Marijuana and Sports Essay Sample
Ever since the recreational usage of weed was legalized in the provinces of Colorado and Washington I’ve wondered how it might impact jocks and athleticss in those countries. Would athletes be able to smoke every bit much as they want whenever they cross the provinces boundary lines? Imagine a United States where the usage of marihuana is legal in all 50 provinces. Athletes whether in college or playing professionally acquire a ton of promotion for everything they do and are graven images to youth across the universe. They’re basically trendsetters. Would seeing Kobe Bryant smoke a articulation on telecasting alteration the general attitude towards marihuana and animate hoops participants across the universe to follow? Many think weed would destruct the unity of athleticss and would forestall the best merchandise from being on the field or tribunal. The inquiries can besides be flipped around. Could smoking weed benefit jocks? In the terminal. is it even a truly large of a trade? Marijuana is a green. brown. or grey mixture of dried. chopped foliages. roots. seeds. and flowers of the hemp works. All signifiers of marihuana. including the stronger sensemilla and hashish assortments. are mind-altering ( psychotropic ) drugs.
They all contain THC ( delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol ) . the chief active chemical in marihuana that effects alterations in the encephalon of the user. Minutess after inhaling marijuana fume users will get down to experience its physiological effects. When it was announced that the provinces of Colorado and Washington were now legalising weed it made large headlines in the 2012 presidential election. It shouldn’t be excessively surprising that it happened though sing how big the weed concern is in those countries. Professor Elizabeth Jacobs has performed research on the sum of marijuana use in the provinces that have legalized medical marihuanas compared to Amsterdam where the usage of weed is wholly legal. The research showed that when compared. there were no differences in the sum of drugs used. So even though weed isn’t wholly legal in the US it’s being used merely every bit much in topographic points where it is legal. She so sought to happen out whether there were differences between provinces that have legal medical marihuana Torahs compared to provinces that do non. She decided to roll up informations from the provinces that showed how much illegal weed was seized in the past twelvemonth. There was no statistical difference between provinces with and without legalized marihuana in footings of the illegal marihuanas seized.
“The consequences of this survey show that it is likely that the legalisation of marihuana has no measured differences in the extent to which marihuana is illicitly used…This would demo whether there is a greater demand for more effectual jurisprudence enforcement in provinces with legalized medical marihuana. and the authorities could apportion financess consequently. From the informations presently available nevertheless. there is no higher rate of illegal marihuanas use in provinces with legalized marihuana. and there may be fewer negative effects of go throughing such a jurisprudence than its oppositions anticipated. ” Do some jocks smoke weed to heighten public presentation? Linda Cusmano author for Shapefit. com provinces that smoking weed has scientifically been proven to ache athletic public presentation. Its effects would do the jock less nimble. intending slower to respond to the physical motions needed to execute at a high degree. The jock would besides likely feel paranoia and a lazy feeling. She besides mentions that weed doesn’t have the same consequence on everybody. One theory that would oppose Linda Cusmano is the thought is that the ability of weed to quiet nervousnesss gives the jock a little advantage.
Other theories on possible benefits from marihuana environment its ability to relieve emphasis and relax. The World Anti-Doping Agency ( WADA ) has done a spot of research and stated that. “Research showed that cannabinoids can let jocks to better focal point and diminish emphasis. ” Surprisingly. non a batch of research has been done on the topic. Zarda believes scientists assume they know what smoking pot will make to an jock ( perchance assist win an eating a competition ) . Finding trial topic would be the least of their concerns which alludes to the thought that they would merely instead non pass clip researching the topic. So possibly playing high has no consequence on an athlete’s public presentation. but what about after a large game? Marc Peruzzi wrote an article called “Athletes discover Pot for Pain” which posed the inquiry “Marijuana works admirations on serious hurting related to major unwellnesss. But could weed besides be a better option than nonprescription drugs for athleticss hurts and musculus tenderness? ” Marc Peruzzi was an devouring Advil user.
He used it to live over hurting after wounding his dorsum in a skiing accident. Taking drugs like Advil and those that are similar have shown to deteriorate our GI system the ground being that it blocks natural chemicals that cause redness. However. those same chemicals besides protect your tummy from firing its ain acid. Harmonizing to the institute of medicine’s study. hurting is the act of several neurotransmitters relaying message to our encephalons such as “my legs are sore from mountain biking. ” for illustration. Drugs like opiates and morphine basically turn off those neurotransmitters to an extent where our perceptual experience of the hurting is well less. THC has the same effects but works in a somewhat different manner. “when it binds to two types of “cannabinoid receptors” ( CB1 and CB2 ) … . “reduces responsiveness to acute painful stimulations in research lab animals… [ and ] was comparable with opiates in authority and efficaciousness. ” harmonizing to the Institute’s 1999 survey. Other surveies of the drug have shown that it reduces musculus spasticity. excessively. ” In the medical marihuana universe dosage size is a big grey country. There is no cosmopolitan criterion for how much one hit of weed will make to us.
Peruzzi found in a Canadian study shows that 53 % of those who treat hurting with pot take four or less hits per dosage. Peruzzi besides asked the inquiry “If I don’t attention that I’m in hurting. am I so in hurting? ” Most people believe that if don’t feel hurting so you’re non really in hurting. “As long as you’re able to get by with the drug’s authority. it can really be better for you than isobutylphenyl propionic acid. ” says Dr. Donald Abrams. professor of clinical medical specialty at the University of California–San Francisco. He besides adds. “Marijuana has anti-inflammatory belongingss similar to ibuprofen. and it won’t give you an ulcer. ” Given this information it’s difficult to state that marihuana may non be a better option compared to the nonprescription drugs that we use every twenty-four hours. Earlier this twelvemonth. a few months after the Oregon Ducks won the Rose Bowl an article was written called “We Smoke It All” by Sam Alipour. It starts off with him reciting an history he late had with one of the participants from the squad at a friend’s off-campus flat.
The participant is taking weed out of a bag and fixing to smoke. This is normal for the student-athlete who says he doesn’t use bongs and pipes because they “mean more evidence” . Apparently most of his teammates were waiting to smoke until after their winter exercises were over. After that. it becomes a squad activity. “It’s non merely us. ” he says. taking another hit. “If you think Oregon’s the lone squad smoking weed. you’re brainsick. ” An NCAA survey in January said that 22. 6 per centum of jocks ( A figure that has increased since last researched ) smoke weed. College football participants rank the highest with 26. 7 % of their jocks utilizing marihuana. It’s interesting to see how many participants from Oregon have been smoking weed late and on past squads. Oregon has been a regular name seen in the top five best squads in the state in the past decennary. Current and old participants have estimated between 40 and 60 per centum of the squads dating back 15 old ages have used marihuana. This information came from a few interviews done by The Magazine.
This past June an Oregon State cavalryman pulled over two Oregon football stars driving at 118 stat mis an hr. The malodor of weed in the auto couldn’t have gone unnoticed. “Who’s got the marihuana in the auto? ” asked the officer. and the participant replied “We smoked it all. ” Shocking isn’t it? Oregon continues to be one of the top college football squads every twelvemonth and seemingly they rank really high among college football squads that smoke marihuanas. So from this grounds it’s safe to state that the more a squad fumes weed. the better they play. Right? On a 4/20 particular ( the national vacation for pot tobacco users ) BleacherReport. com a well-known athleticss web site counted down “Top 20 most Successful Potheads in Sports History” . The list consisted of greats old and new including a former Cy Young victor Tim Lincecum. NBA stars Carmelo Anthony. Stephon Marbury. and Rasheed Wallace. NFL Stars who have admitted to. or have been caught smoking marihuana include Ricky Williams. Randy Moss and Santonio Holmes.
The NFL continues to hold one of the worst drug jobs in any professional athletics. Ricky Williams retired for the first clip merely after neglecting yet another drug trial shortly before the 2004 season. Ricky Williams was a former Heisman victor and one of the best running dorsums in the NFL before he all of a sudden retired in 2004. Ricky violated the league’s substance maltreatment policy four times. each clip being marihuanas related. While retired. Ricky continued to smoke day-to-day and became a “pothead” . One of the chief grounds Ricky left the NFL was that he was being overused and it took a immense toll on his organic structure. After a few old ages spent populating in Australia. emphasis free of the media and football. Ricky Williams decided to do a rejoinder in the NFL. Many football analysts view Williams’ calling as a waste. stating that his “addiction” to pot has turned him into a second-rate endowment when he could hold been one of the greatest running dorsums of all-time. Olympic Gold medallists have even been caught smoking weed. It was universe intelligence when exposure of Michael Phelps smoking weed from a bong surfaced on the cyberspace after the 2008 Olympics.
In the most recent Olympics. Michael Phelps was praised for carry throughing an astonishing effort when he broke the record for most of all time decorations won by an Olympian. New mercantile establishments across the universe wrote narratives about his illustriousness. It’s funny how no rather excessively long ago they had attacked Phelps for images of him. taking a hit from a bong had surfaced on the cyberspace. Three months after the 2008 Olympics Phelps was caught at a party smoke weed. Most premises were drawn were that this had non been the first clip something like this had occurred. After intelligence had gotten out he said “I engaged in behaviour which was too bad and demonstrated bad judgement. I’m 23 old ages old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool. I acted in a vernal and inappropriate manner. non in a mode people have come to anticipate from me. For this. I am regretful. I promise my fans and the populace it will non go on once more. ” Michael Phelps was making what 1000000s of others do at his age which is to party and hold a good clip. but fell victim to his mammoth famous person position.
In the article “Motivation by positive or negative function theoretical accounts: Regulative focal point determines who will outdo inspire us. ” the effects of function theoretical accounts are discussed. Athletes play as function theoretical accounts to 1000000s of people across the universe. Peoples like Lebron James or Derek Jeter who have excelled manner past their rivals have their every move watched by the media and fans. They’re expected to be good citizens that are ever making the right thing. These jocks are besides chosen because they have impacts on the manner the people that watch them act. ( Lockwood & A ; Kunda ) Often we see these jocks in commercials that deal with community service. or drug bar. On the other manus there are superstar jocks that can’t seem to remain out of problem. They give off a certain attitude or mentality that may work for them but non others. Negative function theoretical accounts may animate those who follow to be person that is feared. or to be avoided ( Lockwood ) . Michael Phelps unwittingly sent a message to 1000000s that smoking marihuana isn’t that bad.
It’s hard non to believe that manner after seeing the cat go the most adorned Olympic in history. Sadly even with all the information gathered. it’s really difficult to do a clear statement about whether or non seeing jocks smoking weed is good or bad. Some people are traveling to wish it and some people aren’t. However. I feel that as stairss are taking towards doing the US of marihuana in the US legal that attitudes will get down to alter. These types of issues will ne’er to the full be resolved. It can be compared to the argument over cheery matrimony or abortion. The issue will merely go larger as more provinces begin to fall in Colorado and Washington and believe me they will. Be weed a possible public presentation foil? There’s no definite reply. but from the grounds gathered. it’s most likely non the instance. These types of arguments have no true replies but make for great discourse. The weed discourse is far bigger than many recognize and people are merely get downing to see how tremendous the weed industry is going. We can merely wait and see to happen out where things will travel but for now we are all entitled to our ain sentiment. So suppose we live in the conjectural United States I proposed earlier. where weed is legal in all 50 provinces. What do you believe will go on?
Citations
Volkow. Nora D. “How Does Marijuana Use Affect Your Brain and Body? ” Http: //www. drugabuse. gov/publications/marijuana-abuse/how-does-marijuana-use-affect-your-brain-body. National Institute of Drug Abuse. n. d. Web. Papa. Anthony. “Michael Phelps: Greatest Olympic Ever ( Who Besides Happened to Smoke Pot ) . ” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost. com. 03 Aug. 2012. Web. Ziemer. Tracy L. “Study Says Kids Emulate Athletes. ” ABC News. ABC News Network. 13 Oct. 2000. Web. Peruzzi. Marc. “Pot for Pain. ” Mensjournal. com. Men’s Journal. 4 Oct. 2008. Web. 09 Dec. 2012 Zimmer. Lynn. and John P. Morgan. “Marijuana Myths Marijuana Facts: A Review of the Scientific Evidence. ” Https: //www. ncjrs. gov/App/Publications/abstract. aspx? ID=185047. Http: //www. lindesmith. org. 1997. Web. Lee. Amber. “25 Elite Athletes Who Besides Smoke Pot. ” Bleacherreport. com. Bleacher Report. 19 Apr. 2012. Web Lockwood. Penelope. Christian H. Jordan. and Ziva Kund. “Motivation by Positive or Negative Role Models: Regulative Focus Determines Who Will Best Inspire Us. ” US: American Psychological Association. 30 Aug. 2001. Web. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //ehis. ebscohost. com. gate. lib. American bison. edu/ehost/detail? sid=be90ad7c-8e43-472e-adaf-379f527891d3 % 40sessionmgr13 & A ; vid=1 & A ; hid=4 & A ; bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl # db=pdh & A ; AN=2002-18351-006 & gt ; . Humphreys. Chris. “Privacy and the Professional Athlete. ” Sportschump. cyberspace. Sportschump. cyberspace. 26 July 2009. Zarda. Brett. “Is Pot a Performance Enhancer? ” Popular Science. POPSCI. 9 Feb. 2009. Jacobs. Elizabeth. “Effects of Legalizing Medical Marijuana On Illegal Marijuana Use. ” Google Scholar. 29 Nov. 2012. Web Alipour. Sam. “We Smoked It all” ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. 19 Apr. 2012. Web.
