NCAA: Nearly 1/4 of all college football players smoke weed
Nearly 25 percent of all college football players smoke marijuana according to a recent research study conducted by the NCAA.
The numbers are considerably higher for lacrosse players, swimmers and soccer players.
#NCAA men’s sports w/ highest reported use of marijuana past yr: Lax, Swimming, Soccer. pic.twitter.com/UFHOkiYzV6
— NCAA Research (@NCAAResearch) July 24, 2014
In July, Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall was cited for marijuana possession and as punishment, was kept away from SEC Media Days by coach Gus Malzahn.
In recent years, several high-profile SEC players have failed drug tests including Georgia’s Bacarri Rambo and LSU’s Tyrann Mathieu. Former Mizzou wideout Dorial Green-Beckham was arrested twice, the second time for suspicion of felony drug activity.
During the spring, CBS Sports polled more than two dozen college basketball coaches and asked their stance on drug testing and whether or not weed should be removed from the NCAA’s list of banned substances.
A few notable anonymous quotes are below:
“I don’t know that I favor removing marijuana as a banned substance but at some point the NCAA has to have an honest conversation as to how often they test and what fair penalties are. The other factor is that from a legal standpoint many states are starting to ‘pseudo’ legalize marijuana use, and I suspect many states will follow. You don’t get penalized for legal alcohol use … so why legal marijuana use?”
“You can’t remove it until it’s legal in all the states. We’re trending in that direction. But we aren’t ready for that yet.”
“Marijuana is still illegal in the majority of states, so it has to remain a banned substance.”
“Marijuana is becoming more and more accepted in our society and is too popular in basketball culture. I think the decision to punish marijuana use should be left up to individual schools and programs. I am not pro marijuana use, but I do not think the NCAA should be responsible for enforcement.”
“Marijuana should be a banned substance. But a year-long suspension or a six-month suspension or whatever for one positive test [administered by the NCAA] is crazy. The mayor of Toronto can keep his job after being caught on tape smoking crack, but we’re suspending kids for a year for a weed test? It’s ridiculous.”