Monday, August 23 had Snoop Dogg on Jimmy Kimmel Live! discussing cannabis rights for athletes. This comes a few days after track star Sha’Carri Richardson spoke about her next steps in her running career as she received a suspension before the last Olympics.

Instead of Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen A. Smith, a sports commentator for ESPN, hosted the show. He spoke with Snoop Dogg on several topics involving cannabis and athlete usage. Additionally, the pair spoke on what the next steps the sports industry should take regarding cannabis.

Interview

First, Smith asked Snoop Dogg on the stance surrounding athletes actively avoiding cannabis use to avoid penalty and money loss. 

“Well, I agree with your position when it comes to the athletes who have commissioners and rules and regulations and tests and things that they have to deal with in their profession that could stifle them from getting their money,” the rapper said.

“Now when I’m speaking to entertainers and people like myself, we don’t have a commissioner, we don’t have none of that,” he continued. Athletes “can hang out with the rappers, but you can’t do what the rappers do because the rapper don’t have ramifications for what they do.”

However, whether or not ramifications for cannabis use should even apply to athletes is another matter according to Snoop Dogg.

Snoop Dogg believes sports leagues should relax their cannabis policies “because what happens is a lot of times these athletes take these pills and they get addicted to these pills, and it still doesn’t give them the relief that they need as far as with the pain or whatever they’re going through,” Snoop Dogg said.

“Through the CBD, through the THC, through the marijuana, through the cannabis, they’re able to find a relaxation and getting the medical treatment that they deserve—without having those later side effects—so I push for that in sports.” Snoop Dogg added that it doesn’t make sense for different sports leagues to hold players at different standards surrounding drug testing.

Future

Currently, the MLB has removed cannabis testing from their rules. The NBA has suspended cannabis testing for players this current season and are looking to make the change permanent. The NFL is sponsoring research into cannabis and CBD as a viable alternative to opioids for pain in players. Other leagues, like Track and Field, still hold athletes accountable for their actions such as not using any banned substances, along with the Olympics.

Cannabis reform for athletes has been gaining traction since Sha’Carri Richardson’s suspension at the beginning of July. There is hope among athletes and cannabis activists, like Snoop Dogg, that regulations will change soon. Then, athletes can enjoy the benefits of cannabis without consequence.

Make sure to check back for more cannabis and hemp related news.