|
Written by SAFER
|
|
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 |
For Immediate Release
March 24, 2010
Sports Illustrated: NFL Officials Concerned by 'Epidemic' of Marijuana Use Among This Year's Draft Class Highlighting evidence that marijuana is far SAFER than ALCOHOL for the user and society, national marijuana advocacy organization calls on NFL to stop driving athletes to drink by deriding and punishing those who made -- or make -- the rational choice to use a less harmful recreational substance for recreation and relaxation
Spokesman: 'Booze-fueled' league's acceptance of alcohol use and ties to beer companies contribute to serious problems -- including domestic violence, sexual assault, fighting, injuries, and death -- that are not associated with marijuana use
In response, a national marijuana advocacy organization, Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER), is calling on the NFL to stop deriding and punishing those athletes who used -- or continue to use -- marijuana as a safer recreational alternative to alcohol.
"The NFL runs on alcohol, yet it runs from marijuana -- a far safer substance," said Mason Tvert, executive director of SAFER and coauthor of Marijuana Is Safer: So why are we driving people to drink? (Chelsea Green, 2009). "It's time for NFL officials to pull their heads out of the sand and accept the fact that many outstanding athletes -- and millions of Americans -- enjoy using marijuana, just as millions of NFL fans enjoy drinking beer produced by major NFL sponsors like Coors Light and Budweiser.
The organization believes the NFL's current marijuana policy -- which punishes current players who test positive for marijuana and scrutinizes draft prospects who admit to having (or are known to have) used marijuana during their college careers -- steering athletes away from using marijuana and driving them to drink.
As "Inside the NFL" columnist Don Banks reported:
According to one veteran club personnel man interviewed by SI.com, 10 or 11 players who carry first-round draft grades on their board this year have been red-flagged for marijuana use in college, an estimate echoed by two clubs' head coaches. Another NFL head coach estimated that "one-third'' of the players on his club's draft board had some sort of history with marijuana use and would thus require an extra level of evaluation as part of the pre-draft scouting process.
SAFER points to an abundance of evidence that has concluded alcohol is a major contributing factor in incidences of domestic violence, sexual assault, fighting, serious injury, and overdose, whereas marijuana has not been found to contribute to such violent and reckless behavior.
"The NFL needs to stop worrying about the next Ricky Williams and worry more about the next Ben Roethlisberger," Tvert said, referring respectively to the Miami Dolphins running back who repeatedly suspended and fined for marijuana use and the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback recently accused of alcohol-fueled sexual assault for the second time.
# # #
SAFER (Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation) is a Denver-based non-profit organization dedicated to educating the the public about the fact that marijuana is safer than alcohol for the user and society. Its social welfare lobbying arm, the SAFER Voter Education Fund, advocates for laws and policies that reflect that fact and no longer steer people toward drinking and away from making the safer choice. For more information visit http://www.SAFERchoice.org
|
|
|
Written by SAFER
|
|
Monday, 22 March 2010 |
|
CLICK HERE for information on sponsoring this exciting event. |
|
|
Written by SAFER
|
|
Monday, 22 March 2010 |
|
SAFER's Mason Tvert has a new piece on The Huffington Post
discussing the Colorado State Health Dept. lobbying against legislation that would allow veterans and others suffering from PTSD to use medical marijuana with a recommendation from their psychiatrist. Here's
an excerpt, or you can CLICK
HERE to read the entire post:
 Colo. Health Dept. Lobbying
Against Veterans' Access To Medical Marijuana To Treat PTSD
On Monday, March 22, when the Colorado House Judiciary Committee
considers a bill to regulate the distribution of medical marijuana in
the state, State Rep. Sal Pace will offer an amendment to allow
individuals diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder to have access
to medical marijuana. Studies have found that compounds within
marijuana, known as cannabinoids, can play an important role in
stress-related disorders, and use of marijuana can greatly reduce the
amount of stress hormone produced by the body in response to stress. For some reason, however, the Colorado Department of Public Health
and Environment is actively lobbying members of the legislature to
oppose the amendment. Officials are reportedly telling state legislators
that allowing psychiatrists to recommend medical marijuana to PTSD
patients is "like giving alcohol to an alcoholic." Yet the sad irony is
that many PTSD patients turn to alcohol to alleviate their stress,
developing serious alcohol problems that worsen their overall state of
health. This is particularly the case with veterans who developed
the condition while serving in conflicts abroad.
|
|
|
Written by SAFER
|
|
Monday, 22 March 2010 |
|
NORML chapters took advantage of St. Patrick's Day this year to highlight the relative safety of marijuana compared to alcohol and urge officials to lay off those adults making the safer choice when it comes to celebrating. Empire State NORML held a rally in New York City, and the campus chapter of NORML at the University of Missouri took action that resulted in the following piece appearing in the Campus Chatter section of the Columbia Daily Tribune:
And speaking of pot ...
By Janese Heavin MU's chapter of NORML today is rallying at Speaker's Circle to argue
that marijuana is safer than alcohol -- a popular and, for those 21 and
older, legal substance on St. Patrick's Day.
Members were expected to gather from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to call into
question laws and campus policies that "drive students to drink with
harsh penalties for marijuana -- a far less harmful substance,"
according to the organization's announcement.
MU NORML argues that MU's penalties for pot should not be greater
than those for alcohol, "otherwise the university is steering students
toward drinking and away from making the rational, safer choice to use
marijuana instead."
The rally follows last nights "Heads vs. Feds" debate at Jesse Hall
about legalizing marijuana.
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next > End >>
|
