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Phoenix Suns forward and NBA superstar Kevin Durant has long been a proud marijuana advocate. He describes the effect of smoking weed as something that “clears distractions out of your brain” and “like having a glass of wine.”
While there is arguably some truth to that, recognized NBA trainer Paul Fabritz, also known as “Moneyball of Exercise Science,” who specializes in explosive training and injury prevention, disagrees with KD’s claim. If anything, it could be the complete opposite, as there are indeed potential long-term side effects of marijuana use on athletes.
Fabritz emphasized that while marijuana may be perceived as a recreational substance by some, its impact on athletic performance and overall health should not be overlooked. According to Paul, smoking weed could impair an athlete’s coordination, reaction time, and decision-making skills, all of which are crucial for success in competitive sports.
“When people talk about smoking weed, I think a lot of people look at like, ‘Well, it’s better than alcohol.’ Agreed, it is and then they say, ‘Well, there’s no hangover, therefore you know there’s no downsides.’ But I think there are some downsides, and I do think that it’s really important for people to understand the pros and the cons and not many people understand the cons,” Fabritz said in a reaction video to Durant’s claim.
“People like myself, for example, that actually get more paranoid when I smoke, and you know it doesn’t get me in the zone, and it makes me distracted, and there’s memory loss and reaction time decreases, which for an athlete is a big issue and I’m a believer that anything that has these acute effects done over time, done every day, turn into chronic effects. So, yeah, you smoke here and there, it doesn’t turn into chronic like real long effects, but if you smoke every day, I think these acute effects lead to chronic effects, and this starts to catch up with you,” he added.
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It makes athletes dependent on it
Indeed, staying focused and mentally strong is essential for NBA players to reach their full potential and consistently play at a high level. Over the years, Fabritz said that athletes have learned to find ways to be “in the zone,” and among those is smoking marijuana.
Fabritz explained that dopamine is a vital component that helps athletes reach the zenith of their athletic abilities, and marijuana could significantly contribute to spiking dopamine. This lifts the lid on why some NBA players feel like they perform better when high on weed. However, Fabritz argued that it is challenging to reach an optimal intake, as lighting a joint to get “in the zone” might be fine now. Still, over time, substance tolerance makes it nearly impossible to reach an optimal high for every occasion.
He stressed that the world has already been “too dependent” on different external factors to boost dopamine levels, such as cell phones and extreme activities. That said, Fabritz cautioned that athletes should not let themselves be dependent on marijuana to feel pumped up or motivated.
“I think that in a society where we’re already too dependent on all these external ways to spike our dopamine in the non-productive ways to spike dopamine, I think the last thing we want is to smoke and spike our dopamine even more,” Fabritz suggested.
It could trigger Schizophrenia
Fabritz further discussed some more serious adverse side effects of consistent and prolonged use of marijuana. Claiming that, apart from altering a person’s mental and physical state, smoking weed could also potentially trigger conditions such as schizophrenia.
As a veteran in the fitness industry, Fabritz said he had already learned about cases of marijuana being linked to schizophrenia. In most cases, Fabritz noted, it could be triggered if a longtime weed smoker’s family has a history of schizophrenia.
“And then I think that there are genetic components like certain people have certain genes that will tolerate it much better. I’ve heard a lot of anecdotes of like people who may have schizophrenia in the genes, [it] might run in the family and that that gene is not activated and smoking can kind of activate that gene,” Fabritz divulged.
KD is KD
It’s safe to say that Fabritz is prompting people from all walks of life to consider the consequences of marijuana use on our overall health before trying it or sticking to the habit of smoking. On the flip side, Fabritz is not completely debunking Durant’s own experience with marijuana.
Fabritz also wants people to remember that no matter how high KD is, he’s still one of the best NBA players of all time. Therefore, what applies to Durant isn’t necessarily applicable to everybody.
“Kevin Durant is gonna be Kevin Durant,” Fabritz pointed out. “He could probably take just about anything, and he’s still gonna be better than everybody in the world.”
The NBA toned down on marijuana
Durant’s continuous support for exploring the potential benefits of smoking marijuana on NBA players led to discussions within the league about revising their policies. Last year, KD and the NBA players’ union’s efforts finally paid off as they reached a new labor agreement with the association, which, for the first time in NBA history, allows players to use marijuana.
According to the four-time scoring champ, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is aware of his solid stance on the sensitive matter. Durant revealed that he and Silver even addressed it personally.
“I actually called [Adam Silver] and advocated for him to take marijuana off the banned substances list. I felt like it was becoming a thing around the country and around the world,” Durant once said.
“The stigma behind it wasn’t as negative as it was before. It doesn’t affect you in a negative way. He agreed… I just enjoy the plant; it’s as simple as that,” Durant added. “He smelt it when I walked in, so I didn’t really have to say much. He understood where this was going. I mean, It’s the NBA, everybody does it. It’s like wine at this point,” he added.
The debate is not over yet
As it stands, the NBA is no longer testing players for marijuana use. Hence, marijuana has been removed from the league’s drug testing program and prohibited substance list. Moreover, NBA players will no longer be penalized for marijuana use. Thanks to KD.
As for Fabritz, it’s clear that he is advocating for athletes to prioritize their physical and mental health by speaking out about the potential risks associated with marijuana. His insights serve as a reminder that substance abuse, even in seemingly harmless forms, can have significant consequences on an athlete’s career and overall quality of life.
Despite the NBA’s new rule on marijuana use, it’s safe to assume that the discussion regarding the issue will remain a controversial and debatable topic for various reasons. For one, the regulations and policies surrounding the use of marijuana in professional sports vary widely, and it could only be a matter of time until some loopholes emerge.
That said, athletes, organizations, and governing bodies involved may continue to navigate the nuances of this issue. We can also expect the ongoing debate to continue to spark conversations within the sporting world and beyond, leaving the case of marijuana’s role in professional sports as an unresolved and complex matter.
