During an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Snoop Dogg said that sports leagues should stop testing players for marijuana use. The rapper, actor and cannabis activist said they should instead allow athletes to use cannabis for therapeutic purposes, as an alternative to opioids and other drugs. (PHOTO BY EMMA MCINTYRE/GETTY IMAGES)
The issue of cannabis use among athletes has been heavily discussed over the past few months, stemming from Sha’Carri Richardson’s suspension from the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for cannabis use. Richardson, who had qualified for the events and was an exciting prospect for Team USA, had to drop out of the competition.
Snoop Dogg then suggested sports leagues should relax their cannabis policies, especially since athletes could develop opioid problems. “These athletes take these pills and they get addicted to these pills, and it still doesn’t give them the relief that they need as far as with the pain or whatever they’re going through,” Snoop Dogg argued.
“Through the CBD, through the THC, through the marijuana, through the cannabis, they’re able to find a relaxation and getting the medical treatment that they deserve — without having those later side effects — so I push for that in sports,” he added.
Cannabis use in sports has long attracted plenty of debate, especially in recent years as the drug has been legalized in more states across the U.S.
Richardson’s case sparked support and in sympathy from entertainers such as Snoop Dogg and Seth Rogen, but also to more conservative establishments, like the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
Richarson said that she’s hopeful that her suspension can trigger some change, perhaps altering international policies for athletes and cannabis use.
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