Pheonix Suns forward, Kevin Durant has been advocating against testing NBA players for marijuana since 2020. The 34-year-old basketball player’s hard work has paid off as the CBA has removed the substance under the anti-drug program.
Kevin Durant’s Role in the Legalization of Marijuana in NBA
The Suns forward has been campaigning to get marijuana off the list of substances for which the NBA players as tested under the anti-drug test program. The 11-time All-Star has been yearning for this change since 2020 and has already invested in numerous cannabis-related companies. During a recent CNBC and Boardroom conference in Los Angeles, California, Kevin Durant declared his love for marijuana.
“I just enjoy the plant. It’s as simple as that.”
His joyous statement speaks volumes about his advocacy for the NBA’s recent decision to remove marijuana from its anti-drug testing program.
“Cannabis isn’t about getting high and being irresponsible. It’s about wellness, healing, and opening up new opportunities. I’m glad the NBA is finally recognizing that.”
Kevin Durant’s perspective on the subject is not just a personal one; it’s a financial one as well. The Phoenix Suns All-Star forward has invested in multiple cannabis-related companies. Durant discussed his meeting with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver where he expressed his thoughts about the stigmatization of cannabis in the NBA.
“I actually called him and advocated for him to take marijuana off the banned substance list. I just felt like it was becoming a thing around the country, around the world, that the stigma behind it wasn’t as negative as it was before.”
Earlier this year, Shams Charania of The Athletic shared the news of the use of marijuana by NBA players being no longer prohibited under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Sources: NBA players will no longer be prohibited for marijuana under the new seven-year Collective Bargaining Agreement. It's been removed from the anti-drug testing program, a process that began during 2019-20 season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 1, 2023
While speaking with Andrew Sorkin at the CNBC conference, Kevin Durant stated that he didn’t need to say much to Adam Silver to get him onboard with the idea of legalizing marijuana in the NBA.
“I actually called him and advocated for him to take marijuana off the banned substance list. I just felt like it was becoming a thing around the country, around the world, that the stigma behind it wasn’t as negative as it was before.”
Kevin Durant jokingly remarked that not much needed to be said as Silver could probably smell marijuana on him when he walked in for the meeting.
“Well, he smelled it when I walked in. So I didn’t really have to say much, you know what I’m saying? He kind of understood where this was going…It’s the NBA, man… everybody does it, to be honest. It’s like wine at this point.”
According to reports, the league and its players reached an agreement on a new seven-year CBA deal in the early hours of Saturday morning, but it is still awaiting ratification. Starting this summer, a deal will commence and is set to continue until at least the end of the 2028/29 season. If either the league or the Players Association chooses to opt-out, the deal will end in the 2030 offseason.
However, NBA isn’t the first sports league to legalize the use of marijuana, in fact, it is quite late to the party. During the 2021 offseason, the NFL will only test players once a year. If a player fails the test, they will be fined instead of receiving a lengthy suspension. The UFC has also declared that it will not penalize fighters for testing positive for marijuana in 2021.
