Oregon Football Marijuana Allegations: Pros and Cons for the Ducks

This week, ESPN the Magazine has come out with an article that points out the increased use of marijuana among college football players and goes as far as to single out the Oregon Ducks' program as a major offender.

While examples were mentioned throughout the article of other programs having the same issue, the finger was pointed at Oregon as a program where 40 to 60 percent of players use marijuana. 

Even though marijuana use is illegal and against school rules, it is something that has become socially acceptable, and this may not be as big of a public relations hit as many other issues could have been. 

Here is a look at both sides of the coin as this story makes the rounds.

Pro: Increased Exposure to Impressionable Young Recruits

While this is something that people do not want to admit, Oregon just received some serious "cool points" with young recruits this week.

The culture in America has shifted to an acceptance of marijuana use and has even built it up to be something that many young adults want to experience. 

With the release of this article, the Ducks are placed at the epicenter of marijuana use in college football—and it may have just given them the unlikeliest of recruiting hooks. 

Con: Increased Exposure to Parents of Impressionable Young Recruits

While this story may play well with young recruits, it certainly will not sit well with the parents of those recruits. 

When you send your child off to school to play sports and get an education, the hope is that you can trust that you are sending your son to a place where he will be taken care of. 

Granted, some parents understand that their sons may partake in underage drinking or even marijuana use—but they do not want to increase the chances by sending their child to a school that is known for having a problem controlling their players. 

Pro: More Awareness of Chip Kelly's Efforts

In the article it says:

"

The Oregon regime is also cracking down. Anecdotal evidence suggests that Kelly has taken a hard stance in his three seasons as head coach. "I've heard weed was bigger before I got there," says one Kelly-era Duck, "but Chip cracked down on that. He'll actually attend classes with guys. If you miss a study hall, he'll drug-test you."

"

While Kelly was already focused on getting this issue under control, he now will be able to refocus his efforts and try to crack down on it even more.

Con: Players Will Feel the Pain

If you are an Oregon player, prepare to feel the pain. Kelly had enough pressure dealing with the quarterback competition and preparing his team for the upcoming season—now an unknown player has thrown this in his lap. 

Now that Kelly has this knowledge, he will press down hard on his team to ensure that they understand what is and is not acceptable. 

Pro: Overall Neutral Reaction Across the Nation

While some may have thought that this was an instant bad hit for the Ducks, the overall reaction to this story has been fairly neutral. 

On one end, people are taking a hard-line stance and believe that something more needs to be done. On the other hand, some people (like me) believe that this is not breaking news and was almost a waste of time. 

Regardless of how you feel—the Ducks were singled out, but it certainly hasn't created much negative buzz.

Joe Penkala is a B/R National Featured Columnist who covers college football. You can contact him @joepenkala.