Pubdate: Sun, 12 May 2002
Source: Oregonian, The (OR)
Copyright: 2002 The Oregonian
Contact:  http://www.oregonlive.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/324
Author: Geoffrey Arnold

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE . . .

The investigation of Trail Blazers guard Damon Stoudamire in connection 
with a pound of marijuana police say they found in his home calls 
attention, once again, to a subject the NBA and its players would just as 
soon forget: marijuana use in the league.

Despite efforts to downplay the issue, it continues to surface. Whether in 
failed drug tests, marijuana possession charges, or police officers finding 
a pound of marijuana while checking a security alarm at a player's house, 
the combination of marijuana and the NBA has been around for a long time 
and doesn't appear to be going away any time soon.

And some say the league is not doing all it can to acknowledge the problem 
and curtail the risks.

"The NBA is not even concerned with marijuana use; it's not part of their 
substance control," said Dr. Linn Goldberg, head of Oregon Health & Science 
University's division of health promotion and sports medicine. "The policy 
is more image-related.

"If athletes are caught with drugs, it tarnishes their sport," said 
Goldberg, a professor of medicine who has studied the subject of drugs and 
sports for 15 years. "It's not that they're concerned about the athletes' 
health. I don't think they're concerned about that at all."

The league and the players union deny that marijuana is an issue of any 
magnitude, saying results of the most recent leaguewide drug tests show 
marijuana use among players is low.

However, several reports, as well as candid comments by current and former 
players over the years, suggest use is rampant and the league -- conscious 
of its image -- is loath to do anything about it.

A 1997 New York Times report quoted unnamed players who estimated that 60 
percent to 70 percent of NBA players smoked marijuana.

Richard Dumas, who was banned from the league for drug and alcohol abuse in 
1993 (and later reinstated), said in 1997 that the league ignores marijuana 
use. If the NBA tested players for marijuana, he said, "There would be no 
league."

Said Dumas: "Weed is something guys grow up doing, and there's no reason 
for them to stop. Because almost everyone does it, no one wants to test for 
it. They're afraid to."

Charles Oakley, a 17-year veteran forward who is with the Chicago Bulls, 
said last year he estimates that 60 percent of the players use marijuana.

"You have guys playing high every night," Oakley said.

Even Stoudamire once said marijuana use was a problem.

"As far as use, it's bad in the league, but I think that half of America 
might smoke marijuana, whether you want to believe that or not," Stoudamire 
told the New York Times in 1997.

According to a league source, the NBA probably will take some type of 
punitive action if Stoudamire is convicted or agrees to a plea bargain.

"He's likely to face some type of discipline," the source said. "It depends 
on the circumstances, but once you're convicted or accept a plea bargain, 
you're susceptible to discipline from the league."

The league and the players union, the National Basketball Players 
Association, disparaged the New York Times report and vehemently denied 
that marijuana use is anywhere near 60 percent in the NBA.

However, the league stiffened its drug policy in the latest collective 
bargaining agreement of 1999, calling for expanded drug testing that 
included marijuana. Yet critics call its marijuana testing nothing more 
than a public relations move.

Through a spokesman, NBA deputy commissioner Russ Granik refused to comment 
for this article, citing the labor agreement's confidentiality for the 
anti-drug program.

The league's anti-drug policy is geared toward helping players, one team 
executive said.

"The league's policy is pretty stringent, but it does try to assist players 
who come forward wanting help," Indiana Pacers president Donnie Walsh said. 
"I don't think the percentage of players who use (marijuana) is any greater 
- -- and it might be less -- than the percentage in the general public."

Addressing a perception of widespread abuse, the league implemented its 
first anti-drug policy in 1984. The original program called for testing to 
focus on cocaine and heroin, considered the drugs of choice in the league 
during the 1970s and 1980s. Initially, the program was hailed for its 
toughness. It didn't include marijuana testing because of resistance from 
the players union.

Even though the NBA banned players such as Dumas, Mitchell Wiggins, Lewis 
Lloyd and Micheal Ray Richardson for cocaine use, critics complained that 
without testing for marijuana, the league didn't address the real problem.

In much the same way some alcoholics are outwardly "functional," marijuana 
users can be difficult to identify in a professional setting. Unless the 
result of their drug use is obvious -- such as attending games or practices 
visibly stoned -- identifying a marijuana user can be next to impossible.

"Some abusers can hide it well. It has to be pretty blatant, where the 
player is exhibiting compulsive and habitual behavior," Goldberg said. 
"Then the drug is affecting the individual's ability to perform."

But the league and the players union were forced to strengthen the 
anti-drug policy after arrests involving marijuana and big-name players in 
1997 and 1998.

Philadelphia's Allen Iverson pleaded no contest to a concealed weapon 
charge, and a marijuana possession charge was dropped in 1997. Marcus 
Camby, then with Toronto, avoided a marijuana possession charge by agreeing 
to do community service in 1997. The same year, Isaiah Rider -- then with 
the Trail Blazers --was convicted of a non-criminal a possession charge. In 
1998, Washington's Chris Webber, now with Sacramento, was arrested and 
charged with marijuana possession (and found not guilty) after police 
discovered a marijuana cigarette in the vehicle he was driving.

Those incidents, along with the conclusions in the 1997 Times article, 
prompted the league and the players union to revisit the issue of testing 
for marijuana during the protracted labor negotiations in 1998. The 
six-month negotiations, which resulted in a 204-day lockout and delayed the 
start of the season, produced a new anti-drug policy that increased the 
substances players could be tested for -- marijuana, amphetamines, LSD and 
steroids.

The new program also called for routine testing of all players at least 
once a year. The players union, which had resisted attempts to allow 
marijuana testing, finally gave in.

"We did what we had to do to help enhance the image of our players," Billy 
Hunter, executive director of the players association, told the New York 
Times in 1999. "The appearance was that many of them engaged in the use of 
marijuana. The NBA had been pleading or crying for an expanded drug program 
for years, so we took the high road and acquiesced."

To counter the perception of widespread drug use, NBA commissioner David 
Stern pointed to the results of leaguewide testing during training camp in 
October 1999. The results showed that 12 of 430 active players tested 
positive for marijuana.

"We're pleased with our drug policy so far," Granik said at the time.

The league has briefly suspended players who were convicted of drug crimes 
or negotiated a plea bargain to a lesser offense, including Iverson for one 
game and Rider for two games in 1997. It also has suspended players who 
failed to adhere to the anti-drug aftercare program.

Blazers forward Shawn Kemp, who entered drug rehabilitation in April 2001 
and missed the rest of the season, was suspended for an aftercare program 
violation and missed five games this season.

Critics say the leaguewide results didn't reflect the true number of 
marijuana users because the union notified its players by letter during the 
summer that they would be tested.

"If at any time this past summer, you or a player you know has smoked 
marijuana, used cocaine, heroin or other hard drugs, or taken steroids, you 
must read this," the letter began.

Because marijuana residue is stored in the body's fat cells, it can be 
detected up to a month after smoking. The union's early-warning system gave 
users plenty of time to stop smoking and allow the drug to be flushed out 
of their system. There also are products that claim to help detoxify the 
body and dilute urine.

So, with warning, how did 12 players fail the tests?

"Either they're really stupid or they don't care," Goldberg said.

Critics of the new policy cite the lack of testing throughout the season. 
Anyone other than a first-year player is subject to random testing no more 
than once each season, usually during training camp. Rookies can be tested 
once during training camp and up to three times during the regular season.

Critics say all players should be subject to random testing throughout the 
season.

Player advocates counter: How far should testing go? Should they be tested 
every day? Once a week? Where do you draw the line? They say random testing 
throughout the season is intrusive and an invasion of privacy, the same 
arguments used by the general public.

And the league's policy isn't much different from that of many corporations 
- -- testing new employees but not longtime employees unless there is 
suspicion of drug use or distribution.

The league can test players if it has "reasonable cause" to suspect use or 
distribution. That means if team officials suspect a player is using drugs, 
they can appeal to an arbitrator to determine if a player must undergo a 
drug test. If the player tests positive, he will face four random tests 
during the next six weeks.

But what's reasonable cause? Behavior such as unexcused absences from games 
and practices, tardiness to team functions or rapid weight loss could be 
viewed as suspicious.

Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal was fined after missing an extra 
day to spend time with his newborn on one occasion and fined for skipping a 
practice on another this season. Should those incidents be considered 
erratic behavior?

Rider displayed erratic behavior for much of his nine seasons in the 
league. During his three-year stay with the Blazers, he was fined $500 
after being convicted of a non-criminal violation for possessing less than 
an ounce of marijuana in May 1997. In part as a result of that, the league 
suspended him for the first two games of the 1997-98 season. And three 
years later, after Atlanta Hawks general manager Pete Babcock informed 
officials of possible drug use, the league suspended Rider again.

"They'll look you right in the eye every time and deny (drug use)," said 
Bill Fitch, the Rockets' coach when Lloyd and Wiggins were dismissed from 
the league in 1987.

Stardom like O'Neal's could pose another problem. If a player as important 
as he displayed erratic behavior and the team knew he was using illegal 
drugs -- no evidence exists to suggest this in O'Neal's case -- would team 
officials report him to the league?

What about Minnesota's Kevin Garnett? Or Orlando's Tracy McGrady? How about 
Toronto's Vince Carter? Would a team be willing to run the risk of 
embarrassing its star player and subject him to the constant scrutiny of 
the anti-drug program?

"The drug program is a very private policy matter between the league and 
the (players association)," Walsh said. "We don't really know how it's 
taken care of except through the (collective bargaining agreement). It's 
dealt with through the players."

Players have been reluctant to voluntarily enter the anti-drug program 
because of confidentiality concerns. Even though the results of the 1999 
drug tests were supposed to remain secret, someone within the league 
informed the media about the results and who failed the tests. Some players 
could lose millions of endorsement dollars if word got out that they 
entered the program.

The new agreement calls for banning players who test positive for cocaine, 
heroin, amphetamines or LSD, but not for marijuana. Although offenders 
could face escalating fines and suspensions, they will never be kicked out 
of the league for marijuana use, no matter how many times they test positive.

Lamar Odom remains in the NBA despite having been suspended twice in eight 
months. The Los Angeles Clippers forward said his decision to smoke 
marijuana before playing in the NBA led to his eventual suspension.

"I chose to experiment with marijuana, that's why I'm here," he said in 
November. "I'll be receiving counseling, not rehab."

Because marijuana is a more socially accepted drug, it carries far less 
stigma than so-called "hard" drugs such as cocaine and heroin. That's why 
the 22-year-old Odom emphasized the term "counseling" not rehabilitation. 
Rehabilitation suggests physical dependency -- addiction -- associated with 
crack cocaine, alcohol, heroin and amphetamines.

A strong advocacy movement claims that marijuana is relatively benign to 
the body. Many members of the medical profession dispute that view. They 
contend that continued marijuana use can result in memory loss, reduced 
testosterone levels and decreased learning ability.

"There isn't such a thing as a harmless drug," Goldberg said. He added that 
marijuana also could affect coordination and motor skills.

The NBA does offer mandatory classes to help rookies adjust to life in the 
league, on and off the court, including finances and drug abuse. Such 
opportunities also are available to the veterans. However, it is hard to 
measure their effectiveness.

"They should evaluate their classes. Do they do an assessment to see if the 
classes are preventing drug use?" Goldberg said. "Ask them what they 
learned. Ask them how resistant they are. If they don't, then what good is 
the class?"

Is the league, not wanting to rock a successful boat, knowingly looking the 
other way?

"You don't need a prevention program if you don't believe you have a 
problem," Goldberg said. "They shouldn't stick their heads in the sand and 
say they don't have a problem."

Or is the prevalence of marijuana use an overblown issue, reflecting a 
hypocritical public once again coming down on a league filled with young, 
rich, predominantly African American athletes?

"I really don't know," Walsh said. "We're not privy to all the details, so 
I can't really answer that question."

With strict rules regarding confidentiality, threats of lawsuits and 
dismissal hanging over the subject, the league and its players don't talk 
much about it.

"Nobody will touch that one with a 10-foot pole," said one league source.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart