B/R x 4/20: A Letter from the Editor

Joe YanarellaCorrespondent IApril 20, 2018

B/R

Marijuana usage and the push for legalization has intensified across the U.S. and throughout the world.

Nine states and Washington, D.C., have legalized broad usage for people aged 21 and over, while another 29 states have legalized some form of medical marijuana use.

Attitudes toward cannabis are rapidly changing, as focus has shifted away from pure recreational usage to potential medical or scientific benefits. Despite this shifting public landscape, cannabis is still banned in most of the major sports leagues. (Marijuana usage is illegal under federal law.)

With that in mind, Bleacher Report decided to provide a platform for former pro athletes to discuss marijuana, to allow closet smokers the opportunity to state their case—why they use cannabis, what they believe the benefits are and how their conversation mirrors those taking place at the state level.

It is incredibly important that Bleacher Report reflects the issues that matter to both athletes and our audience, and the future of cannabis is one of them. To mark 4/20—an unofficial marijuana holiday—B/R will be releasing content throughout the day that features an array of athletes discussing their experiences with cannabis. This is B/R x 4/20:

Gabe Kalscheur Is Early Breakout Star of March Madness
Barrett, Brazdeikis Lead Canadian Hoops Revolution to March Madness
UM's Ignas Brazdeikis Is the Villain of March Madness
OBJ's Trade to Cleveland Has the Browns Hyped
Steph Returns to Houston for 1st Time Since His Moon Landing Troll
Le'Veon's Power Move Pays Off After Signing Massive Deal with Jets
Lou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the Year
Ja Morant Is Ready to Take Over March Madness
Pat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA Shine
LeBron Keeps Shredding NBA Record Books
Nation's Leading Scorer Is Getting Buckets for Campbell
Young's Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with Luka
LeBron and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New Album
Antoine Davis Just Broke Steph's Freshman 3-point Record
Wade's #OneLastDance Dominated February
Warriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments with Steph
WR Metcalf Looks Ready to Destroy NFL Combine or Take Down Thanos
This Parkour Warrior Pulled a Bus Through London
Trent Richardson Is Popping Off in the AAF
Eight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Melo to the Knicks

As part of this project, players share their stories and smoke cannabis on camera in California, where consumption is legal. (Note: No B/R employees associated with the production participated in on-site consumption.)

This is not an endorsement or indictment of cannabis usage but rather a platform for discussion—to allow the athletes’ voices to be heard and to share their stories.

To be able to facilitate that conversation is an incredible responsibility—and one that B/R takes seriously. I was blown away by the thoughtful nature of the discussions and the real-world implications the players referenced, ranging from pain management to stress relief.

As retired NFL offensive lineman John Moffitt said during one of two roundtable discussions hosted in California: “I think things like this is what’s important, because it’s breaking the stigma.”

Today marks the start of that conversation at B/R. I'm hopeful you'll spend some time at 420.BleacherReport.com to watch these athletes’ stories—from Al Harrington on his grandmother to Kenyon Martin on his bad knees—and use the hashtag #BRx420 to keep the conversation going.

Thanks for watching,

Joe Yanarella

Senior VP, Content

Bleacher Report