instantly raised the
profile of a substance that is exploding in popularity, even as
questions swirl about its legality and medical effectiveness. Though
Gronkowski is the latest in a long line of celebrities to promote CBD,
his endorsement could signal a key moment in the drug’s evolving
acceptance among sports leagues and consumers.'
https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/marijuana/2019/08/27/rob-gronkowski-announces-partnership-with-cbd-company-says-cbd-most-safe-alternative-for-pain/a5K8hCzCLuOWEm7CScdFFJ/story.html
https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/nba-insider-tom-haberstroh/marijuana-and-nba-erasing-stigma-and-healing-league
'The
new CBA will eliminate suspensions for positive marijuana tests, limit
the testing period to the first two weeks of training camp and raise the
threshold for a positive test from 35 to 150 nanograms of THC. The idea
is to focus the drug program on clinical care as opposed to punishment.
Basically, if you test positive, your test gets reviewed by a board of
jointly appointed medical professionals to determine whether you need
any kind of treatment. The NFLPA deal memo also says that "violations of
law for marijuana possession generally will not result in suspension."'
https://www.espn.in/nfl/story/_/id/28901832/nfl-cba-approved-players-get-new-deal-how-expanded-playoffs-schedule-work
'The
Athletic recently conducted a wide-ranging survey with 170 professional
MMA fighters, 45.9 percent of whom said they currently use marijuana
for either recovery or recreational purposes. Another 4.7 percent
regularly used marijuana in the past but now don’t.
Additionally,
76.5 percent of surveyed fighters said they have used cannabidiol (CBD)
products, which are derived from the cannabis plant, for recovery
purposes.
“I think that sounds pretty accurate,” Novitzky, the
UFC’s senior vice president of athlete health and performance, said.
“I’ve never polled our roster — it’s all anecdotal — but I have had
many, many, many discussions. It’s probably the No. 1 topic of questions
that I’m asked from fighters.”'
https://theathletic.com/1847456/2020/06/01/mma-fighters-use-marijuana-cannabis-cbd/
'In
her full-time job, Roberts has also advocated for reforming NBA’s
marijuana policies, stating in 2018 that she feel “there are substantial
signs that support its efficacy and the value that it has for us,
especially pain management.”
“We’re in talks with the league to
see where we can go with it,” she said at the time. “The obvious future
is that marijuana will be decriminalized probably throughout the country
in short order.”
Now it seems those negotiations are paying off,
with sources telling The Athletic that the league and the players’
union have agreed to suspend testing for recreational drugs, at least
for the rest of the current abbreviated season. NBA will continue to
test for performance-enhancing drugs, however.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/nba-players-union-head-joins-marijuana-company-as-league-reportedly-suspends-drug-testing/
'Cannabis
has been prohibited in all sports during competition since the World
Anti-Doping Agency first assumed the responsibility of establishing and
maintaining the list of prohibited substances in sport 15 years ago. In
2018, however, CBD was removed from the Prohibited List, presumably on
the basis of mounting scientific evidence that the cannabinoid is safe
and well-tolerated in humans, even at very high doses (e.g. 1500
mg·day-1 or as an acute dose of 6000 mg). While several recent reviews
have described the impact of cannabis on athlete health and performance,
the influence of CBD alone has yet to be addressed.
The aim of
this narrative review was to explore evidence on the physiological,
biochemical, and psychological effects of CBD that may be relevant to
sport and/or exercise performance and to identify relevant areas for
future research. Given the absence of studies directly investigating CBD
and sports performance, this review draws primarily on preclinical
studies involving laboratory animals and a limited number of clinical
trials involving non-athlete populations.'
https://sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40798-020-00251-0
'Last
October, during a segment on ESPN’s “The Jump,” Pierce said he thinks
people still have misconceptions about marijuana and pointed out that
there are different ways to consume it.
“They have different oils
that are used for pain,” he said. “They have different pills that are
anti-inflammatory. … People look at it as a guy on the street corner
smoking marijuana just for fun, but there’s medical benefits to this
that a lot of people are unaware of, and I think we need to get over
it.”'
https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2018/10/26/paul-pierce-cbd-oil
'"There
are those who say it inhibits fears. So it allows an athlete to take
greater risks in high-risk sports. There are even those who suggest that
it adds to an athlete's creativity in sports where creativity may be of
some value," Melia said. "I think a closer look at the scientific
literature would suggest it's equivocal when it comes to its
performance-enhancing benefit. We've never wanted the Canadian
anti-doping program to be used to police recreational drug use by
athletes."
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/marijuana-cannabis-performance-enhancer-dylan-moscovitch-1.4892944
'Gone
are the days that an avid competitor would be stocked with mere protein
shakes, rash guards, and BJJ t-shirts. Recovery is an integral part and
oft-budgeted component of any jiu-jitsu practitioner’s regimen. In
correlation with an increasingly tolerant legal landscape coupled with
growing evidence about its effectiveness in aiding recovery, CBD
products and companies are emerging at an unprecedented rate, many of
them aligning themselves directly with the jiu-jitsu culture through
events like High Rollerz and the Black Belt CBD Invitational.'
https://www.jiujitsutimes.com/cbd-for-recovery-and-brazilian-jiu-jitsu-a-growing-industry/
Cannabis
is not a short cut to physical fitness. You need to still do what is
necessary to stay active and fit. Fitness and cannabis however can work
together for a better overall quality of life.
'Following
monitored abstinence, increased CAN use was associated with poorer
performance in working memory and psychomotor speed. Higher aerobic
fitness level moderated the impact of CAN on visual memory, executive
function and psychomotor speed, as more aerobically fit CAN users
demonstrated better performance relative to low-fit users. Therefore,
aerobic fitness may present an affordable and efficacious method to
improve cognitive functioning in CAN users'
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-international-neuropsychological-society/article/aerobic-fitness-level-moderates-the-association-between-cannabis-use-and-executive-functioning-and-psychomotor-speed-following-abstinence-in-adolescents-and-young-adults/B033EA73E6C1FBFFBC75F45CC426C1CC
'Legal
marijuana is coming to New Jersey, so we recently surveyed 19 Jets and
Giants players about that topic. We granted them anonymity in exchange
for their honesty on these three questions:
1. What do you think of New Jersey legalizing weed?
2. Should the NFL test players for weed?
3.
If the NFL stopped testing for weed -- and since it's about to be legal
in New Jersey -- would you use it, either recreationally or for
medicinal, pain-killing purposes?'
https://www.nj.com/expo/sports/erry-2018/12/8162f62e9d504/legal-weed-in-nj-what-do-giant.html
'Addiction
Medicine Specialist, @drdrew, sits down with @KristineLeahy to discuss
his thoughts on athletes using cannabis on an all new FAIR GAME'
https://twitter.com/FairGameonFS1/status/1085228535357132800
'The
big surprise is that it is for marijuana, a recreational drug, that
Davinder has tested positive for. The Punjab athlete’s urine sample had
been taken during the Indian Grand Prix in New Delhi on May 15. There
has been a raging debate for years on whether recreational drugs help
improve performance, and many feel that they do not. Yet, there is a
school which believes that the euphoric effect the drug produces and the
ability to increase alertness for short spells could aid performance.'
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-sports/javelin-thrower-davinder-singh-in-marijuana-trouble/article19139048.ece
'It's
been nearly a decade since Don Nelson coached his last NBA game, but
the former Warriors coach has apparently been keeping busy in
retirement. Specifically, he's been smoking pot, man.
The
78-year-old Nelson confirmed as much on Thursday night in Golden State
during a press conference alongside former Warriors stars Jason
Richardson and Stephen Jackson.'
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/former-warriors-coach-don-nelson-on-what-hes-done-after-basketball-ive-smoked-some-pot/
'With
the War on Drugs long over (did we win?), the NFL has begun to quietly
realize the folly of its ongoing efforts to police the private lives and
bodily fluids of players who may from time to time or more often than
that enjoy the pungent fumes of a certain burning leaf. And the next
Collective Bargaining Agreement likely will reflect that.'
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/03/06/in-the-next-cba-nfl-is-prepared-to-make-major-concessions-under-the-substance-abuse-policy/
Dr.
Matt Fedoruk, the Chief Science Officer at USADA, seems to essentially
be saying that in a US state where the recreational use of marijuana is
legal, it is in-competition that an athlete is not permitted to use
marijuana recreationally. Out of competition use is however left to your
interpretation.
'#AskingForAFriend: "Marijuana is legal in my
state, but are athletes allowed to use it if they are competing?” Dr.
Matt has the answer'
https://twitter.com/usantidoping/status/1105510200839159808
I am very curious to know what kind of performance improvement the PGA Tour sees happening in golfers who consume THC.
'The
PGA Tour is warning golfers to use CBD at their own risk. While the
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) dropped the marijuana compound from its
list of banned substances for athletes last year, the golf organization
wants its players to be advised that some CBD products may contain THC,
which is still prohibited by the league.
WADA’s decision “led to
an increase of CBD products and marketing directed toward athletes at
all levels of play,” reads a notice in a PGA Tour newsletter sent out to
players last month. “CBD products (like all supplements) pose a risk to
athletes because they have limited government regulation and may
contain THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis that is
prohibited.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/pga-issues-warning-to-golfers-using-cbd-products/
'“We’re
really excited to create a new community for cannabis enthusiasts and
runners to unite,” Stratos sales and marketing director Kate Heckman
says in a statement announcing the group's formation. “Whether it’s
applying a cannabis salve to sore muscles, relaxing with cannabis after a
run or using CBD to decrease inflammation after a long workout,
cannabis can support athletic training in so many ways.”'
http://www.westword.com/marijuana/denver-club-for-runners-who-love-cannabis-taking-off-in-june-10422615
'Union
president Michele Roberts recognizes players have turned to marijuana
and alcohol for relief, particularly if their prescribed medications
leave them feeling "flat-lined.'''
http://www.espn.in/nba/story/_/id/24383926/jackie-macmullan-ocd-adhd-medication-marijuana-nba-mental-health
'Medical
and nonmedical cannabis use among athletes reflects changing societal
and cultural norms and experiences. Although cannabis use is more
prevalent in some athletes engaged in high-risk sports, there is no
direct evidence of performance-enhancing effects in athletes. The
potential beneficial effects of cannabis as part of a pain management
protocol, including reducing concussion-related symptoms, deserve
further attention.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30153174?dopt=Abstract
Athletics
Canada sent a notice reminding athletes that they are still prohibited
from using marijuana even when legalization goes into effect
http://athletics.ca/cannabis-in-sport/#sthash.48XsFOCG.dpbs
'CBD
got an even bigger boost among athletes in January, when the World
Anti-Doping Agency removed cannabidiol from its list of banned
substances. The change freed athletes at the 2018 Winter Olympics in
South Korea to use CBD and has prompted a surge in products aimed at
athletes.'
https://hempindustrydaily.com/capitalizing-on-cbd-how-to-find-new-opportunities-selling-cannabis-for-athletes/
'Matt then went on to explain he's not a poser ... he's an advocate and an avid smoker ... saying he toked up before NBA games.'
http://www.tmz.com/2018/09/18/matt-barnes-weed-nba-high-school-ucla/
'According
to a NADA statement, Adrian’s ‘A’ sample, collected on March 21,
contained “higher concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a
metabolite of marijuana”.'
https://www.thehindu.com/sport/hockey/former-india-goalkeeper-adrian-tests-positive-for-banned-substance/article3311610.ece
Marijuana
should be out of the restricted list for sportspersons over 18. It's a
natural analgesic, relaxant and anti-inflammatory plant. I don't think
there is any evidence that it enhances a sportspersons performance. CBD
has already been okayed by WADA as per recent reports in the media..
'Sportspersons using recreational drugs is nothing new around the world.
In India, the practice has, however, shown an upward trend, especially among school-going athletes, recently.'
https://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/marijuana-cases-on-the-rise/article3529115.ece
'There
continues a raging debate in international sports on whether substances
like cannabis should be banned at all or such cases dealt with by just
admonitions or rehabilitation opportunities, instead of suspensions.
There is no evidence of these drugs enhancing performance.'
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/if-it-is-cricket-its-not-dope-positive/article3668485.ece
'“I
understand I hurt the cycling community,” Landis said in a statement.
“Now I’d like to take all proceeds I made from the settlement and put it
back where it belongs, on the development of aspiring pro cyclists.”'
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cycling-landis/landis-launching-new-cycling-team-sponsored-by-his-cannabis-business-idUSKCN1ME29V
'The
move to four-year bans as standard for intentional doping was seen as
the most obvious deterrent, although there are still provisions in the
new code for “flexibility” if an athlete takes a banned substance
unintentionally or an athlete tests positive for a social drug like
marijuana.'
https://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/tougher-bans-for-doping-cheats-approved-by-wada/article5354642.ece
'The roughly 1,200-square-foot Lancaster cafe will have coffee and small plates of food, with seating for around 15.
It
will showcase bikes from Van Dessel, which sponsors Floyd’s Pro Cycle,
Landis professional cycling team. Van Dessel also makes an electric
bike, in conjunction with Panasonic, which will be featured.
The
shop will have some bikes for sale but will not be a full-service shop
offering repairs and service. And while Landis has a business selling
marijuana in Colorado where it is legal, his Lancaster shop will only
sell cannabidiol (CBD) products such as softgels, tinctures and creams
that are legal in Pennsylvania without a special license.'
https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/floyd-landis-to-showcase-hemp-products-at-new-lancaster-city/article_ccdd4406-2b13-11e9-b6bb-cf1e68355a81.html
'Twenty years ago, when he was 26, Mr. Rebagliati came to global fame —
and infamy — after winning a gold medal in the giant slalom at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics in Japan. But his Olympic dreams subsequently imploded after he tested positive for cannabis and was stripped of the medal.
And while his life appears to be turning around, he said the gold medal would remain in the cabinet — at least for now.
“Perhaps
if things change, I will finally frame it and put in on the wall,” he
said, quickly adding, “I don’t have plans to hang it any time soon.”'
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/02/world/canada/canada-pot-snowboarder-olympics.html
'The
sports world’s stance on the issue is no more universal. With the
caveats that Josh Gordon’s indefinite suspension has not been
specifically tied to marijuana, his history makes him a suitable
jumping-off point to look at the varying ways our professional leagues
deal with marijuana use.'
https://www.boston.com/sports/sports-news/2018/12/21/little-consistency-on-marijuana-use-in-pro-sports
'The
debate between recreational marijuana and sports has been controversial
for a long time, and MMA leagues in the US are no exception. Many
fighters who adhere to the rule of not smoking during competition
periods test positive anyway because of how long weed stays in the
system. Thanks to this rule, superstar UFC fighters who have tested
positive for marijuana (such as Nick Diaz) have been dealt punishing
fines and even suspensions or bans from competition. Rejecting this and
intending to set a new standard for mix-martial artists, High Rollerz
co-founders Matt Staudt and Big Lonn Howard have decided to put together
a cannabis infused jiu-jitsu tournament where some of the sport’s top
athletes get high with their opponent before competing - and where the
winner’s grand prize is a pound of weed.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gqa67lD4VY
'Tyson
is a big proponent of weed’s health benefits and said 85 percent of pro
athletes use some form of cannabis to relieve pain, inflammation and
anxiety.
“I smoke it all day, every day,” Tyson said.'
https://pagesix.com/2018/10/26/mike-tyson-shops-tv-show-about-life-as-marijuana-grower/
Replacing seven pills of hopelessness with hope...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q-iN8LZ7Yo
'Much
additional research is needed to determine the effects of cannabis on
athletic performance. The endocannabinoid system was discovered in the
1980s, and each year since this discovery we learn more about
cannabinoid pharmacology. Clearly, cannabis induces euphoria, improves
self-confidence, induces relaxation and steadiness and relieves the
stress of competition. Cannabis improves sleep and recovery after an
event, reduces anxiety and fear and aids the forgetting of negative
events such as bad falls and so forth. Cannabis increases risk taking
and this perhaps improves training and performance, yielding a
competitive edge. Cannabis increases appetite, yielding increased
caloric intake and body mass. Cannabis enhances sensory perception,
decreases respiratory rate and increases heart rate; increased
bronchodilation may improve oxygenation of the tissues. Finally,
cannabis is an analgesic that could permit athletes to work through
injuries and pain induced by training fatigue.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3717337/
WHO batting for ganja...
'As
more jurisdictions across the planet are moving to legalize marijuana
for medical and recreational purposes, it feels like a sensible move for
the world’s leading health authority to publish the truth on the safety
of the cannabis plant. And it has done just that… and in a big way. It
was just last week that the World Health Organization (WHO) gathered in
Switzerland to conduct a first-of-its-kind peer-review of the entire
cannabis plant, not just specific compounds. Now, the agency’s Drug and
Dependence Committee has published a new report, calling marijuana “a
relatively safe drug” that causes no significant health issues, only
“euphoria, laughter and talkativeness.”'
https://cannabisnow.com/who-report-marijuana-leads-to-laughter-talkativeness/
'The
World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for whole-plant marijuana,
as well as cannabis resin, to be removed from Schedule IV—the most
restrictive category of a 1961 drug convention signed by countries from
around the world.
The body also wants
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its isomers to be completely
removed from a separate 1971 drug treaty and instead added to Schedule I
of the 1961 convention, according to a WHO document that has not yet
been formally released but was circulated by cannabis reform advocates.
Marijuana
and cannabis resin would also remain in Schedule I of the 1961
treaty—they are currently dual-designated in Schedules I and IV, with IV
being reserved for those substances that are seen as particularly
harmful with limited medical benefits. (That's different from the U.S.
federal system, under which Schedule I is where the supposedly most
dangerous and restricted drugs—like marijuana, heroin and LSD—are
classified.)'
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomangell/2019/02/01/world-health-organization-recommends-rescheduling-marijuana-under-international-treaties/#236433ca6bcc
'The
stereotypical image of a cannabis smoker is someone who sprawls on the
sofa for hours surrounded by a haze of smoke and half-eaten snacks. The
scene is played up for laughs in films, but social psychologist Angela
Bryan thought it could be cause for concern. After all, cannabis is
known to increase appetite and aid relaxation, which might put people at
risk of health conditions such as obesity, says Bryan, who is at the
University of Colorado Boulder.
But digging into health trends
revealed the opposite. Nationwide US studies report that, compared to
non-users, cannabis users actually have a lower prevalence of obesity.'
'Actually the reason was very different: I was the only one in the press corps, that evening, who claimed to be as seriously addicted to pro football as Nixon himself. I was also the only out-front, openly hostile Peace Freak, the only one wearing old Levi's and a ski jacket, the only one (no, there was one other) who'd smoked grass on Nixon's big Greyhound press bus, and certainly the only one who had habitually referred to the candidate as "the Dingbat."
So I still had to credit the bastard for having the balls to choose me - out of fifteen or twenty straight/heavy press types who'd been pleading for two or three weeks for even a five-minute interview - as the one who should share the backseat with him on this Final Ride through New Hampshire.
But there was, of course, a catch. I had to agree to talk about nothing except football. "We want the boss to relax," Ray Price told me, "but he can't relax if you start yelling about Vietnam, race riots, or drugs. He wants to ride with somebody who can talk football." He cast a baleful eye at the dozen or so reporters waiting around the press bus, then shook his head sadly. "I checked around," he said. "But the others are hopeless - so I guess you're it."
"Wonderful," I said. "Let's do it."
- The Campaign Trail: Fear and Loathing in New Hampshire, March 2, 1972, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'We had a fine time. I enjoyed it - which put me a bit off balance because I'd figured Nixon didn't know anymore about football than he did about ending the war in Vietnam. He had made a lot of allusions to football on the stump, but it never occurred to me that he actually knew anything more about football than he knew about the Grateful Dead.
But I was wrong. Whatever else might be said about Nixon - and there is still no doubt in my mind that he could [never] pass for Human - he is a goddamn stone fanatic on every facet of pro football. At one point in our conversation, when I was feeling a bit pressed for leverage, I mentioned a down & out pass - in the waning moments of a Super Bowl mismatch between Green Bay and Oakland - to an obscure, second-string Oakland receiver named Bill Miller that had stuck in my mind because of its pinpoint style & precision.
He hesitated for a moment, lost in thought, then he whacked me on the thigh and laughed: "That's right, by God! The Miami boy!"
- The Campaign Trail: Fear and Loathing in New Hampshire, March 2, 1972, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'What was it like for those humorless, god-fearing Alger-bent Jesus Freaks to go out on that field in front of one hundred-thousand people in New Orleans and get beated like gongs by the only certified dope freak in the NFL? Thomas ran through the Dolphins like a mule through corn-stalks.
It was a fine thing to see; and it was no real surprise when the Texas cops busted him, two weeks later, for Possession of Marijuana...and the Dallas coach said Yes, he'd just as soon trade Duane Thomas for almost anybody.
They don't get along. Tom Landry, the Cowboys' coach, never misses a chance to get up on the platform with Billy Graham whenever The Crusade plays in Dallas. Duane Thomas calls Landry a "plastic man." He tells reporters that the team's general manager, Tex Schramm, is "sick, demented and vicious." Thomas played his whole season, last year, without ever uttering a sentence to anyone on the team: not the coach, the quarter back, his blockers - nobody; dead silence.'
- The Campaign Trail: Fear and Loathing in New Hampshire, March 2, 1972, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'All he did was take the ball and run every time they called his number - which came to be more and more often, and in the Super Bowl Thomas was the whole show. But the season is over now; the purse is safe in the vault; and Duane Thomas is facing two to twenty for possession.
Nobody really expects him to serve time, but nobody seems to think he'll be playing for Dallas next year, either...and a few sporting people who claim to know how the NFL works say he won't be playing for anybody next year; that the commissioner is outraged at this mockery of all those government-sponsored "Beware of Dope" TV shots that dressed up the screen last autumn.
We all enjoyed the spots, but not every one found them convincing. Here was a White House directive saying several million dollars would be spent to drill dozens of Name Players to stare at the camera and try to stop grinding their teeth long enough to say they hate drugs of any kind...and then the best running back in the world turns out to be a goddamn uncontrollable drug-sucker.'
- The Campaign Trail: Fear and Loathing in New Hampshire, March 2, 1972, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'When Muskie arrived in Florida for The Blitz, he looked and acted like a man who'd been cracked. Watching him in action, I remembered the nervous sense of impending doom in the face of Floyd Patterson when he weighed in for the championship re-match with Sonny Liston in Las Vegas. Patterson was so obviously crippled, in his head, that I couldn't raise a bet on him among the hundred or so veteran sportswriters in the ringside seats on fight night.
I was sitting next to Rocky Marciano in the first row, and just before the fight began I bought two tall paper cups full of beer, because I didn't want to have to fuck around with drink-vendors after the fight got underway.
"Two?" Marciano asked with a grin.
I shrugged, and drank one off very quickly as Floyd came out of his corner and turned to wax the first time Liston hit him. Then, with a minute still to go in the first round, Liston bashed him again and Patterson went down for the count. The fight was over before I touched my second beer."
- The Campaign Trail: The Banshee Screams in Florida, April 13, 1972, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'The game had already started, but there was no score. I dumped the ale bottles in the Styrofoam cooler, then opened one and sat down to watch the action and brood on Nixon's treachery. But first I concentrated on the game for a while. It is hard to understand how someone else thinks unless you can get on their wavelength: get in tune with their patterns, their pace, their connections...and since Nixon is a known football addict, I decided to get my head totally into the rhythm of this exhibition game between the Rams and Kansas City before attempting the jump into politics.
Very few people understand this kind of logic. I learned it from a Brazilian psychiatrist in the Mato Grasso in 1963. He called it "Rhythm Logic," in English, because he said I would never be able to pronounce it in the original Jibaro. I tried it once or twice, but the Jibaro language was too much for me - and it didn't make much difference anyway. I seemed to have an instinct for Rhythm Logic, however, so I picked it up very quickly. But I have never been able to explain it, except in terms of music, and typewriters are totally useless when it comes to that kind of translation.
In any case, by the end of the first quarter I felt ready. By means of intense concentration on every detail of the football game, I was able to "derail" my own inner brain waves and re-pattern them temporarily to the inner brain wave rhythms of a serious football fanatic. The next step was to bring my "borrowed" rhythms into focus on a subject quite different from football - such as presidential elections.
In the third and final step, I merely concentrated on a pre-selected problem involving presidential politics, and attempted to solve it subjectively...although the word "subjectively", at this point, had a very different true meaning. Because I was no longer reasoning in the rhythm of my own inner brain waves, but in the rhythms of the football addict.'
- The Campaign Trail: More Fear and Loathing in Miami: Nixon Bites the Bomb, September 28, 1972, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
"Discipline!" I bellowed. "Remember Vince Lombardi." I paused to let that one sink in - waiting for applause, but none came. "Remember George Metesky!" I shouted. "He had discipline!"
Nobody down in the lobby seemed to catch that one, although I sensed the first stirrings of action on the balconies just below me. It was almost time for the Free Breakfast in the Imperial Ballroom downstairs, and some of the early rising sportswriters seemed to be up and about. Somewhere behind me a phone was ringing, but I paid no attention. It was time, I felt, to bring it all together...my voice was giving out, but despite the occasional dead spots and bursts of high-pitched wavering, I grasped the railing of the balcony and got braced for some flat-out raving:
"Revelations, Twenty-fifteen!" I screamed. "Say Hallelujah! Yes! Say Hallelujah!"
People were definitely responding now. I could hear their voices, full of excitement - but the acoustics of the place made it impossible to get a good fix on the cries that were bounding back and forth across the lobby. Were they saying "Hallelujah"?
"Four more years!" I shouted. "My friend General Haig has told us that the Forces of Darkness are now in control of the Nation - and they will rule for four more years!" I paused to sip my drink, then I hit it again: "And Al Davis has told us that whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire!"
I reached around behind me with my free hand, slapping at a spot between my shoulder blades to slow the thing down.'
- Fear and Loathing at the Super Bowl, February 28, 1974, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'There is a definite, perverse kind of pleasure in beating the "smart money" - in sports, politics, or anything else - and the formula for doing it seems dangerously simple: take the highest odds you can get against the conventional wisdom - but never bet against your own instinct or the prevailing karma.
Moments after the game, standing in the sawdust-floored circus tent where the players were being led in, one by one, for mass interviews with the sporting press, I was approached by Larry Merchant, author of a recently published book called The National Football Library, a shrewd layman's analysis about how to beat the bookies by betting on pro football games. I was just finishing a long talk with Dolphins owner Joe Robbie about the relationship between national politics, pro football, and the cruel fate of our mutual friend George McGovern, when Merchant tapped me on my shoulder with one hand and handed me a $50 bill with the other. He said nothing at all. I had given him Minnesota with six and a half. The final spread was seventeen.
I smiled and stuck the bill in my wallet. Joe Robbie seemed not to notice. Gambling on the outcome of games is strictly verboten among owners, players, coaches, and all other employees of the National Football League, and being seen in public in the presence of an obvious gambling transaction makes these people very uncomfortable. The only thing worse than being seen with a known gambler is finding yourself in the white-light glare of a network TV camera in the company of an infamous drug abuser...and here was the owner of the winning Super Bowl team, moments after accepting the Lombardi Trophy in front of three hundred cameras, talking with obvious enthusiasm - about the likelihood of President Nixon's impeachment - to a person long-since identified by the NFL security watchdogs as both a gambler and a drug freak.'
- Fear and Loathing at the Super Bowl, February 28, 1974, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'Most sportswriters are so blank on the subject of drugs that you can only talk to them about it at your own risk - which is easy enough, for me, because I get a boot out of seeing their eyes bulge; but it can be disastrous to a professional football player who makes the casual mistake of assuming that a sportswriter knows what he's talking about when he uses a word like "crank." Any professional athlete who talks to a sportswriter about "drugs" - even with the best and most constructive intentions - is taking a very heavy risk. There is a definite element of hysteria about drugs of any kind in pro football today, and a casual remark - even a meaningless remark - across the table in a friendly hometown bar can lead, very quickly, to a seat in the witness chair in front of a congressional committee.
Ah...drugs, that word again. It was a hard word to avoid in NFL circles last year - like the "missile gap" in the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon election, or "law and order" in 1968.
Nineteen seventy-three was a pretty dull press-year for congressmen. The Senate's Watergate Committee had managed, somehow, to preempt most of the ink and air-time...and one of the few congressmen who managed to lash his own special gig past that barrier was an apparently senile sixty-seven-year-old ex-sheriff and football coach from West Virginia named Harley Staggers.
Somewhere in the spastic interim between John Dean and "Bob" Haldeman, Congressman Staggers managed to collar some story-starved sportswriter from the New York Times long enough to announce that his committee - the House Subcommittee on Investigations - had stumbled on such a king-hell wasps' nest of evidence in the course of their probe into "the use of drugs by athletes" that the committee was prepared - or almost prepared, pending further evidence - to come to grips with their natural human duty and offer up a law, very soon, that would require individual urinalysis tests on all professional athletes and especially pro football players.'
- Fear and Loathing at the Super Bowl, February 28, 1974, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'Ah, Jesus...another bad tangent. Somewhere in the back of my mind I recall signing a contract that said I would never do this kind of thing again; one of the conditions of turning pro was a clause about swearing off gibberish...
But, like Gregg Allman says: "I've wasted so much time...feelin' guilty..."
There is some kind of back-door connection in my head between Super Bowls and the Allman Brothers - a strange kind of theme-sound that haunts these goddamn stories no matter where I'm finally forced into a corner to write them. The Allman sound, and rain. There was heavy rain, last year, on the balcony of my dim-lit hotel room just down from the Sunset Strip in Hollywood...and more rain through the San Francisco office building where I finally typed out "the story."
And now, almost exactly a year later, my main memory of Super Bowl VIII in Houston is rain and gray mist outside another hotel window, with the same strung-out sound of the Allman Brothers booming out of the same portable speakers that I had, last year, in Los Angeles.'
- Fear and Loathing at the Super Bowl, February 28, 1974, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'"When I'm gone, boxing will be nothing again. The fans with the cigars and the hats turned down'll be there, but no more housewives and little men in the street and foreign presidents. It's goin' to be back to the fighter who comes to town, smells a flower, visits a hospital, blows a horn, and says he's in shape. Old hat. I was the onliest boxer in history people asked questions like a senator" - Muhammad Ali, 1967.
It's a long, long way from the frostbitten midnight street around Chicago's Clark and Division to the deep-rug hallways of the Park Lane Hotel on Central Park South in Manhattan...But Patterson had made that trip in high style, with stops along the way in London, Paris, Manila, Kinshasa, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, and almost everywhere else in the world on that circuit where the menus list no prices and you need at least three pairs of $100 sunglasses just to cope with the TV lights every time you touch down at an airport for another frenzied press conference and then a ticker-tape parade along the route to the presidential palace and another princely reception.
That is Muhammad Ali's world, an orbit so high, a circuit so fast and strong and with rarified air so thin that only "The Champ," "The Greatest," and a few close friends have unlimited breathing rights. Anybody who can sell his act for $5 million an hour all over the world us working a vein somewhere between magic and madness...And now, on this warm winter night in Manhattan, Pat Patterson was not entirely sure which way the balance was tipping. The main shock had come three weeks ago in Las Vegas, when he'd been forced to sit passively at ringside and watch the man whose life he would have gladly given his own to protect, under any other circumstances, take a savage and wholly unexpected beating in front of five thousand screaming banshees at the Hilton Hotel and something like sixty million stunned spectators on national network TV. The Champ was no longer The Champ: a young brute named Leon Spinks had settled that matter, and not even Muhammad seemed to know just exactly what that awful defeat would mean - for himself or anyone else; not even his new wife and children, or the handful of friends and advisers who'd been working that high white vein right beside him for so long that they acted and felt like his family.'
- Last Tango in Vegas: Fear and Loathing in the Near Room and the Far Room, May 4 and May 18, 1978, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'Indeed...and this twisted vision would seem about too bent for print if Bundini hadn't already raised at least the raw possibility of it once by pawning Muhammad Ali's "Heavyweight Champion of the World" gold-and-jewel-studded belt for $500 - just an overnight loan from a friend, he said later; but the word got out, and Bundini was banished from The Family and the whole entourage for eighteen months when The Champ was told what he'd done.
That heinous transgression is shrouded in a mix of jive-shame and real/black humor at this point. The Champ, after all, had once hurled the Olympic gold medal into the Ohio River, in a fit of pique at some alleged racial insult in Louisville - and what was the difference between a gold medal and a jewel-studded belt? They were both symbols of a "white devil's" world that Ali, if not Bundini, was already learning to treat with a very calculated measure of public disrespect...What they shared, far beyond a very real friendship, was a shrewd kind of street-theater sense of how far out on that limb they could go, without crashing. Bundini has always had a finer sense than anybody else in The Family about where The Champ wanted to go, the shifting winds of his instincts, and he has never worried about things like Limits or Consequences. That was the province of others, like Conrad or Herbert. Drew B. has always known exactly which side he was on, and so has Cassius/Muhammad. Bundini is the man who came up with "Float like a butterfly, Sting like a bee," and ever since then he has been as close to both Cassius Clay and Muhammad Ali as anyone else in the world.
Pat Patterson, by contrast, was a virtual newcomer in The Family. A two-hundred-pound, forty-year-old black cop, he was a veteran of the Chicago vice squad before he hired on as Ali's personal bodyguard. And, despite the total devotion and relentless zeal he brought to his responsibility for protecting The Champ at all times from any kind of danger, hassles, or even minor inconvenience, six years on the job had caused him to understand, however reluctantly, that there were at least a few people who could come and go as they pleased through the wall of absolute security he was supposed to maintain around The Champ.'
- Last Tango in Vegas: Fear and Loathing in the Near Room and the Far Room, May 4 and May 18, 1978, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'Bundini and Conrad were two of these. They have been around for so long that they had once called the boss "Cassius," or even "Cash' - while Patterson had never addressed him as anything but "Muhammad" or "Champ." He had come aboard at high tide, as it were, and even though he was not in charge of everything from carrying Ali's money - in a big roll of $100 bills - to protecting his life with an ever-present chrome-plated revolver and the lethal fists and feet of a black belt with a license to kill, it had always galled him a bit to know that Muhammad's capricious instincts and occasionally perverse sense of humor made it certifiably impossible for any one bodyguard, or even four, to protect him from danger in public. His moods were too unpredictable: one moment he would be in an almost catatonic funk, crouched in the backseat of a black Cadillac limousine with an overcoat over his head - and then, with no warning at all, he would be suddenly out of the car at a redlight somewhere in the Bronx, playing stickball in the street with a gang of teenage junkies. Patterson had learned to deal with The Champ's moods, but he also knew that in a crowd around The Greatest, there would be at least a few who felt the same way about Ali as they had about Malcolm X or Martin Luther King.
There was a time, shortly after his conversion to the Black Muslim religion in the mid-Sixties, when Ali seemed to emerge as main spokesman for what the Muslims were then perfecting as the State of the Art in racial paranoia - which seemed a bit heavy and not a little naive at the time, but which the White Devils moved quickly to justify...
Yes. But that is a very long story and we will get to it later. The only point we need to deal with right now is that Muhammad Ali somehow emerged from one of the meanest and most shameful ordeals any prominent American has ever endured as one of the few real martyrs of that goddamn wretched war in Vietnam and a sort of instant folk hero all over the world, except in the U.S.A.
That would come later...'
- Last Tango in Vegas: Fear and Loathing in the Near Room and the Far Room, May 4 and May 18, 1978, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'The Spinks disaster in Vegas has been a terrible shock to The Family. They had all known it had to come sometime, but the scene had already been set and the papers already signed for that "sometime" - a $16 million purse and a mind-boggling, damn-the-cost television spectacle with Ali's old nemesis Ken Norton as the bogyman, and one last king-hell payday for everybody. They were prepared, in the back of their hearts, for that one - but not for the cheap torpedo that blew their whole ship out of the water in Vegas for no payday at all. Leon Spinks crippled a whole industry in one hour on that fateful Wednesday evening in Las Vegas - the Muhammad Ali industry, which had churned out roughly $56 million in over fifteen years a and at least twice or three times that much for the people who kept the big engine running all this time. (It would take Bill Walton 112 years on an annual NBA salary of $500,000 to equal the figure.)
"I knew it was too close for comfort. I told him to stop fooling around. He was giving up too many rounds. But I heard the decision and I thought, "Well, what are you going to do? That's it. I've prepared myself for this day for a long time. I conditioned myself for it. I was young with him and now I feel old with him."" - Angelo Dundee, Ali's trainer.
Dundee was not the only person who was feeling old with Muhammad Ali on that cold Wednesday night in Las Vegas. Somewhere around the middle of the fifteenth round, a whole generation went over the hump as the last Great Prince of the Sixties went out in a blizzard of pain, shock, and angry confusion so total that it was hard to even know how to feel, much less what to say, when the thing was finally over. The last shot came just at the final bell, when "Crazy Leon" whacked Ali with a savage overhand right that almost dropped The Champ in his tracks and killed the last glimmer of hope for the patented "miracle finish" that Angelo Dundee knew was his fighter's only chance. As Muhammad wandered back to his corner about six feet in front of me, the deal had clearly gone down.'
- Last Tango in Vegas: Fear and Loathing in the Near Room and the Far Room, May 4 and May 18, 1978, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'The decision was anticlimatic. Leon Spinks, a twenty-four-year-old brawler from St. Louis with only seven professional bouts on his record, was the new heavyweight boxing champion of the world. And the roar of the pro-Spinks crowd was the clearest message of all: that uppity nigger from Louisville had finally got what was coming to him. For fifteen years he had mocked everything they all thought they stood for: changing his name, dodging the draft, beating the best they could hurl at him...But now, thank God, they were seeing him finally go down.
Six presidents had lived in the White House in the time of Muhammad Ali. Dwight Eisenhower was still rapping golf balls around the Oval Office when Cassius Clay Jr. won a gold medal for the U.S. as a light-heavyweight in the 1960 Olympics and then turned pro and won his first fight for money against a journeyman heavyweight named Tunney Hunsaker in Louisville on October 29 of that same year.
Less than four years later and almost three months to the day after John Fitzgerald Kennedy was murdered in Dallas, Cassius Clay - the "Louisville Lip" by then - made a permanent enemy of every "boxing expert" in the Western world by beating World Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston, the meanest of the mean, so badly that Liston refused to come out of his corner for the seventh round.
That was fourteen years ago. Jesus! And it seems like fourteen months.'
- Last Tango in Vegas: Fear and Loathing in the Near Room and the Far Room, May 4 and May 18, 1978, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'So the fat was in the fire: a second loss to Spinks would be even worse than the first - the end of the line for Ali, The Family, and the whole Ali industry. No more paydays, no more limousines, no more suites and crab cocktails from room service in the world's most expensive hotels. For Pat Patterson and a lot of other people, another defeat by Spinks would mean the end of a whole way of life...And, worse yet, the first wave of public reaction to Ali's "comeback" announcement had been anything but reassuring. An otherwise sympathetic story in the Los Angeles Times described the almost universal reaction of the sporting press:
"There were smiles and a shaking of hands all around when the thirty-six-year-old ex-champion said after the fight last Wednesday night: 'I'll be back. I'll be the first man to win the heavyweight title three times.' But no one laughed out loud."
A touch of this doomsday thinking had even showed up in The Family. Dr. Ferdie Pacheco, who had been in Ali's corner for every fight since he first won the title from Liston - except the last one - had gone on the Tom Snyder show and said that Muhammad was finished as a fighter, that he was a shadow of his former self, and that he (Pacheco) had done everything but beg Ali to retire even before the Spinks fight.'
- Last Tango in Vegas: Fear and Loathing in the Near Room and the Far Room, May 4 and May 18, 1978, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'Well...this next scene is so strange that not even the people who were part of it can recount exactly what happened...but it went more or less like this: Bundini and I had just emerged from a strategy conference in the bathroom when we heard a sudden sound of knocking on the door. Bundini waved us all into silence as Conrad slouched nervously against the wall below the big window that looked out on the snow-covered wasteland of Central Park; Veronica was sitting fully clothed on the king-size bed right next to Ali, who was stretched out and relaxed with the covers pulled up to his waist, wearing nothing at all except...Well, let's take it again from Pat Patterson's view from the doorway, when Bundini answered the knock.
The first thing he saw when the door opened was a white stranger with a can of beer in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other, sitting cross-legged on the bureau that faced The Champ's bed - a bad omen for sure and a thing to be dealt with at once at this ominous point in time; but the next thing Pat Patterson saw turned his face into spastic wax and caused his body to leap straight back toward the doorway like he'd just been struck by lightning.
His professional bodyguard's eyes had fixed on me just long enough to be sure I was passive with both hands harmlessly occupied for the few seconds it would take him to sweep the rest of the room and see what was wrong with his $5-million-an-hour responsibility...and I could tell by the way he moved into the room and the look on his face that I was suddenly back at that point where any movement at all or even the blink of an eye could change my life forever. But I also knew what was coming, and I recall a split second of real fear as Pat Patterson's drop-forged glance swept past me and over to the bed to Veronica and the inert lump that lay under the sheets right beside her.
For an instant that frightened us all, the room was electric with absolute silence - and then the bed seemed to literally explode as the sheets flew away and a huge body with the hairy red face of the Devil himself leaped up like some jack-in-the-box out of hell and uttered a wild cry that jolted us all and sent such an obvious shock through Pat Patterson that he leaped backward and shot out both elbows like Kareem coming down with a rebound...'
- Last Tango in Vegas: Fear and Loathing in the Near Room and the Far Room, May 4 and May 18, 1978, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'Conrad was trying, I knew that - but I also knew that this time he was grasping at straws, because we both understood the deep and deceptively narrow-looking moat that eighteen years of celebrity forced Ali to dig between his "public" and his "private" personas.
It is more like a ring of moats than just one, and Ali has learned the whole art of making each one seem like the last great leap between the intruder and himself...But there is always one more moat to get across, and not many curious strangers have ever made it that far.
Some people will settle happily for a smile and a joke in a hotel lobby, and others will insist on crossing two or even three of his moats before they feel comfortably "private" with The Champ...But very few people understand how many rings there are:
My own quick guess would be nine; but Ali's quick mind and his instinct for public relations can easily make the third moat seem like the ninth; and this world is full of sporting journalists who never realized where they were until the same "private thoughts" and "spontaneous bits of eloquence" they had worked so desperately to glean from The Champ in some rare flash of personal communication that none other would ever share, appeared word for word, in cold black type, under somebody else's byline.
This is not a man who needs hired pros and wizards to speak for him; but he has learned how to use them so skillfully that he can save himself for the rare moments of confrontation that interest him...Which are few and far between, but anybody who has met Muhammad Ali on that level will never forget it. He has a very lonely sense of humor, and a sense of himself so firmly entrenched that it seems to hover, at times, in that nervous limbo between Egomania and genuine Invulnerability.'
- Last Tango in Vegas: Fear and Loathing in the Near Room and the Far Room, May 4 and May 18, 1978, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'"My way of joking is to tell the truth. That's the funniest joke in the world." - Muhammad Ali.
Indeed...And that is also as fine a definition of "Gonzo Journalism" as anything I've ever heard, for good or ill. But I was in no mood for joking when my cab pulled up to the Plaza that night. I was half drunk, fully cranked, and pissed off at everything that moved. My only real plan was to get past this ordeal that Conrad was supposedly organizing with Ali, then retire in shame to my $88-a-night bed and deal with Conrad tomorrow.
But this world does not work on "real plans" - mine or anyone else's - so I was not especially surprised when a total stranger wearing a serious black overcoat laid a hand on my shoulder as I was having my bags carried into the Plaza"
"Doctor Thompson?" he said.
"What?" I spun away and glared at him just long enough to know there was no point denying it...He had the look of a rich undertaker who had once been the light-heavyweight karate champion of the Italian navy; a very quiet presence that was far too heavy for a cop...He was on my side.
And he seemed to understand my bad nervous condition; before I could ask anything, he was already picking up my bags and saying - with a smile as uncomfortable as my own" "We're going to Park Lane. Mr. Conrad is waiting for you..."
- Last Tango in Vegas: Fear and Loathing in the Near Room and the Far Room, May 4 and May 18, 1978, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'The door swung open and there was Bundini, with a dilated grin on his face, reaching out to shake hands. "Welcome!" he said. "Come right in, Doc - make yourself at home."
I was still shaking hands with Bundini when I realized where I was - standing at the foot of a king-size bed where Muhammad Ali was laid back with the covers pulled up to his waist and his wife, Veronica, sitting next to him: they were both eyeing me with very different expressions than I'd seen on their faces in Chicago.
Muhammad leaned up to shake hands, grinning first at me and then at Conrad: "Is this him?" he asked. "You sure he's safe?"
Bundini and Conrad were laughing as I tried to hide my confusion at this sudden plunge into unreality by lighting two Dunhills at once, as I backed off and tried to get grounded...but my head was still whirling from this hurricane of changes, and I heard myself saying, "What do you mean - Is this him? You bastard! I should have you arrested for what you did to me in Chicago!"
Ali fell back on the pillows and laughed. "I'm sorry, boss, but I just couldn't recognize you. I knew I was supposed to meet somebody, but - "
"Yeah!" I said. "That's what I was trying to tell you. What did you think I was there for - an autograph?"
Everybody in the room laughed this time, and I felt like I'd been shot out of a cannon and straight into somebody else's movie. I put my satchel down on the bureau across from the bed and reached in for a beer...The pop-up came off with a hiss and a blast of brown foam that dripped on the rug as I tried to calm down.
"You scared me," Ali was saying. "You looked like some kind of a bum - or a hippie."
- Last Tango in Vegas: Fear and Loathing in the Near Room and the Far Room, May 4 and May 18, 1978, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
"What?" I almost shouted. " A bum? A hippie?" I lit another cigarette or maybe two, not realizing or even thinking about the gross transgressions I was committing by smoking and drinking in the presence of The Champ. (Conrad told me later that nobody smokes or drinks in the same room with Muhammad Ali - and Jesus Christ! Not - of all places - in the sacred privacy of his own bedroom at midnight, where I had no business being in the first place)...But I was mercifully and obviously ignorant of what I was doing. Smoking and drinking and tossing off crude bursts of language are not second nature to me, but first - and my mood, at that point, was still so mean and jangled that it took me about ten minutes of foul-mouthed raving before I began to get a grip on myself.
Everybody else in the room was obviously relaxed and getting a wonderful boot out of this bizarre spectacle - which was me, and when the adrenaline finally burned off, I realized that I'd backed so far away from the bed and into the bureau that I was actually sitting on the goddamn thing, with my legs crossed in front of me like some kind of wild-eyed, dope-addled budda (Bhuddah? Buddah? Budda?...Ah, fuck these wretched idols with unspellable names - let's use Budda, and to hell with Edwin Newman)...and suddenly I felt just fine.
And why not?
I was, after all, the undisputed heavyweight Gonzo champion of the world - and this giggling yoyo in the bed across the room from me was no longer champion of anything, or at least nothing he could get a notary public to vouch for...So I sat back on the bureau with my head against the mirror and I thought, Well, shit - here I am, and it's definitely a weird place to be; but not really, and not half as weird as a lot of other places I've been...Nice view, decent company, and no real worries at all in this tight group of friends who were obviously having a good time with each other as the conversation recovered from my flakey entrance and got back on the fast-break, bump-and-run track they were used to...'
- Last Tango in Vegas: Fear and Loathing in the Near Room and the Far Room, May 4 and May 18, 1978, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
'Some people write their novels and others roll high enough to live them, and some fools try to do both - but Ali can barely read, much less write, so he came to that fork in the road a long time ago, and he had the rare instinct to find that one seam in the defense that let him opt for a third choice: he would get rid of words altogether and live his own movie.
A brown Jay Gatsby - not black and with a head that would never be white: he moved from the very beginning with the same instinct that drove Gatsby - an endless fascination for that green light at the end of the pier. He had shirts for Daisy, magic leverage for Wolfheim, a delicate and dangerously vulnerable Ali-Gatsby shuttle for Tom Buchanan, and no answers at all for Nick Carraway, the word junkie.
There are two kinds of counterpunchers in this world - one learns early to live by his reactions and quick reflexes - and the other, the one with a taste for high rolling, has the instinct to make an aggressor's art of what is essentially the defensive, survivor's style of the counterpuncher.
Muhammad Ali decided one day a long time ago, not long after his twenty-first birthday, that he was not only going to be King of the World on his own turf, but Crown Prince on everybody else's...
Which is very, very High Thinking - even if you can't pull it off. Most people can't handle the action on whatever they chose or have to call their own turf, and the few who can, usually have better sense than to push their luck any further.
That was always the difference between Muhammad Ali and the rest of us. He came, he saw, and if he didn't entirely conquer - he came as close as anybody we are likely to see in the lifetime of this doomed generation.
Res ipsa loquitur.'
- Last Tango in Vegas: Fear and Loathing in the Near Room and the Far Room, May 4 and May 18, 1978, Fear and Loathing at the Rolling Stone, The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson
' 'The game you know as cricket,' he said, and his voice still seemed to
be wandering lost in subterranean passages, 'is just one of those
curious freaks of racial memory which can keep images alive in the mind
aeons after their true significance has been lost in the mists of time.
Of all the races in the Galaxy, only the English could possibly revive
the memory of the most horrific wars ever to sunder the Universe and
transform it into what I'm afraid is generally regarded as an
incomprehensibly dull and pointless game.
'Rather fond of it myself,'
he added, 'but in most people's eyes you have been inadvertently guilty
of the most grotesquely bad taste. Particularly the bit about the
little red ball hitting the wicket, that's very nasty.''
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Complete Trilogy of Five, Douglas Adams
'
None of these facts, however strange or inexplicable, is as strange or
inexplicable as the rules of the game of Brockian Ultra-Cricket, as
played in the higher dimensions. A full set of rules is so massively
complicated that the only time they were all bound together in a single
volume, they underwent gravitational collapse and became a black hole.
A brief summary, however, is as follows:
RULE ONE: Grow at least three extra legs. You won't need them, but it keeps the crowds amused.
RULE
TWO: Find one good Brockian Ultra-Cricket player. Clone him off a few
times. This saves an enormous amount of tedious selection and training.
RULE THREE: Put your team and the opposing team in a large field and build a high wall around them.
The
reason for this is that, though the game is a major spectator sport,
the frustration experienced by the audience at not actually being able
to see what's going on leads them to imagine that it's a lot more
exciting than it really is. A crowd that has just watched a rather
humdrum game experiences far less life-affirmation than a crowd that
believes it has just missed the most dramatic event in sporting history.
RULE
FOUR: Throw lots of assorted items of sporting equipment over the wall
for the players. Anything will do - cricket bats, basecube bats, tennis
guns, skis, anything you can get a good swing with.
RULE FIVE: The
players should now lay about themselves for all they are worth with
whatever they find to hand. Whenever a player scores a 'hit' on another
player, he should immediately run away and apologize from a safe
distance.
Apologies should be concise, sincere and, for maximum clarity and points delivered through a megaphone.
RULE SIX: The winning team shall be the first team that wins.'
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Complete Trilogy of Five, Douglas Adams
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