Lyric from: Mary Jane from the album Come Get It
Written By: Rick James
Performed By: Rick James
 |
| Photo of Antonio Cromartie courtesy of USATSI |
Now we know why Antonio Cromartie couldn't remember all of
his kids' names that one time when the Jets were featured on HBO's Hard Knocks.
In my best West Indian accent, "it's the ganja mon".
In an interview last week on This is 50, Cromartie summarized what he feels are NFL players' long-term intentions as it relates to marijuana.
"They need to let it go," he said. "They need to go ahead and say, y'all go ahead and smoke it. Do what you need to do."
The "they" he's referring to is of course the NFL, very specifically Roger Goodell and league officials.
Despite the drug's undesirable effects on its users' short-term memories, cannabis has long been highly regarded as a useful and effective painkiller.
As such, Goodell has promised to let the medical community inform his understanding of the drug's use in managing pain.
It's the right thing to do, especially since states continue to move toward widespread medical decriminalization of marijuana with Colorado and Washington having legalized its recreational use as well.
But what of the public's perception of weed and its users?
A recent CBS poll indicates that a slight majority of Americans favor marijuana legalization for the first since they've been asking the question. The final tally of 51 percent for and 44 percent against represents an exact flip flop from the results obtained a short time ago, in October of 2011.
It seems that we're finally willing to admit our tolerance out loud.
Most of the superstars we promote and idolize admit to using the drug. We rock out and bump out to musical anthems that glamorize it. It's a part of our favorite TV shows, even a few on network television. People we respect as valued members of our community from public officials and CEOs to our parents often admit having experimented with the drug.
And our favorite athletes smoke it and, then we have the audacity to get judgmental when their drug tests come up positive and ornery when suspensions ensue.
For some time now I've wondered whether it is the illegality or the health concerns that most affects our opinion on marijuana. More relevantly asked for the changing times, if marijuana is legal will we still say it's bad?
After all, it’s all fun and games until someone gets suspended or arrested or killed.
Maybe the new narrative on the drug will be one of "moderation" as it has always been with alcohol.
If so, the NFL's inability to make that story a good one may prove too strong of an influence for a rational decision on the future of weed in the league.
In my best West Indian accent, "it's the ganja mon".
In an interview last week on This is 50, Cromartie summarized what he feels are NFL players' long-term intentions as it relates to marijuana.
"They need to let it go," he said. "They need to go ahead and say, y'all go ahead and smoke it. Do what you need to do."
The "they" he's referring to is of course the NFL, very specifically Roger Goodell and league officials.
Despite the drug's undesirable effects on its users' short-term memories, cannabis has long been highly regarded as a useful and effective painkiller.
As such, Goodell has promised to let the medical community inform his understanding of the drug's use in managing pain.
It's the right thing to do, especially since states continue to move toward widespread medical decriminalization of marijuana with Colorado and Washington having legalized its recreational use as well.
But what of the public's perception of weed and its users?
A recent CBS poll indicates that a slight majority of Americans favor marijuana legalization for the first since they've been asking the question. The final tally of 51 percent for and 44 percent against represents an exact flip flop from the results obtained a short time ago, in October of 2011.
It seems that we're finally willing to admit our tolerance out loud.
Most of the superstars we promote and idolize admit to using the drug. We rock out and bump out to musical anthems that glamorize it. It's a part of our favorite TV shows, even a few on network television. People we respect as valued members of our community from public officials and CEOs to our parents often admit having experimented with the drug.
And our favorite athletes smoke it and, then we have the audacity to get judgmental when their drug tests come up positive and ornery when suspensions ensue.
For some time now I've wondered whether it is the illegality or the health concerns that most affects our opinion on marijuana. More relevantly asked for the changing times, if marijuana is legal will we still say it's bad?
After all, it’s all fun and games until someone gets suspended or arrested or killed.
Maybe the new narrative on the drug will be one of "moderation" as it has always been with alcohol.
If so, the NFL's inability to make that story a good one may prove too strong of an influence for a rational decision on the future of weed in the league.
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