This is the tale of two bushes…and no, not the former US presidents nor a duo of 1970s porn stars…nope, we’re talking about the cannabis bush and more importantly, how two very different people view the same plant.
While I will be talking about two real people, I’d like to first point out that neither of these two actually spoke or commented on each other’s points of view. Rather, as I was going through my typical online research bouts, I noticed how these two individuals viewed cannabis and how strikingly different they were.
Now that I have that disclaimer out of the way let’s get into the nitty gritty of it all. On one side of the debate, we have Dr. Oz who claims that smoking weed will make you lazy, unmotivated and would lead to greater accidents.
On the other hand you have Kevin Durant, professional basketball player who appeared on David Letterman’s Netflix Show. Durant takes the other side of the debate saying, “It helps clear distractions!”
This is where we’re at in this moment, the question is – which one is right?
What Oz Actually said…
I don’t like to put words in people’s mouths and thus I’ll quote from this “Business Insider” article.
If you didn’t know, Dr. Oz is running for the Senate seat in Pennsylvania meaning that he’ll be drumming up talking points from the old “GOP playbook”. What this means is that he’ll take a staunch stance against marijuana in all forms.
As predicted, he had the following to say at numerous different interviews and appearances. They are in no chronological order and are only meant to provide a generalized overview on Oz’ views on cannabis.
"There are not enough Pennsylvanians to work in Pennsylvania, so giving them pot so they stay home is not, I don't think, an ideal move," he told Newsmax host Greg Kelly in an on-camera interview.
"I don't want young people to think they have to smoke a joint to get out of their house in the morning," he said. "We need to get Pennsylvanians back at work."
"You gotta give them their mojo, and I don't want marijuana to be a hindrance to that," the celebrity doctor added.
He expressed concern that people could be driving or operating heavy machinery under the influence of marijuana, or as he put it: "When they've been taking their fourth joint of the day." – Business Insider
This comes in response to a legalization bill that is floating in the state. However, Oz doesn’t have any evidence to support his claims. The “amotivational syndrome” has been debunked and while some people might become demotivated from smoking pot, it’s not the norm.
In fact, considering that most cannabis users have a lower body mass index than non-smokers suggest that cannabis users are actually quite active.
Furthermore, in the bill, there is no mention of kids being allowed to smoke or purchase weed – meaning that to claim that “kids will smoke weed” is only true if they purchase it on the black market…which is already illegal all over the world.
On the other hand, you have Kevin Durant with a different story.
What a Professional Basketball Player has to say about cannabis
When Durant appeared on Letterman’s Netflix show, he was high and came to talk about the misconceptions of cannabis. According to a Complex.com article;
The Brooklyn Nets star, who informed Letterman that he was high during the interview, said that weed “clears the distractions out of your brain a little bit.” He continued, “It settles you down.” - SOURCE
He also continued and spoke about his partnership with Weedmaps and said;
“We partner with them on content and trying to figure out ways to change the narrative around athletes and marijuana,” Durant told Letterman of his involvement with the company. He went on say that there will “be dispensaries everywhere” in New York City where people will be able to legally purchase marijuana in the next few years. He then brought up the unfairness of people still being locked up around the country for weed. – Complex.com
In a Forbes article Durant also voiced his support for cannabis
“In the sports world, it was kind of an undercover thing, that players used cannabis, and used it while they were actively playing. And I always thought that was an interesting thing, even as I started to come into the league. Now you hear the conversation more and more around the league about it [cannabis],” - Forbes.
This is a very different view often held by people who actually consume cannabis. As Durant points out, cannabis can actually be very beneficial in recovery and pain management, and while it is technically “illegal” in most sports, many athletes prefer cannabis over opioids.
Why such a stark difference?
Two schools of thought create two opinions. The truth of the matter is that while some people might be “lazier” with weed, the vast majority continue working without any major disruptions. Sure, the National Institute on Drug Abuse has statistics on Postal Workers being more absent when they smoke weed – but if you’re working for the Postal office any excuse is a good excuse to avoid work.
This is hardly the type of people we should be testing to see if cannabis affects their productivity.
On the other hand, people with real world experience on cannabis understand how to use cannabis effectively. Durant, and other athletes, use it at the end of their workouts to rest and recover, which is an important part of any workout regimen.
While one can respect the individual for holding their beliefs, in the fictional debate between Oz and Durant – Durant has more science in his corner than Oz. Most cannabis users can attest – cannabis only makes you lazy if you’re already lazy.
I personally utilize it to achieve my goals and to relax at the end of a long day…probably just like Oz does with a glass of wine each.
Read this Reddit on Durant here!
Dr. Oz Reddit on Weed, read this!
DOCTOR OZ ON CANNABIS, READ THIS...
