Marijuana In Sports. WHY WASTE TIME AND MONEY TESTING FOR IT?

I won't rip you. I agree completely.

I agree, ridiculous.

Marijuana is illegal for non-medical use. Thus, it should be banned and tested for. My 2oo cents.

When is the last time someone in Track got busted for smoking weed?

Yeah, marijuana is part of their culture and grows from the ground. They might as well ban tobacco while they're at it.

I totally understand why many jobs would test for it. It impairs judgment, diminishes motor skills, etc. However in Track? I totally agree that it is a waste of time to test for.

Does anyone know if Williams is going to get in trouble for his positive test? Is he going to be banned from meets? Worlds? Does it even effect anything?

Look.

runningforsanity wrote:

Why do the governing bodies of track and field, waste time and money on testing for marijuana? I would like to see this time and money spent on catching cheaters who are using performance enhancing drugs.

They test for it because it is on the banned substance list. Whether it should be or not is a different question. Given that they've already taken the blood and/or urine sample and are running a battery of tests, I doubt that it is much additional time or money to include this testing in addition to the PED tests that are run.

Maybe Jamaica should do it!

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Oh wait, they like kicking our asses

So if you smoke weed you can't be an athlete? Or get a job? Not because of the usage but because of the laws and regulations? You can be a great athlete and smoke weed but then they won't let you be a great athlete anymore because weed is bad for you? A company would pass up a smart, educated, soon-to-be productive prospect in favor of a less capable individual because weed is bad for you?

Maybe weed just shows how completely F'ed up our society is.

It shouldn't be illegal and it shouldn't be the basis for a DQ from track. Too many things are illegal, and it's not a performance-enhancing drug for track and field, though it is surely enjoyment-enhancing. Things need to change.

highasabirrd wrote:

So if you smoke weed you can't be an athlete? Or get a job? Not because of the usage but because of the laws and regulations? You can be a great athlete and smoke weed but then they won't let you be a great athlete anymore because weed is bad for you? A company would pass up a smart, educated, soon-to-be productive prospect in favor of a less capable individual because weed is bad for you?

Maybe weed just shows how completely F'ed up our society is.

^^

This

So drug testing should be sport specific, event specific and not have anything to do with legality of use? Not saying marijuana users should be suspended. Just pointing out some issues.

ray wrote:

So drug testing should be sport specific, event specific and not have anything to do with legality of use? Not saying marijuana users should be suspended. Just pointing out some issues.

Ginseng has been banned and caffeine is banned at a certain level. Yet these two substances are up for common comsumption in most of the world without regulation and in many cases boost productivity and health (especially ginseng).

Wine doesn't improve productivity in a direct sense in almost any form of business (accept maybe in some arts) and certainly not in sports. Too much of this CAN get you arrested and is illegal while driving or operating machinery but when was the last time an athlete got busted for wine consumption???

I think marijuana falls along the lines of the latter substance than the former, and I don't even like the stuff.

It may be illegal (currently) but that doesn't mean that the law makes sense. Perhaps the only reason it is still illegal is because the tobacco and alcohol companies have done a good job to keep it illegal until they can figure out away to get set up to make money after legalizing it. Not because of inherent problems with the substance itself, but for corporate greed and self preservation motives.

I think there are a lot of folks on here would agree.

First, I do not think that pot should be illegal.

Second, however, I think industries or groups can prohibit its members or participants from using it if they want to work in that field. So if a sport governing body thought it was a bad idea to have its athletes smoking pot (seeing as how athletes are role models) that governing body should be able to do it. Many (most?) of the substances on the prohibited list are not illegal. Some might require prescriptions but they are not illegal per se.

Third, the incremental cost of the testing is probably pretty darn small. IIRC, the mass spec analyzes the sample and reports everything in the sample. The report might just show what is "checked off".

The NBA does not test for it!

Or there might be no NBA.

The two good reasons are

1) It's illegal

and

2) Athletes are role models

Should weed be legal? Maybe, but the fact is it's not, and it's not going to be any time soon, so athletes who break the law should be sanctioned. Kids look up to and mimic the best athletes in their favorite sport. I certainly wouldn't want my kids smoking dope because some bigshot sprinter says it's okay.

asdf90099090 wrote:

Marijuana is illegal for non-medical use. Thus, it should be banned and tested for. My 2oo cents.

It is illegal in th U.S., it is not illegal in many other nations. The ban/testing is done by the international gov bodies. Your reason you stated for for agreeing with the ban is flawed.

Why is it that other sports give athletes a slap on the wrist when it comes to these recreational drugs...

How many times do you hear about the NFL player, NBA player, or international footballers ETC. Yet, they are not "banned" - seriously, what gives here?

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