Steve Kerr: ‘It’s Hypocrisy’ Opioids Are Prescribed Instead Of Medical Marijuana


Steve Kerr spoke with the Seth Davis Show regarding a bunch of topics, including his belief that medicinal marijuana should be a treatment option for players.


Earlier this year, Steve Kerr discussed the myriad of treatments he has sought out over the past two years in order to relieve lingering back pains. Among the remedies, Kerr tried marijuana twice. As is the nature of the modern news cycle, Kerr’s ingestion of cannabis was more of a discussion than the healing nature of the substance – the coach has acknowledged as much.

“Because of the way the world works, the way the media works, what is a very serious conversation about pain relief turns into the headline, ‘Kerr smokes pot.’ So, I guess that’s the world we live in. That’s fine. But I’m actually kind of glad it became an issue. It’s a very important issue to talk about. Having gone through a tough spell over the last year with my own recovery from back surgery, and a lot of pain, I had to do a lot of research.”

During a conversation with the Seth Davis Show, Kerr further expounded upon the issue. To his mind, athletes are put in harm’s way by the fact that they can freely gobble down lab-made painkillers, but are unable to consume marijuana – a substance legal for medicinal use in 28 states and the District of Columbia.

“My whole point was that medicinal marijuana is much better for you than the opioids that are prescribed. You realize that the stuff that is invented by mankind is horrible for us. Medicinal marijuana is nothing compared to that, and yet the perception is the pills are fine, so we’ll give those to the athletes.”

With recent DEA actions feeling out government regulations as the country prepares for a new administration, this topic figures to continue for the foreseeable future. For Kerr, at least when it comes to athletes receiving proper treatment for injuries, current wellness policies are nothing short of archaic.

“But heaven forbid our athletes try medicinal marijuana. It’s hypocrisy.”

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