Can NBA players smoke weed?

The NBA has faced a lot of problems regarding the use of recreational substances such as weed/marijuana. While this has resulted in massive backlash for players in the past, it is a lesser issue in today's game.

The NBA, much like any other sporting organization, has a list of banned substances. This is often done to ensure that players are operating within the statutes of the law and also abiding by rules against performance enhancing drugs.

While the ban on some steroids and other drugs has remained, the league has taken a lighter stance on the use of recreational drugs such as weed. The use of marijuana is becoming a largely common practice across the fraternity. Rather, it is becoming a lot more public.

Recreational use of weed has seen players such as D'Angelo Russell be on the receiving end of a lot of media scrutiny. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith even soared to greater popularity for his "stay off the weed" tagline for these situations.

However, due to the legalization of marijuana in some states, the NBA and the media have had to quiet down about these matters. Currently, players in the league are free to smoke weed. This was an agreement reached between the league and the players' union in April 2023.

However, there remains a catch with regards to this. While the players won't be penalized for the use of marijuana, they still need to abide by state laws.

As of May 2023, marijuana is legal in 37 states in the US. Carrying cannabis and cannabis-based products on airlines remains an illegal act, which can result in further action.

Read: 5 NBA players who smoke weed featuring Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and more

---

NBA players' affinity towards weed

Several players came out to support the legalization of marijuana and advocate for it. Players such as JR Smith and Al Harrington even worked towards legalizing it in the state of New York back in 2019.

While the effort to work towards legalizing it is impressive, some players have taken the opportunity to jump on the business ventures associated with weed.

Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant has been particularly active in investing in companies dealing with cannabis. As recently as two years ago, Durant and his firm also invested in a tech-based company called Weedmaps.

Former players Allen Iverson and Al Harrington even went so far as to bring their own strain of weed to Pennsylvania. Iverson's partnership with Harrington's brand Viola, will result in the availability of the strain at specific medical dispensaries.