A slow night in transactional and hot stove-related news allows for a closer reading of the previous week’s industry news, and a Wednesday piece from the Los Angeles Times’ Bill Shaikin is certainly deserving of a look, for those who missed it upon publication. In the shadow of the tragic passing of pitcher Tyler Skaggs from an opioid-related overdose, the league and the MLBPA are, according to Shaikin, discussing changes to the sport’s drug policy that could include loosened restrictions on the use of marijuana (link).
We had previously heard that the two parties were already in evaluating the potential implementation of routine opioid testing for all players, with deputy commissioner Dan Halem going so far as to say that the league would “absolutely” like to add said testing in advance of the 2020 season. The idea of adding opioid testing while relaxing marijuana restrictions is not seen as a strict quid pro quo bargain, per Shaikin’s sources, but the reporter did speak with former major leaguer Kyle Blanks, who admitted to using alcohol, marijuana, and opioids during his playing career in an effort to manage pain. It stands to reason that the league and union, then, might be seeking to discourage players resorting to the deadly allure of opioid use–even if it means more players potentially using cannabis as a palliative.
As it stands, baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program stipulates that testing for Drugs of Abuse be conducted on a basis of reasonable cause–meaning, essentially, that players are not tested on a routine basis for cannabinoids. Whether, then, a truly impactful change to the Program is forthcoming is unclear; it’s quite possible that the two sides are discussing the removal of cannabinoids from the “Drugs of Abuse” classification, although such a move would likely be symbolic in nature. While 2019 saw seven players suspended for PED use, no major leaguers were suspended this season for violating the sport’s policy in regard to marijuana use, specifically.
It should be allowed
I don’t have a prescription for medical weed but i smoked it a few times and that stuff is too strong. The old school stuff is good enough for me. This medical weed is laced with pain killers. It’s not the weed I grew up with.
Laced with pain killers? You high bro? Lol
Yeah it’s got something different in it than the stuff you get from the street .
No it doesn’t.
Yes it does. Someone didn’t do their homework or is too burned out to notice the difference.
Dude, you have no idea what you’re talking about…what’s worse is you even state as much!
I grow potent sh$t at home (love ya Cali) and let me tell ya, it’s completely natural. There’s no medical marijuana fairy going around “lacing” weed strains with pain killers…that’s some ridiculous nonsense right there pal!
The stuff you get from the doctor is different than the stuff you get on the streets.
They do grow strains to be more potent and to be heavily into pain killing. They have strains that help with seizures etc. It it’s amazing what these stoners do in the backwoods. What could the big Pharmas do with the research they can do? You think maybe they could cure cancer? Some other illness that is killing us and our families? The Feds need to pull their heads out and legalize it for everyone and the big Pharmas need to create a good natural pain killer along with other uses. Make it in a pill or however they think it works the fastest and best. To be honest I didn’t care for the after taste. Some candies were better than others though.
Through selective breeding and the cross-breeding of strains growers have increased the potency of cannabis. THC (the active compound that creates the euphoric high) levels are generally much higher than that of the cannabis of old.
That’s not how weed works you stupid idiot
It doesn’t have to do with medical, it just got stronger over the years.
And I don’t think mlb tests for weed anyway.
All juicing should be allowed as long as the players regularly make their blood work available for scientific research. We could be missing out on some real human performance breakthroughs that could trickle down to the masses.
Super humans, that is what we need to be aiming for. And why not let these pros be the willing test subjects.
How are we going to survive the next world wide crisis, or inevitable showdown with an invading alien race if we aren’t willing to push the limits on our capabilities?
just take hgh and don’t get caught.
Wow! That’s thinking outside the box!
That’s a great point!
If your not going to even enforce the 3 strikes your out rule (Jenry Mejia) why even have it all? But let’s punish Pete Rose for over 30 years (the all time MLB hits leader)! This all boils down to the Selig/Manfred they are the puppets running this MLB circus. At this point I could even care less if they got rid of the home plate umpire for strike/ball calling and put technology in there for that. All they need is a home plate umpire for is close scoring plays at the plate and they could probably do that better with technology too.
Sure, let player play stoned. Might make baseball watchable again.
Well actually certain types of marijuana might actually enhance performance.
The larger question emanating from this article has more to do with whether marijuana would be used as a palliative, or as a preventive or an alternative.
Oh really, what types would help performance? THC rich strands that increase paranoia and hallucinations or CBD rich strands that reduce anxiety and put people to sleep.
It does have some properties with some people that could be considered “performance enhancing”, myself included
Maybe don’t have such a hard stance on something that you have no experience with…
It helps some people with focus.
Yes yes a million times yes.
whos high right now ????
Just drunk sorry
Weed is tight
weed is a life-saver, too!
that’s the most ridiculous thing i ever heard. i went to a college that attracted students from all over the world and we all smoked.
That explains a lot.
What the…!!??
Nick.stevens…troll much?
Weed is tight. Weed is tight.
Love watching Baseball high
I am!
absolutely makes sense. and publish test results!
Yes, let’s have players who are stoned trying to field comebackers with exit velos in the triple-digits. Sounds smart.
I think this is the key point. Also the way the players act now is cringey enough without them being bombed on top of it.
Well if it were an indica that would be a real problem.
so, i guess you want more players hooked on chinese fentanyl.
Weed is a gateway drug. It will only open the door for naked girls dancing on dugouts at games.
Promise?
Badda
Bing!
Lol
No, Visionaire, the idea is to have players that are drug-free. Is that hard to understand?
It is, actually.
What’s your definition of “drug free”?
Are prescription drugs ok? If so, why would a far less harmful alternative be off the table?
ABStract- I can’t believe this needs to be explained to you, but I’ll try. “Drug-free”- meaning no drugs other than over the counter meds such as aspirin, Motrin, stuff like that. If a player needs more than that, like Percocet, etc., then he shouldn’t be on the field as his reflexes would be compromised. Only other meds allowed should be prescribed by a doctor that does not alter performance or reaction time. Only someone who has never played baseball would think it’s a good idea to take the field while stoned. These guys are not working at Subway, they are trying to catch or hit 95 mph baseballs!
And I don’t think the point is to have players be stoned, but rather to take it off the banned substances list, with the implication being (as with alcohol) that one would be expected to refrain from its use just prior to and during play.
Just make it exactly like booze: dont come to work on it, dont operate heavy machinery on it, totally fine to use at all other times.
Seriously, who is going to maintain the focus you need to perform at the MLB level if they’re huffing a bong five minutes before the first pitch? Nobody does that. Same with alcohol. Players might get totally blasted after the game but good luck hitting a baseball if you slam a half a bottle of scotch before the game.
I have extensive digestive issues and have a hard time getting my insides to let me do, well anything really.
Now, I know I’m in the minority, but when I take a bong hit, it suppresses my near constant nausea and I literally feel energized and more able to function physically and mentally.
I go to work, workout, do everything “high”, but it’s not like I’m goofy or actually high, I just function normally.
It took me many years to get to this point, lots of guilty feelings about using because of the ignorance of our society towards the true medical impact that this plant can have on people’s lives.
Now I’m in great shape, relatively successful, and much happier than I was, definitely not your classic stoner
All I’m saying is that if you have had limited experience with pot (or anything really), maybe just try to be a little more open minded about its uses and effects. Some of us need it!
Doc Ellis
You guys need to educate yourself about medical cannabis. CBD is the major ingredient in medicinal marijuana. It’s low THC content lets you get the healing aspect without getting you high.
Word up brotha, preach!
Finally.
Marijuana is far less destructive than Alcohol. Prior to the 80’s players regularly played hung over. Mickey Mantle said his career was cut short by Alcohol.
You don’t smoke pot and then OD and die alone in a hotel room. I’m not this huge advocate for marijuana or anything like that, but there’s no comparison to opioids in terms of how dangerous they are.
This too ^
I think the amount of MLB players who smoke weed is roughly equivalent to the amount of MLB players who use toilet paper……..
im sure that statement would offend a good portion of the league
I wish they would stop all drug testing.
They should be allowed to use CBD which has no hallucinogens in it, that is HTC. Admittedly combined they work better than alone but taking CBD regularly would be much better than any opioid. I don’t understand the stupidity of thinking a highly addictive artificial pain killer is better than a natural one.
The oddity of the whole thing is the US Government holds many of the patents for HTC and CBD pills and oils. It is illegal to use according to the US Government but they hold the patents. I was against the use of it until I read about it and have used it. I am a long term opioid user and will probably be on it the rest of my life. I would use both CBD and HTC except it is too expensive and I would lose my prescription if I was drug tested. Even if it is just CBD. The Government has strict regs they hold the Drs to.
THC
Oh, and THC is a psychoactive element, not an hallucinogen. There is a difference. Think of it as an intense stimulant.
So I’m not attacking you, but I’m not entirely sure where you live that you have these standards or where you get your information. I was in a severe MV accident 10 years ago and was given opioids. For the most part they were the only thing that made the day livable due to the chronic pain. My doctor then prescribed a combo of that and CBD. Which is pretty widely available these days. Also never was I told that I’d lose my prescription for using it. I then weened off the pills and got into the medicinal marijuana program to help with the chronic pain. And it’s been amazingly effective. Couldn’t recommend it more. You should give it a look if you can compass.
Side note: higher THC isn’t always the prescribed solution. In fact it’s not usually the way to go in high concentrations according to most docs I’ve dealt with.
Ironic that the one natural substance I should use for my chronic pain is the one I can’t stand…..
Texas has laws like that.
And now the Texas Medical Association has put in artificially low prescription limits on opioids so long term users with chronic pain had their prescription lifeline and quality of life taken away and many are committing suicide. You can’t sue the state except in cases they do something so horrible like this it costs lives. I’m surprised some law firm hasn’t filed a class action lawsuit. It sucks to live in Texas!
Bruce when you said 10 years ago that is thebdiff. I started taking mine on and off about 15 yrs ago. The Dr would call the pharmacy and they would fill my script. Now I have to go to the Dr and sign for it. If anyone picks it up they need a driver’s lic. When I drop it off you need a driver’s license. There was about 10-15 papers I had to sign. I had to listen to the Dr say what I could a and couldn’t do. If I go to the emergency room the Dr is supposed to call my Dr before they give me any pain meds.
This new opioid crisis has changed a lot in ten years. Your experience is outdated. It it’s also like this with all Drs it is a Fed law. A lot has changed in 10 years your experience was correct then but not now. I also live in Washington but the Dr I go through is connected to the hospital. Since it is a Catholic Hospital they refuse to prescribe pot of any kind. I was surprised how uninformed my Dr was. He hasn’t looked into because he will be fired for prescribing any kind. He didn’t know the diff between THC ( sorry about the mix up I blame it on opioids) and CBD. I guess there is little reason to study it when there is so much more to learn.
Bruce THC isn’t what is used for pain that is CBD. I don’t think you know what you are talking about. CBD works better with THC like I said but it isn’t for pain relief.
Marijuana in baseball is the equivalent of marijuana in high school. “Let the kids play”.
Stop using “then” as its own clause in sentences. It’s really unnecessary.
Your stupid comment is unnecessary.
I missed that part in high school English…..
It stands to reason, then, that richt doesn’t understand that writers write like that to convey emphasis that would be obvious in a spoken conversation but might get lost in writing.
Should we allow the natural, non addictive stuff that won’t kill you and ban the addictive stuff that will kill you?
Hmmm. Hard decision here.
The day lincecum got busted, he was never the same. Smoking provides zero physical performance benefit, and is even legal to smoke in quite a few states with MLB teams..
Dude, those things had nothing to do with each other
Lincecum started sucking when he dismissed his dad (who’d invented his throwing motion) as his personal pitching coach. He was always a stoner
Safer than the opioids teams hand out like candy to athletes.
I don’t think they can do that anymore.
Liability concerns…..
There was a Cardinal pitcher (Darryl Kyle?, can’t remember the name for sure) who was found dead in the team’s hotel room years ago. They found marijuana in his room.
The police IMMEDIATELY ruled it out as a possible cause of death.
If they found a bottle of aspirin, they could not immediately rule it out as a possible cause of death, but they could with marijuana.
So, yeah, probably a better idea than stuffing athletes full of pills.
theres plenty of ways you can kill yourself with marajuana, its just most are not direct.
Yeah, how?
You swallow 10 buds and choke, you sleep under a pile of weed and it suffocates you, accidentally sever an artery with your grinder…
Badda Bing!
doing basically any everyday activity while high enough increases your chance of doing something wrong. i would use driving as the obvious answer, but people have already jeered me sufficiently for that despite the fact that it’s obvious.
Like having someone shoot you in a road rage incident because you were driving too slow?
Get your head stuck in a Cheetos bag trying to lick the inside and suffocating.
so wait, one player kills himself, league wants to ban pills?
nah. if anything, they need to teach players how to read, because clearly idiot boy couldn’t.
funny, i have a bottle of pain pills next to me right now. you know what it says?
“do not take with alcohol” (as do every bottle of pain meds and xanax i’ve taken over the years. hell, every bottle i got also came with a printout saying the exact same thing).
sorry the dude was in pain, but at the end of the day, he chose to take a bunch of pills and booze, despite playing in a league that doesn’t ban weed (while playing for a team in a state with legal weed).
play stupid games, win stupid prizes. don’t punish people who actually need pain meds because of one idiot (like a certain orange goblin is doing because his base can’t read. maybe all that inbreeding and jesus caused that).
Thank you! This is America. We should have the right to eat whatever we want! Yes, and along with the right to be smart comes the right to be stupid.
Did you even read the article?
MLB absolutely tests for marijuana. It’s falls under the “Drugs of Abuse” section of their drug testing policy. To my knowledge, a minor league player not on the 40 man roster could face the exact same suspensions as any player that tested positive for HGH. Major League players, and minor leaguers on the 40 man cannot be suspended for a failed marijuana test. They can be fined, and/or forced to enter a drug treatment program for a positive test, however.
Also, obviously, if marijuana wasn’t on MLB’s banned substances list, there wouldn’t be a sentence in this article, attributed to Shaikin’s piece, reading, “The idea of adding opioid testing while relaxing marijuana restrictions is not seen as a strict quid pro quo bargain, per Shaikin’s sources, but the reporter did speak with former major leaguer Kyle Blanks, who admitted to using alcohol, marijuana, and opioids during his playing career in an effort to manage pain.” Nor would there be talks to relax restrictions if there weren’t any.
I also highly doubt the league would “ban pills” if they were prescribed.
You want to argue against MLB implementing opiod testing, that’s your choice. Why anyone would is beyond me. Everyone is entitled to their own set of opinions, though. When you make an argument for or against something however, you simply aren’t entitled to make your own set of “fact.” to support your own opinions.
To be fair it is an epidemic. Lots of people are dying because of opioids. If the govt wants to curb the epidemic try legalizing pot in every State. Make it easy to get and have the edibles made in factories and keep the price down. Make them a prescription that all ins cos have to cover. I am sure people will choose pot over pills. Not all but most.
Never been in favor of marijuana use. However, since it is legal in many states and that number is growing each year, it makes sense for the league to loosen up on it.
IF it were up to me (it is not) I would test routinely for opioids and marijuana but no penalties for marijuana use. But would be a good idea to track it and up to individual clubs whether or not to punish any player positive for marijuana. Nothing gets turned over to law enforcement either in states where it is not yet legal.
All major sports should test for opioids. Also, MLB policy should not allow marijuana.. It sends the wrong message to our youth.
Dock Ellis drops acid and throws a no-hitter.
google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2014/08/31/pitcher-doc…
I personally im fine with individuals unassociated with me doing activities that harm them as long as they don’t harm others. however, drugs are prevelant in society and can cause those who use them to harm others, so they should all be tested for, regardless of local or state laws.