[ad_1]
Roberts was drawn to Cresco in large part because of his efforts on the social front. In 2019, the company became the first in the cannabis field to launch a Social Equity and Seed Development (SEED) program aimed at promoting inclusion and diversity in the industry. The effort focused on several areas, including access and engagement for communities of color, in addition to expungement efforts for marijuana convictions. It was a way not only to enter space, but to make the difference that she desired within him.
The timing was perfect. In just a few short weeks, the unique circumstances of the NBA playoffs allowed Roberts to participate in the same fight on behalf of his players.
The decision to suspend testing in the bubble was negotiated relatively quickly between the league and the players’ association, sources say. The decision to maintain the suspension for the upcoming season is largely aimed at minimizing contacts and keeping COVID safe – or at least, that’s the party line. “Due to unusual circumstances in conjunction with the pandemic, we have agreed with the NBPA to suspend random testing of marijuana for the 2020-21 season and to focus our randomized testing program on performance-enhancing products and drugs of abuse,” said the league spokesman. Mike Bass.
For Roberts, however, it is a clear sign of things to come. Far from being a one-time event, he is confident that “in the next collective bargaining agreement, maybe even next season,” the elimination of random marijuana testing for NBA players will be permanent. She targets leagues like the NFL and MLB, which have already made similar moves despite having a much less progressive reputation than the NBA.
“We are not going to expose our players to unnecessary risks,” Roberts said, apparently referring to the COVID precautions. However, his follow-up applies to non-pandemic times: “And you don’t need to know if our players are positive for marijuana.”
Obviously, Roberts has no singular control over this. Issues like these must be negotiated collectively between the league and the players’ association, and various sources in the league confirm that the dialogue about the permanent removal of testing is ongoing.
These types of arrangements often come with “returns,” as the league calls them, where the side pushing the switch offers a concession of its own to the other in return. But that might not be necessary here, in large part because Roberts’ support isn’t the only significant boost the cause has going for it.
Public perception is a real thing, for example. The NBA has leaned increasingly toward its position as the most progressive sports league, and it is uncharacteristic to be behind other sports leagues in North America until a move clearly endorsed by the majority of the population.
Then there’s the health side, which could be the element that brings the league to the top here. Research on THC and CBD for pain relief and recovery has become more prominent in recent years, to the point where it has carried over to mainstream society. Meanwhile, the opioid crisis that has plagued the country for years has raised awareness of the dangers of prescription pain relievers far stronger than marijuana.
“I know these guys play in pain, they live in pain, almost like a natural thing,” says Roberts of his players. “They don’t want to take a lot of drugs that they could perfectly legally take from their trainers, because they know that a lot of those things are highly addictive.”
Marijuana could be a big part of the answer. As the country as a whole takes an increasingly progressive stance on the issue, and more than half of the states now have some form of legal marijuana program (medical or recreational), the potential to improve research on the true clinical benefits of these substances is growing. high.
