On the heels of Canada’s decriminalization of recreational marijuana, the largest country to do so, more companies are popping up and providing legal weed.
Monday morning, Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik explained in an interview with the Washington Post’s Samantha Pell that he became an investor in an Alberta medical cannabis producer and distributor, Aurora Cannabis.
“If that can help guys that are addicted to opioids or maybe going down that avenue, then I am all for it,” Orpik said.
Aurora Cannabis started trading on the New York stock Exchange on October 23, and Orpik said that a few players on the Capitals were investing in cannabis companies.
Players are interested in cannabis for the pain relieving properties of CBD, or cannabidiol, a chemical produce in hemp plants that doesn’t make one high, as an alternative to pain relievers like Oxycodone or Vicodin. Connor McDavid told the AP “when your body’s sore like it is sometimes, you don’t want to be taking pain stuff and taking Advil all the time. There’s obviously better ways to do it. … You’re seeing a lot of smart guys look into it.”
The NHL has the most lenient policy with regards to marijuana, and players who test positive with small amounts aren’t referred to rehab or disciplined. Instead, their data is given to the NHL and NHLPA’s Performance Enhancing Substances Program Committee to re-evaluate testing going forward.
The NBA has a policy mostly in name only, and tests players four times per year but not during the regular season. If players are caught, there are scaled punishments, including rehab, fines, and then eventually missing games.
MLB tests based on cause, and the NFL as the strictest policy, sometimes banning players up to a year for a positive test.
Headline photo: Cara Bahniuk
