cannabisnews.com: Reefer Madness: Why More Jocks Turn To Marijuana










  Reefer Madness: Why More Jocks Turn To Marijuana

Posted by CN Staff on May 05, 2003 at 21:30:41 PT
Christian Red, T.J. Quinn and Michael O'Keeffe 
Source: Kansas City Star  

The drug that showed up in Tara Zwink's urine in January earned her a two-year ban from international snowboarding competition.After finishing seventh in the women's halfpipe at the U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix in Breckenridge, Colo., Zwink was picked for a random drug test and - wham - she got the same penalty she would have for steroids, amphetamines or other drugs that make athletes bigger, faster, stronger.
But Zwink, a 30-year-old from Government Camp, Ore., did not test positive for steroids or speed. The drug that will keep Zwink from participating in competitions sanctioned by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association is marijuana.Forty-seven percent of Americans have smoked pot, according to a recent Time/CNN poll, up from 31 percent in 1983; 34 percent favor legalization, up from 18 percent in 1986; 80 percent say adults should be able to use marijuana for medical purposes and nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical use.But as Americans grow more tolerant of marijuana, the sports world is heading in the opposite direction.Athletes caught smoking pot are not simply petty offenders, as the laws in most states define them. They are also disgraced role models, marketing liabilities and now, according to a burgeoning group of anti-doping advocates, they're cheaters as well. Many experts believe marijuana can enhance performance and are pushing to extend pot testing to all sports, not just the handful that screen for it now.Last weekend in Lausanne, Switzerland, physicians affiliated with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) were compiling a standardized banned list for the 2004 Olympics, and are hotly debating whether all Olympians should be tested for pot.WADA president Dick Pound advocates taking the testing issue even further, encouraging the U.S. pro leagues, especially those that send athletes to the Olympics, to follow his agency's guidelines.But the real debate is in Olympic sports, where there is a big push for uniform testing and punishment. In March, the representatives of 73 national governments and 65 sports federations agreed to a global anti-doping policy that includes uniform testing procedures and punishments. The policy is expected to be in place in time for the 2004 Olympics.WADA is attempting to replace the hodgepodge of rules that allow governing bodies such as the Federation de Ski, the International Gymnastics Federation and the swimming federation, to test for pot, while the international federations for track and field, soccer and basketball do not.The WADA subcommittee, comprised of five physicians, including Gary Wadler of Long Island, N.Y., have established criteria for placement on the banned list that includes whether a substance endangers health, violates the spirit of sport, or enhances performance. There is no question in the mind of Larry Bowers, the senior managing director of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, that marijuana can enhance performance by soothing nerves and giving some athletes an edge before they compete."One of the affects of marijuana is that it removes inhibitions," says Bowers. "It makes (athletes) not afraid of going down a 45-degree hill doing triple flips."Gen X athletes such as Bob Burnquist, one of the world's best skateboarders, and his girlfriend, Jen O'Brien, a top female skateboarder, openly advocate the legalization of marijuana while admitting that it helps them deal with the pressures of their sport. "A lot of skateboarders use marijuana for relaxation," says O'Brien, who appeared on the cover of High Times magazine holding a marijuana bud. "I think it's better than popping Vicodin or Valium or drinking alcohol."Steven Ungerleider, an Oregon psychologist who has advised college, pro and Olympic teams on drug issues, says gymnasts, divers, football players and basketball players have told him they smoke before they play. "They say it takes the edge off, so they can focus on the game," Ungerleider says.But Ross Rebagliati, the Canadian snowboarder whose gold medal was briefly yanked after he tested positive during the 1998 Nagano Olympics, says they are blowing smoke. "If you're being watched by the international media and millions of viewers around the world," Rebagliati says, "marijuana won't make you relax. It will make you feel anxious and paranoid."Wadler agrees, saying pot impairs coordination and concentration. "Just because athletes think pot helps performance doesn't mean it does," he says.Allen St. Pierre of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws says the standards for determining whether pot enhances performance are vague and difficult to measure and are a result of the lobbying of marijuana opponents."This is the American government's anti-drug pathology being transferred to the Olympic movement," St. Pierre says.Marijuana has long been a part of competitive sports, hailed by its users as a mellow alternative to other drugs, including alcohol. From 1989 to 2001, the NCAA found its athletes used ever-decreasing amounts of alcohol, cocaine, steroids, amphetamines, even cigarettes. But marijuana use stayed steady, even though athletes busted for marijuana face penalties far beyond what the law allows. (In New York, for instance, possession of 25 grams or less of pot gets you a $100 fine and no jail, while a first-offense DUI calls for a fine of between $300-$500, or 15 days in a county jail, and in New York City, forfeiture of the vehicle.) Their teams pay a price, too, which is why the men and women who write checks in professional sports want drugs out of it.A New York Daily News review of court and arrest records found an average of 30 college and professional athletes arrested for marijuana possession or distribution for each of the past three years."It's huge and goes well beyond the cost of the tickets and the fines," says Dean Bonham, a sports marketing consultant and former president of the Denver Nuggets, of marijuana in sports. "It goes to fan attitudes, it affects ticket sales and merchandising and concessions and advertising."So what have more testing, more counseling and more awareness about marijuana brought to sports? "Smarter users," says former NBA player and coach John Lucas. "Once they pass the test, they do whatever they do."Unless the athlete is former Dallas Cowboy Nate Newton, lugging 213 pounds of pot in the back of his van, the legal cost of a minor marijuana bust is negligible.Newton was sentenced to five years in Louisiana for trafficking, but the average athlete who is arrested for possessing a small amount is usually hit with a fine of up to $1,000 and no jail time.But that doesn't mean the costs in sports aren't sometimes devastating. Because of his positive test in Nagano, Rebagliati can't travel to the U.S. unless he receives special permission from the government, even though he has not been convicted of a crime. "I can't visit my mother in California, I can't drive to Mexico to surf," says Rebagliati, who blames the whole controversy on second-hand smoke. "Ozzy Osbourne has dinner at the White House, and I'm not even allowed to cross the border."One baseball general manager says he doesn't really care what a player does in his hotel room as long as it does not affect performance, but that the real problem is perception. "When a guy gets caught, that's when it's a problem," he says.The Mets had an especially embarrassing series of episodes last season, starting with pitcher Mark Corey's seizure after he smoked marijuana with Tony Tarasco. Later in the season an article in Newsday said there was rampant use in the team's system, showing a 1998 photo of pitcher Grant Roberts with a bong. The Mets vehemently denied the charge, but the damage was done. Just the appearance of a problem turned a poor season into a joke that no one in the organization found funny, possibly even costing manager Bobby Valentine his job.Owner Fred Wilpon has ordered his employees not to discuss the subject.When Damon Stoudamire and Rasheed Wallace did their best Cheech & Chong impersonation, getting arrested for pot possession last year in Stoudamire's yellow Hummer, the team was thrown into turmoil and general manager Bob Whitsitt apologized to fans on behalf of owner Paul Allen."This is embarrassing, it's disappointing, it's frustrating," said Whitsitt. "I'm sure we've got a lot of angry fans.""It's a real public relations problem," says sports marketing consultant Marc Ganis. "My God, how many Letterman jokes were there about the Mets after that? It also tends to exacerbate pre-existing perceptions. If the Mets were viewed as an underachieving team you start to wonder, does it stem from a lack of discipline? For a team it sends a terrible message."Reactions also seem to depend on the nature of the sport involved. Snowboarder Rebagliati became more famous after his positive test, but baseball, basketball, football and hockey all have close ties with traditional, conservative corporations, including beer companies.Baseball has three stadiums - Miller Park, Busch Stadium and Coors Field - named for those companies. Marijuana's counter-culture image does not appeal to the blue chips. The bottom line, Bonham says, is that marijuana is illegal."Corporate America is about selling products and services to the masses," he says. "Breaking the law in any form is inconsistent with that. I think the use of marijuana is a huge risk for athletes who have any interest at all in endorsement opportunities.''Source: New York Daily NewsNewshawk: phil_debowl Source: Kansas City Star (MO)Author: Christian Red, T.J. Quinn and Michael O'KeeffePublished: May 05, 2003Copyright: 2003 The Kansas City StarContact: letters kcstar.comWebsite: http://www.kcstar.com/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml

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Comment #4 posted by Lehder on May 06, 2003 at 09:10:55 PT

"never watched a football game "
amazing. neither have i, and people are astounded if i tell them this. i was once delighted to receive a surprise visit by an old girl friend on superbowl day. she said, "i came here because this is the only place in town where i know i won't have to watch football." it just has no attraction for me. please do not tell me what the "line of scrimmage" is as i am content not knowing. on the other hand, i do not seek to imprison those who do watch or play football, though i'm not so sure it's real good for them. if i drug my horse that's between her and me.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on May 06, 2003 at 08:36:31 PT

Lehder
I guess I thought I didn't understand this article because sports issues (except horse competitions) go over the top of my head. I have never watched a football game except to see the Superbowl commercials. Drug use was not something anyone would have considered when I was competing and drugging a horse was out of the question. You just didn't compete if the horse needed drugs to accomplish the event.
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Comment #2 posted by Lehder on May 06, 2003 at 08:29:49 PT

too silly for me
Unbelievable what some will say in deference to the drug war - anything at all, like Brainwashed Bowers:>>There is no question in the mind of Larry Bowers, the senior managing
   director of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, that marijuana can enhance performance by
   soothing nerves and giving some athletes an edge before they compete.   "One of the affects of marijuana is that it removes inhibitions," says Bowers. "It makes
   (athletes) not afraid of going down a 45-degree hill doing triple flips."What? Are Olympic athletes first-timers, afraid to take the leap? Havn't they had a little practice?"Not necessarily," says pitcher Mark Corey. "I'm a little intimidated myself by a really fast ball." "You bet," agrees Grant Roberts. "I wouldn't smoke it if I weren't afraid of the ball. Even a slow grounder can jump up and pop you on the nose."Should ball players be allowed to carry a can of the beer brand they advertise onto the field? Would it help keep them off the grass?
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on May 06, 2003 at 07:48:48 PT

News Article from Snipped Source
Smoking is NORML 
Former NFL star Stepnoski leading charge for change. 
By Michael O'Keeffe May 6, 2003 
Former NFL player Mark Stepnoski is trying to reform the country's marijuana laws. 
 
Mark Stepnoski was an All-American at Pitt for his performance on the football field and an Academic All-American for his work in the classroom. He was a five-time Pro Bowl lineman who won two Super Bowl rings with the Cowboys and punched open many of the holes Emmitt Smith ran through on his way to the NFL's all-time rushing record. He also smokes dope. Cops and counselors say one reason to wage war on marijuana is that it robs kids of their motivation. But Stepnoski was one of the NFL's premier centers for 13 years (Cowboys and Oilers), even though he had been smoking marijuana regularly since high school. "You can't have amotivational syndrome if you're going to play in the NFL," says Stepnoski, who retired after the 2001 season to become the president of the Texas chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. "That's one of the reasons why I decided to get involved with NORML, to dispel some of the myths about the drug and its users. Since I was a kid, I wanted to play in the NFL. Even though I occasionally used marijuana, it never prevented me from attaining my goals." Snipped: 
Complete Article: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/81188p-74431c.html
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