Weed, ESPN, and Dave Brandon

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7819621/ncf-oregon-ducks-...

The Oregon article is pretty interesting as well.

Given that it's probably hard to focus on both football and school while also being a stoner, I think it's a good move.

My opinion?  Smoking weed should be treated the same as drinking alcohol.  Do as much of it as you want, as long as it isn't affecting other aspects of your life. 

If a player isn't putting in the work he should because he's getting stoned - that's a problem.  If he's showing up to any team event stoned - that's a huge problem.  If he's done with his stuff for the day and wants to smoke a bowl while watching TV or playing video games before bed - or if he wants to spend his Saturday night smoking on the porch instead of hitting up Skeepers?  I'm perfectly OK with that. 

I agree with him. I have no problem with weed, and think it should be legalized in general, but even then I think athletic programs should have the ability to make rules against weed, alcohol, cigarettes, etc. Not for moral reasons, but because these are all things that can hurt their performance. Why would a team allow that?

So is the university at a competitive disadvantage for being so weed friendly? I think the track record shows otherwise... DB makes a valid point that sitting kids puts them at a disadvantage, but it is due to the punishment not due to the drug use.

Dave Brandon just continues to prove why he is in the position he is.  We don't need athletes around the program that want to partake in illegal activities.  If that happens and nothing is done about it, then we become Florida.

I think it's a good move, and I like the standardization.  Now someone just needs to remind me of this when I bitch and moan after some key player gets suspended for the biggest game of the year.

The Bobby Bowden quote is ridiculous.

"I know of a lot of schools, and I don't want to say something I shouldn't say -- but you don't have to drug-test," he says. "If you don't want your boys to be caught with drugs, don't drug-test them."

Stay classy Mr. Bowden.

Brandon's take makes sense. Plus, it's the law. 

But my question would be: How prevalent is pot use among certain player and specific sport populations and is it endemic everywhere? If so, long term, the policy is still going to be only partly effective.

10% for first offense

33% for second

1 year suspension for 3rd.

Wow, that's harsh.  I thought all schools adhered to the "10 days in timeout" following a "driving while high/in possession of marijuana" bust.

drug testing was a standard thing in the NCAA. Sounds like they're screwing this up too. The NCAA should make a drug testing policy mandatory. Maybe they have a fear of what happened to MLB.

even tougher to build a quality LAX program then I previously thoght! Zing

I know I am beating a dead horse.....but Saban's comments about how players are dismissed because an offense, and not subsequently educated, is not ironic at all. 

He doesn't want to dismiss guys (let's not kid ourselves, he is talking about his top guys) because of drug offenses but will dismiss a guy for no reason whatsoever.

P.S.: I don't think you should dismiss guys for weed violations....cocaine, meth, etc. is a different story.

But did you see how red Brandon's eyes were when he made those remarks? He was covered in Cheeto dust, too. 

In all seriousness, I can attest that I've "toked" with a number of Michigan's current and past players. It comes part and parcel with the house party culture, especially since underage athletes don't want to get caught at bars. These were legitimate skill players and starters. Didn't seem to hurt some of their performances... 

If you're a mature individual (which I'm sure plenty athletes are, though not all), you can juggle your responsibilities and the occasional illicit recreation. If you're me, you accidentally go to PolSci 300 with an eighth in your sling (separated shoulder) and sweat bullets for 50 minutes.  

I guess I'm fine with the policy because "it's the law," but those are some serious consequences. We live in Tree City, for Marley's sake. 

David Brandon shopping at Meijer.

http://annarbor.com/news/more-than-70-marijuana-plants-seized-at-nail-sa...

I think it's silly that weed is illegal. It's so much healthier than alcohol. Before I had a job that drug tested I hardly ever drank alcohol and used marijuana instead. I could get high and hang out with friends all night and feel totally normal the next day. Try drinking alcohol all night long and tell me how you feel the next day. I don't get why employees of all energy companys are forced to participate in a random drug test pool, but a brain surgeon doesn't. I should get into the medical business.

i think more emphasis needs to be placed on PEDs instead of weed.  regardless of if you believe weed should be legal or not, hopefully you agree that PEDs are more dangerous than weed.

Without discussing the Michigan side of the article, can we all just agree that ESPN running a huge expose on kids at the University of  Oregon smoking pot is beyond ridiculous?

"Brandon instituted a more aggressive drug-testing program, which screens athletes more frequently and punishes offenders more severely. "Student-athletes are going to be no different than other students in getting caught up in marijuana, unless there is clarity around the fact it's wrong and there are consequences if you do it," he says."

That quote makes no sense. Other students aren't tested and can use with near impunity.

MARIJUANA SHOULD NOT BE ILLEGAL. IT SHOULDN'T BE LEGAL EITHER. IT SHOULD BE LIKE CARROTS! ARE CARROTS ILLEGAL OR LEGAL? THAT SOUNDS ABSURD! THEY ARE PLANTS!

is reading this...because he and his band of criminal influencers are certainly doing it.

I get sick of the whole weed isn't as bad as cigarettes for you argument. A single joint is a lot worse for you than a single cigarette. The thing is you just don't get addicted to weed.

of which there have been a few recently, reveal a divide in the "community" here. We need a consensus to know what is safe to post. It's ok for students but not athletes? It's ok for our players, but not our rivals? It's ok in the living room but not in the car? It's ok but don't get caught? It's ok when you are in college but not in high school? What other substances are ok? Where are the lines to be drawn? Inquiring minds want to know.

Dave Brandon is no longer trying to sell Domino's pizza and suddenly pot is bad for people.

Whenever you bring up weed, you always hear the same ol' shit.

• Alcohol is deadlier!
• No reported deaths from weed!
• It should be legal!
• It makes you think outside of the box!

It's quite humorous. I wish I had a little electronic scoreboard on my computer screen that was a counter and tallied how many times I read that. 

The elderly also have problems with addiction. Source. The real problem is we've committed to a prohibitionist strategy in the war on drugs. Latin American leaders want some form of legalization to lessen the power of the cartels. Source.

Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes said combating organized crime is a priority for the region, particularly for El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

The four countries are grappling with some of the highest homicide rates in the world and have been battered in recent years by the incursion of Mexican drug cartels seeking to expand their territories and use Central America as a drug transshipment point.

of banned topics on mgoblog. Their are too many former pot heads on here. This thread will never end.

Just happen to be listening to my favorite band, The Who. "Hey you smoking Mother Nature, this is a bust."