A new CBA means a new set of rules for players and teams across the NBA. Already, we are seeing the impact of the new agreement as fans, analysts, and players come to understand the updated terms.
Among the many changes that has been set into motion is the end of the ban on Marijuana, which players can now use freely without punishment from the league.
Sources: NBA players will no longer be prohibited for marijuana under the new seven-year Collective Bargaining Agreement. It's been removed from the anti-drug testing program, a process that began during 2019-20 season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 1, 2023
The NBA used to test for the drug, among other substances, and players faced suspensions and/or fines if the results came back positive. Now, all of that is no more and it stirred quite a lot of reactions online.
Like this one fan, who traced the ban reversal back to the 2020 bubble.
https://twitter.com/Dash5Harris/status/1642213429787148290
Another user posted a simple clip of the legendary Morgan Freeman applauding in agreement.
— Kofi (@blackkingkofi) April 1, 2023
“We will see the best basketball played in all of its history,” wrote Tim on Twitter.
We will see the best basketball played in all of its history.
— Tim (@timguy223) April 1, 2023
J.R. Smith even appeared int he comments via the form of a meme by one user.
come back real soon pic.twitter.com/GyuHlG0xo5
— $𝔩𝔞𝔭☃️ (@slvppy) April 1, 2023
“April 20th boutta be a blast,” added one fan, alluding to the infamous weed-smoker’s holiday.
April 20th boutta be a blast🍃
— ⚔️ 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝘽𝙧𝙪𝙝𝙝 ⚔️ (@HighliteSZN) April 1, 2023
Marijuana remains a hot-button issue in the United States and the world at large, but it seems the NBA has decided to accept it as a normal and acceptable, which certainly falls in line with the thinking of their athletes.
As far as how this change came to pass, fans have already revealed the NBA bubble as the turning point for Marijuana use in the NBA.
J.R. Smith Said Everyone Smoked In The NBA Bubble
It wasn’t that long ago that the NBA was a lot stricter on their marijuana ban, but Cavs legend J.R. Smith detailed how the crazy 2020 season changed the stigma about smoking and being high in league circles.
“Aw yeah. We was blowing it down in there,” Smith said. “It was cool, I’m glad it happened because it finally broke that barrier and that stigma that you couldn’t play and all of this, it was a drug, it was this and that. But when you go to the bubble basketball, some of them dudes was — granted, it was like practice games and some of ’em really can’t play that well in front of 30,000 — but at the same time you saw some of the best level of basketball.”
All-in-all, the marijuana ban was long overdue and, really, the rule change was just a formality to finalize a trend that was already widely accepted across the league. Now, at least players are free to make their own decisions on the product without fear of intervention from the league.
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