Marijuana and Sports
Ever since the recreational use of weed was legalized in the states of Colorado and Washington I’ve wondered how it might affect athletes and sports in those areas. Would athletes be able to smoke as much as they want whenever they cross the states borders? Imagine a United States where the use of marijuana is legal in all 50 states. Athletes whether in college or playing professionally get a ton of publicity for everything they do and are idols to youth across the world. They’re essentially trendsetters. Would seeing Kobe Bryant smoke a joint on television change the general attitude towards marijuana and inspire basketball players across the world to follow? Many think weed would destroy the integrity of sports and would prevent the best product from being on the field or court. The questions can also be flipped around. Could smoking weed benefit athletes? In the end, is it even a really big of a deal?
Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant. All forms of marijuana, including the stronger sensemilla and hashish varieties, are mind-altering (psychoactive) drugs. They all contain THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the main active chemical in marijuana that effects changes in the brain of the user. Minutes after inhaling marijuana smoke users will begin to feel its physiological effects.
When it was announced that the states of Colorado and Washington were now legalizing weed it made big headlines in the 2012 presidential election. It shouldn’t be too surprising that it happened though considering how large the weed business is in those areas. Professor Elizabeth Jacobs has performed research on the amount of marijuana usage in the states that have legalized medical marijuana compared to Amsterdam where the use of weed is completely legal. The research showed that when compared, there were no differences in the amount of drugs used. So even though weed isn’t completely legal in the US
Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant. All forms of marijuana, including the stronger sensemilla and hashish varieties, are mind-altering (psychoactive) drugs. They all contain THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the main active chemical in marijuana that effects changes in the brain of the user. Minutes after inhaling marijuana smoke users will begin to feel its physiological effects.
When it was announced that the states of Colorado and Washington were now legalizing weed it made big headlines in the 2012 presidential election. It shouldn’t be too surprising that it happened though considering how large the weed business is in those areas. Professor Elizabeth Jacobs has performed research on the amount of marijuana usage in the states that have legalized medical marijuana compared to Amsterdam where the use of weed is completely legal. The research showed that when compared, there were no differences in the amount of drugs used. So even though weed isn’t completely legal in the US
Citations: Papa, Anthony. "Michael Phelps: Greatest Olympian Ever (Who Also Happened to Smoke Pot)." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 03 Aug. 2012. Web. Ziemer, Tracy L Peruzzi, Marc. "Pot for Pain." Mensjournal.com. Men 's Journal, 4 Oct. 2008. Web. 09 Dec. 2012 Zimmer, Lynn, and John P Lee, Amber. "25 Elite Athletes Who Also Smoke Pot." Bleacherreport.com. Bleacher Report, 19 Apr. 2012. Web Lockwood, Penelope, Christian H Zarda, Brett. "Is Pot a Performance Enhancer?" Popular Science. POPSCI, 9 Feb. 2009. Jacobs, Elizabeth. "Effects of Legalizing Medical Marijuana On Illegal Marijuana Use." Google Scholar, 29 Nov. 2012. Web Alipour, Sam