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Players who test positive for steroids or performance enhancing drugs, masking agents and diurectics get a 10-game suspension (1st offense), a 25-game suspension (2nd offense), a one-year suspension (3rd offense) and disqualification (4th offense).

Marijuana penalties are a $25,000 fine (2nd offense), a five-game suspension (3rd offense), a 10-game suspension (4th offense), and five additional games for each subsequent violation.

According to the league's collective bargaining agreement, a player can only be disqualified for a fourth positive test for performance-enhancing drugs, or a first positive test for "drugs of abuse."

We know Chris Anderson was banned for 2 years from the league because he did coke. David Harrison was suspended 5 games for getting caught the 3rd time.But anyways, the league's marijuana policy is still a joke. Guys like Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace pay $25,000 up front every year. So the thing is, you get a fine after the second time you are tested for it. As we know, the testing is random, does not occur very often (3 to 4 times a season) So players can easily get away with smoking pot regardless. The policy is completly ineffective. What Oakley said in 2001 is still true, half the league is on drugs. It's still true today.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2308918

"You test a guy, he gets high the next day," he told the New York Post. "There's no respect for the game no more."

http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/10555/

Notes: in 1999 , the league started testing for marijuana. Prior to that the testing was done for cocaine primarily.

The NBA's marijuana policy should be the same as their steroid policy if they want it taken seriously.

No tolerency.

do we want a league of paul shirleys, christian laettners, and AC greens?

kandiking wrote:do we want a league of paul shirleys, christian laettners, and AC greens?

Sure why not?

Alot of people don't like the NBA because they think it's a thug league, alot of those people that think that are racists, but when you Tinsley running around getting shot and Ron Artest starting fights and getting in trouble with the law, that doesn't help much.

BTW what's wrong with Paul Shirley?

I could care less what an athlete does to themselves in their personal life.


As long as they are performing, without cheating, I could care less if Damon, Sheed, Iverson, and Quintel Woods rock bowls in their living rooms.

NBA players are gonna smoke. Implementing a drug policy that keeps talent out of the game will hurt it worse than suspending star players whose games aren't being hurt by their recreational habits.

Weed, weed? not the game we're talking about weed.

Jsun947 wrote:The NBA's marijuana policy should be the same as their steroid policy if they want it taken seriously.

No tolerency.

Why would you enforce a policy on a drug that doesn't make you better the same as a drug that would give you a huge aadvantage over your competiotion?

i think their is a higher percentage of refs on drugs than players.

ilikecb4 wrote:

Players who test positive for steroids or performance enhancing drugs, masking agents and diurectics get a 10-game suspension (1st offense), a 25-game suspension (2nd offense), a one-year suspension (3rd offense) and disqualification (4th offense).

Marijuana penalties are a $25,000 fine (2nd offense), a five-game suspension (3rd offense), a 10-game suspension (4th offense), and five additional games for each subsequent violation.

According to the league's collective bargaining agreement, a player can only be disqualified for a fourth positive test for performance-enhancing drugs, or a first positive test for "drugs of abuse."

We know Chris Anderson was banned for 2 years from the league because he did coke. David Harrison was suspended 5 games for getting caught the 3rd time.But anyways, the league's marijuana policy is still a joke. Guys like Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace pay $25,000 up front every year. So the thing is, you get a fine after the second time you are tested for it. As we know, the testing is random, does not occur very often (3 to 4 times a season) So players can easily get away with smoking pot regardless. The policy is completly ineffective. What Oakley said in 2001 is still true, half the league is on drugs. It's still true today.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2308918

"You test a guy, he gets high the next day," he told the New York Post. "There's no respect for the game no more."

http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/10555/

Notes: in 1999 , the league started testing for marijuana. Prior to that the testing was done for cocaine primarily.

25 G's for Weed??!!! Damn...... I love weed. Government should just tax the hell out of that. Better than Alcohol in every way you can think of. So much safer as well.

Taiwan Killa wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

BTW what's wrong with Paul Shirley?

Uhm, he sucks, for one. Funny guy, sure, but you probably only defend him because he writes a column for ESPN, not because of basketball.

Marijuana?!

Funny scene from half-baked:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45vUPU3TsHQ

shortodom wrote:Weed, weed? not the game we're talking about weed.

Weed? We talking about weed? Weed.... Weed... Weed!! We talking about weed. We talking about weed.

It's a joke that there's any penalty for marijuana. Whether you think it should be legal or not (it obviously should), it's none of the NBA's business. It doesn't give an unfair advantage and has nothing to do with basketball. And it's hardly a drug associated with thugs.

"Drugs of abuse" being a ban doesn't sound like a joke to me. If anything, I'd crack down harder on performance-enhancers and forget about marijuana entirely.

I can not say I've never smoked a joint in my life, as that would be a lie. I'm sure you can also say the same of some of the leagues execs, coaches and those people paying top dollar to sit in in the front row of every NBA arena.
How in the world can you expect none of the players, especially as a lot of players are just 'at that age' when you smoke pot, not to do it at all?

Funnily enough, they can drink after they hit the magic age of 21, and that actually has caused problems for the league and its image. How many incidents happened because of marijuana? None, just when a report comes out that a player has been busted by the leauge or the police.
please nothing heavier then pot and please no steroids (After all this is not the MLB...), but the NBA should just leave this alone and concentrate on more important matters.

PS: Phil Jackson...need I say more??

you think the NBA's is a joke?

THe Australian Football League (AFL) has a "3 strike policy" where a player can test positive to either Steroids or Illicit drugs twice before even their club is notified (Coaching staff, etc) and then on the 3rd strike they are notified

THAT my friend is a joke of a policy

lol gotta love Australia

Hendrix wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



Why would you enforce a policy on a drug that doesn't make you better the same as a drug that would give you a huge aadvantage over your competiotion?

Why would the league enforce a dress policy that doesn't effect play on the court? Because Stern cares about league image, or atleast he wants to appear as if he cares.

Wait... why is weed being discussed??? thought this was the drug policy.



That said, all the league cares about are the drugs that are gonna get people in serious trouble. They dont want another Len Bias situation. Not like anybody is gonna OD on herb. They're also not gonna go out and start stuff with people. Its also not helping their performance. So why worry if a few/most NBA players toke up every once an a while. Not really doing any damage to the league there.

Light it, if ya got it.