75 to 80 percent of NBA players use marijuana, says Jay Williams

Posted by Sagar Satapathy on March 18, 2016.

In a shocking revelation, former NBA player and current basketball analyst for ESPN Jay Williams has said in an interview that 75 to 80 percent of athletes use marijuana in the NBA (National Basketball Association). He thinks the NBA needs to get with the times when it comes to marijuana and allow players to use it without punishment.

“It’s easy for doctors to prescribe you Oxycontin and look I was addicted to it for five plus years so I know,” Williams told FOXBusiness.com. “But when you say marijuana you get a reaction, ahhh, it’s a gateway drug.”

While 23 states in the U.S. have legalized medicinal marijuana, the drug is still prohibited by the NBA. The league's anti-drug agreement states that players are subject to four random drug screenings per season, without prior notice.

According to the NBA rules, if a player tests positive for marijuana and is convicted of the violation, he will be required to enter the Marijuana Program. A second offense will result in a $25,000 fine and the third will be a five-game suspension.

Williams points out that the effects of narcotic pain killers are much more dangerous than marijuana, however, cannabis still has a negative stigma attached to it.

"I know so many athletes that play on Percocet. Have you ever taken Percocet by the way? It makes you way more groggy than rubbing cannabis oil into your skin," said Williams. "It's demonized in society too. Oh, he's a pot head. No, I actually just use cannabis oil because it helps with inflammation and takes away some anxiety”.

Williams believes the sports world and society at large get over old attitudes toward the drug. He also thinks marijuana is much safer than the narcotic painkillers that many athletes are prescribed.

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