Ore. Congressman Says Pro Athletes Should Have Their Weed in Lieu of Dangerous Pain Pills

A Democratic congressman from Oregon has gone on record (well, TMZ Sports) saying that he is all for professional athletes using marijuana and that the NBA and NFL are stripping them of their rights to toke up—medically, that is. Suggested Reading The Feud Between Djimon Hounsou and the His Children’s Mother Just Got Messy —…

A Democratic congressman from Oregon has gone on record (well, TMZ Sports) saying that he is all for professional athletes using marijuana and that the NBA and NFL are stripping them of their rights to toke up—medically, that is.

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In a recent video, Rep. Earl Blumenauer notes that pros endure “terrible pain” and that marijuana has been proved to effectively manage pain.

“It’s much less damaging than the opioids, the painkillers, the shots, the pills … and it’s time professional sports stops punishing them but works with them because it’s healthier for them,” he said.

It’s a fact that doctors overprescribing pain medication has driven the current opioid epidemic, which President Donald Trump last week declared a national public health crisis.

Blumenauer also notes that two-thirds of Americans have legal access to medical marijuana—so to ban NBA and NFL players is basically treating them like “second-class citizens.”

An American politician making some sense. Whodda thunk it?

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