Can Athletics Change the Perception of Cannabis?

Twenty-fiveĀ states and the District of Columbia now have laws on the books thatĀ legalize marijuanaĀ in some form. Most regulate consumption of marijuana for medical needs; only Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington have legalized pot for recreational use. Despite the fact that many local law enforcement officials believeĀ any focus on marijuanaprevents them from working on more pressing community needs, ingesting cannabisĀ in any form isĀ still a crimeĀ under federal law.

Marijuana use is still an offense within the world of professional sports; just about every professional league or athletics association says cannabis is a no-no under their blanket policies related to drug use. The absurdity reached a fever pitch during the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan, when snowboarderĀ Ross RebagliatiĀ of Canada almost lost his gold medal because he tested positive for marijuana use. Rebagliati kept his medal, but he was notĀ allowed to enter the U.S. for yearsĀ because of...

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