The campaign for allowing the use of marijuana in professional sports got another advocate Friday.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, in an appearance on CSN Bay Area’s “The Warriors Insider” podcast, admitted he recently smoked marijuana as a way to treat his chronic back pain.
“I guess maybe I could even get in some trouble for this, but I’ve actually tried (marijuana) twice during the last year and a half when I’ve been going through this pain, this chronic pain that I’ve been dealing with,” Kerr told host Monte Pool, as transcribed by ESPN.com.
“… I don’t even know if I’m subject to a drug test or any laws from the NBA, but I tried it, and it didn’t help at all. But it was worth it, because I’m searching for answers on pain. But I’ve tried painkillers and drugs of other kinds, as well, and those have been worse. It’s tricky.”
Kerr, who missed the first half of the 2015-16 season while recovering from back surgery, believes professional sports at least should consider the benefits of marijuana as a painkiller as opposed to other drugs, which could be more harmful.
“I’m not a pot person. It doesn’t agree with me,” he said. “I tried it a few times, and it did not agree with me at all. So I’m not the expert on this stuff. But I do know this: If you’re an NFL player, in particular, and you’ve got lot of pain, I don’t think there’s any question that pot is better for your body than Vicodin.
“And yet, athletes everywhere are prescribed Vicodin like it’s Vitamin C, like it’s no big deal. And there’s like this perception in our country that over-the-counter drugs are fine but pot is bad. Now, I think that’s changing.”
NBA players need to fail three drug tests before they’re disciplined for using recreational drugs like marijuana, but other pro leagues, most notably the NFL, have stricter rules. Kerr hopes those rules become more lenient.
“You’re seeing that change in these laws that you’re talking about in different states, including California,” he added. “But I would just hope that sports leagues are able to look past the perception.”
Thumbnail photo via Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports Images
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