Kevin Durant gets brutally honest on cannabis and the stigma around sports

You’d have to be quite naïve to think that NBA players -and athletes from other sports alike- don’t smoke weed. And that’s why Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant wants to put an end to the stigma and taboo around marijuana.

Durant recently took a step forward in that direction by teaming up with cannabis-related company Weedmaps, which recently became public in June. Now, he’s the first high-profile NBA superstar to take a stance on this situation.

Athletes like Rob Gronkowski have advocated for CBD-based products as legitimate pain-relief options. Others have said that it has helped them deal with anxiety on and off the court, and others just say it helps them relax and have a good time.

Kevin Durant Says It’s Time To Put An End To The Stigma On Weed

“I think it’s far past time to address the stigmas around cannabis that still exist in the sports world as well as globally,” Durant told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “This partnership is going to help us continue to normalize those conversations, as well as create content, events, and a lot more through our Boardroom media network. This is just the beginning for us.”

“In part because of the sensitivity of the issue, forging the deal was a drawn-out process. Negotiations with Weedmaps, which became a public company in June, between Durant and business partner Rich Kleiman have lasted the past six months. Other high-profile athletes have endorsed CBD products, including WNBA star Sue Bird, but none with Durant’s stature have delved into the marijuana space until now,” Windhorst added.

The NBA requires four positive marijuana tests over a year to suspend a player for cannabis use but they continue to enforce tough penalties for other drugs. Nonetheless, the league and the NBPA are expected to discuss this issue going forward to potentially stop testing for cannabis in the future.