Former NBA Commissioner David Stern Believes the League Should Remove Marijuana Ban

David Stern, former commissioner of the NBA, said at the SeventySix Capital Sports Innovation Conference that the basketball league should reconsider the ban on THC.

According to CNBC, Stern stated that the ban is outdated and should be reviewed at the next collective bargaining agreement.

“I think it’s time to take a whole new look at it,” Stern, 77, shared on Wednesday in an interview with CNBC at the conference in Philadelphia.

The reason reported for Stern’s change of heart is the recent boom of medical marijuana to treat ailments such as pain, anxiety, and more.

“In many cases in sports,” Stern said, “the opioid crisis begins with players being prescribed pills for their pain, and if there is another substance, whether it be CBD or THC that eases pain, then I’m all for it.”

NBA players are currently required to do four random drug tests during each season. This was a rule that Stern put in place before stepping down as commissioner in 2014.

“You don’t want players drinking beer at halftime,” Stern said. “And you don’t want them smoking joints at halftime. But if it’s a controlled usage and has a viable, legitimate use, why not?”