NBA Coach of the Year Steve Kerr sparked a debate about marijuana as a painkiller after shocking the league with his admission Friday that he tried it for back pain.
Kerr admitted to trying marijuana twice in the past 18 months to deal with severe back pain from a recent surgery. He said it did not work for him, nor have any mainstream treatments, but he thinks more focus should be put on pot as a potential alternative to addictive prescription painkillers. Medical professionals in the sports world are eager to issue prescriptions or give anti-inflammation injections, he said, but refuse to consider marijuana, reports Fox News.
The coach pointed out that athletes are “prescribed Vicodin like it’s vitamin C.”
“I think the league should look into medicinal marijuana for pain relief,” Kerr said. “You can see it with our country, our country is starting to wisen up on the medicinal marijuana side. I hope we can wisen up on the prescription drug side. That’s scary stuff and it’s really not talked about often enough.”
Players on the Golden State Warriors came to Kerr’s defense, saying it’s a conversation the league needs to have. They hope their head coach’s admission will help spur a constructive and more open dialogue about the medicinal benefits of the drug. Basketball player Draymond Green said Kerr’s argument “makes a lot of sense.”
Green said he has never needed prescription painkillers, but sees the negative impact it can have on his peers.
“It does make a little sense as opposed to giving someone a manufactured pill,” Green told Fox News. “He talked about Vicodin. Toradal, you can be completely hurting and then take a Toradal shot and go through a game and feel nothing. Is that really good for you over the course of time? I doubt it.”
The marijuana discussion is a hot topic among current and former players in the NFL for similar reasons. Kyle Turley, a retired lineman who spent nine years in the league, advocates it for himself and on behalf of a number of athletes who want viable alternatives to powerful opioids.
Turley found himself addicted to several drugs, including Vicodin and Morphine, after retiring. He said the pills drove him close to suicide; the prescription drugs had him spiraling deeper into depression until he transitioned off the pills and switched to marijuana for pain management.
The NFL players union is currently forming a committee devoted to exploring pain management issues for current and retired athletes.
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