Articles on Drug Testing at U-M and SEC
Interesting article for the "slow season" on drug testing (marijuana) policies for Michigan Football players from M-Live's Nick Baumgartner. Article is here: http://annarbor.com/sports/um-football/brady-hoke-says-michigans-aggressive-drug-policy-is-more-for-the-safety-of-players-than-anything-els/?cmpid=mlive-@mlive-wolverines .
Hoke and Brandon give some insights as to the policy, which strikes me as pretty stringent. Interesting bits include
- U-M first offense = 10% sacrifice of season
- U-M second offense = 33% sacrifice of season (not clear to me whether this is an additional 33%, or an additional 23%)
- U-M third offense = 100% sacrifice of season
- A comparison point: at Ole Miss a second positive marijuana test results in a possible forfeiture of free family tickets.
Hoke and Brandon assert that the testing is done with sufficient frequency to discourage players playing "Russian Roulette". Ricky Williams would have hated this policy. [Insert Kelly Baraka comment here.]
The article also links to an ESPN article regarding SEC policies, from whence comes the wonderful Ole Miss tidbit above: http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8000546/sec-lenient-discipline-marijuana-investigation-says .
*insert random comment about Ann Arbor and Hasbash*
It's a bit mind-blowing that the penalty for being busted with less than an oz. in Ann Arbor used to be $5 (plus the loss of the weed). Later it changed to a $25 ticket, with a ramp-up for second and third offenses.
I don't know what the penalties in A2 are now, but it seems counterintuitive that the penalties from the U-M are pretty severe, while those from the city (historically, anyway) are pretty benign.
It's because UM is a state school, and has to comply with state law. I you are arrested by campus police with weed you will end up in jail, because they follow the state law, not the city ordinance which only applies to A2 cops.
Actually, 2oz. Which is a shitload of herb - from a personal-use perspective. But then, 2oz of pot in 1972 would have the potency of of stems, seed and shake compared to the chronic these youngsters burn today.
I believe that first-time possession is still a $25 civil infraction in Ann Arbor (except on campus), and if I remember correctly, the charter amendments passed in 2004 put the cap on fines for anything after a third posession at $100 while legalizing medical marijuana within the city limits. At the time, of course, it was deemed unenforceable by the city attorney and the police said they would continue normal enforcement of drug laws, but then, it is Ann Arbor, so this ends up being something of a symbolic statement by law enforcement more than anything.
Is it okay if I'm on drugs? I don't want to miss 33% of these cartoons.
is medical marijuana against NCAA rules if you live in a state that its legal??
Yes, but marijuana is not unique in this respect. There are several other prescription drugs that are banned by the NCAA. Marijuana, however, might be the only one of that group that is not clearly performance-enhancing.
Here is a list of the NCAA's banned substances: http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/domi/genrel/auto_pdf/ncaa-banned-substance-list.pdf
I think you should see yourself on Halo first:
Thanks Alton. I wonder if that will change over time with more and more states allowing medical marijuana.
MJ is still a controlled substance as a schedule I narcotic - no medical use - pursuant to federal law. The NCAA follows the fed in that regard.
I remember reading about Meyer having a 5 strikes and your out policy at Florida...
...attracting every loser in the tri-county area for over 30 years.
Heeyyyyy.......what?
Pretty bold statement there guy...
Are all going to Hashbash for it's medicinal healing properties. Rather than treating themselves in their homes, it's much more effective in the diag.
Hashbash started as (and still is to some extent) a rally for the legalization. It's a good place to learn. I do know a number of medical patients (real ones) who believe in full deregulation, because it can help with a wide array of things. It's not just a "stoner party" like a lot of people think. Have you ever listened to some of the speakers, or actually spent any time there? I just don't like all-encompassing statements about groups of people. You know, aside from MSU fans.
He said Hashbash...not users. I agree with his statement.
As for the policy, with my personal feelings aside, as long as Chronic is illegal, its use needs to be punished for players receiving benefits from a public university.
As do I.
But (most of) those people aren't the ones making religious pilgrimages to Ann Arbor for that certain Saturday in April.
When I was in undergrad, we thought of that day as anticlimactic, because every day in Ann Arbor was H@sh Bash. That day just had more traffic.
I hated Hash Bash when I was at U-M. It had become a day for middle-aged stoners to come in, leave garbage all over town, and occupy every public bathroom in a five-mile radius.
Just read this, and instead of reading it as offense (uh-fence) I read it as offense (aw-fense). So I have been thinking about how if Denard got caught with weed he'd be out 1 game, but if Bellomy got caught he'd be out the entire year
Do they also test for alcohol use for players under 21, another instance of illegal drug use.
Interdiction for marijuana, be it from the feds or campus cops, seem crazy.
It's harder to test for alcohol because it gets flushed out of your body much faster than marijuana, since it passes through your liver.