When you think of professional athletes, demotivated and lazy probably aren't the first words to pop into your head. If anything, athletes are more driven, goal-oriented, and downright proactive than most people on this earth — even the athletes that use marijuana. In fact, weed-loving athletes are the best argument against the "weed makes you lazy" stereotype. After all, it's hard to claim weed kills motivation when the most decorated Olympian got caught red-handed with a bong on camera (looking at you, Michael Phelps).
But in a profession where bruises, bumps, and chronic pain are par for the course, why is weed still such a taboo? Even with all the athletes that use marijuana, there are still those who frown on celebrities who smoke a little dope here and there. Is it really that big of a deal when athletes are caught with marijuana, and should they be suspended or expelled from professional sports because of it? I think not.
It doesn't hurt anyone to give professional athletes a pass when it comes to weed, especially if it helps them manage their sport-induced aches and pains! And at the very least, it's safe to say weed doesn't keep people from achieving greatness — especially not these athletes!
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Michael Phelps
You can't talk about athletes caught with marijuana without mentioning Michael Phelps at least once (and probably twice). After all, he's the poster child for successful pot smokers! He may have been caught on camera allegedly smoking weed from a bong back in 2009, but that sure didn't keep him from making history. Even though he lost a few fans and suffered a temporary ban from competitive swimming, Phelps still holds the title of most-decorated Olympian with a whopping 28 medals to his name. In the end, it seems that weed doesn't make you lazy — being lazy makes you lazy! If Michael Phelps can smoke cannabis and go on to do all that, weed might not be the problem.
Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor is in the news pretty often, if not for his renowned athletic prowess then for his celebrity standing. He may be retired now, but this ex-mixed martial arts and boxing champion has a long way to go before people forget his name — especially in the cannabis community! After all, how many people can say they won the Ultimate Fighting Championship for both featherweight and lightweight categories and also claim they smoked weed grown on Mike Tyson's marijuana ranch? As far as I know, Conor McGregor is the only person to have done both!
Nate Diaz
Nate Diaz is a professional MMA (mixed martial arts) fighter and a known cannabis consumer. He didn't just break the rules of cannabis and sports, he changed them! Before Diaz, UFC fighters were prohibited from consuming CBD until at least six hours after their fight was finished. Diaz was apparently unaware of this rule and ended up vaping CBD at a UFC press conference not two hours after a fight. Instead of a suspension, Diaz received a warning and the official rules were changed to allow more tolerance to athletes that use marijuana. Thanks, Nate Diaz!
Stephen Jackson
Stephen Jackson was never caught smoking marijuana so much as he openly admitted it. Jackson had a stellar career with the NBA and played 14 seasons with seven different teams. Now he's retired at the age of 41 with the rest of his life ahead of him to appreciate all those past victories. Even better? He can talk openly about his relationship with sports and weed! Jackson admits to smoking cannabis during his career with the NBA and even alludes to playing games while high. Most people don’t want to play a casual game of basketball after smoking weed, much less an intensely competitive professional game! Most of us can only imagine what it's like to be high on an NBA court, but Stephen Jackson lived it.
Ricky Williams
Ricky Williams was a professional football player who quit sports for a career with weed. This former athlete was suspended by the NFL back in 2005 for four whole games (and had an extra four games worth of pay docked), all for failing a drug test. The same happened in 2006, but Williams was suspended for an entire year instead. Williams retired from professional sports around 2012 and has since changed his career sights to something a little closer to home: cannabis! That's right, Williams steered into the skid and quit sports to do what he seems to love most. We can all learn a thing or two from Ricky Williams, and how to chase your dreams is certainly one of them. If CBD is your dream, make sure to check out Leafbuyer's best CBD products before you go!
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