Appearing on a CSN podcast on Friday, Warriors coach Steve Kerr admitted to trying medical marijuana over the past 18 months while searching for remedies to deal with his ailing back.
“I guess maybe I could even get in some trouble for this, but I’ve actually tried (marijuana) twice during the last year and a half when I’ve been going through this pain, this chronic pain that I’ve been dealing with,” Kerr said. “A lot of research, a lot of advice from people, and I have no idea if I would — maybe I would have failed a drug test. I don’t even know if I’m subject to a drug test or any laws from the NBA, but I tried it, and it didn’t help at all. But it was worth it, because I’m searching for answers on pain. But I’ve tried painkillers and drugs of other kinds, as well, and those have been worse. It’s tricky.”
Kerr admitted to using it while discussing a larger issue: the overuse of pain killers in sports and what he believes is an improper stigma on marijuana.
“Again, without being an expert on it, but I know enough, especially over the last couple of years having gone through my own bout with chronic pain, I know enough about this stuff,” Kerr said. “Vicodin is not good for you. It’s not. It’s way worse for you than pot.”
Kerr expressed hopes that sports leagues would soften their stance on marijuana, as many states have legalized it over the past few years.
“I’m not a pot person. It doesn’t agree with me,” Kerr said in the podcast. “I tried it a few times, and it did not agree with me at all. So I’m not the expert on this stuff. But I do know this: If you’re an NFL player, in particular, and you got lot of pain, I don’t think there’s any question that pot is better for your body than Vicodin. And yet, athletes everywhere are prescribed Vicodin like it’s Vitamin C, like it’s no big deal. And there’s like this perception in our country that over-the-counter drugs are fine but pot is bad. Now, I think that’s changing. You’re seeing that change in these laws that you’re talking about in different states, including California. But I would just hope that sports leagues are able to look past the perception.”
