{"id":4215,"date":"2021-09-01T04:20:55","date_gmt":"2021-09-01T11:20:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dispensaries.com\/blog\/?p=4215"},"modified":"2021-09-01T06:45:23","modified_gmt":"2021-09-01T13:45:23","slug":"kevin-durant-takes-marijuana-advocacy-to-next-level","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dispensaries.com\/blog\/kevin-durant-takes-marijuana-advocacy-to-next-level\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA Star Kevin Durant Takes Marijuana Advocacy to the Next Level"},"content":{"rendered":"

NBA star Kevin Durant has entered a new partnership with the cannabis technology platform Weedmaps that will focus on removing the stigma associated with cannabis use and how marijuana can improve a person\u2019s health and overall wellness.<\/p>\n

In taking the step, Durant has gone beyond what most active athletes do (the 32-year-old Durant just signed a four-year contract extension with the Brooklyn Nets). While many retired stars advocate for cannabis<\/a>, Durant is rare among current players in taking a pros-cannabis stance.<\/p>\n

In an interview<\/a> with ESPN, Durant said: \u201cI think it’s far past time to address the stigmas around cannabis that still exist in the sports world as well as globally.\u00a0This partnership is going to help us continue to normalize those conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Durant\u2019s Marijuana Stance Unthinkable a Decade Ago<\/h2>\n

Change has come rapidly for cannabis. A large majority of the population now favors legalization. More than a third of the population<\/a> now lives where marijuana is legal for recreational use. Congress may make weed legal at the federal level.<\/p>\n

Sports have also changed. The major professional sports leagues have made changes so that a positive marijuana drug test does not automatically lead to a penalty. The NFL is even investigating the potential medical uses of cannabis. It\u2019s a different world.<\/p>\n

Still, Kevin Durant is blazing new territory. Ten years ago – even five years ago – it would seem unthinkable. And even he draws a line. He wouldn\u2019t speak to ESPN about his personal cannabis use. And the article pointed out that the NBA still officially bans marijuana use, leaving cannabis in a\u00a0 \u201cdecriminalized gray area.\u201c The NBA stopped testing for marijuana during the 2020 season (played in a pandemic-caused \u201cbubble\u201d in Orlando) and testing did not resume for the 2020-2021 season.<\/p>\n

What Durant Will Do In New Partnership<\/h3>\n

Weedmaps does not directly deal with marijuana. The company provides an online platform to connect customers and cannabis retailers. Through the new partnership, Durant\u2019s company Thirty Five Ventures will form a collaborative content partnership with the tech platform.<\/p>\n

That content will focus on combating marijuana myths as well as advocating for cannabis legalization. Along with Boardroom, Durant\u2019s media company, Weedmaps will develop an original content series in 2022. Durant\u2019s companies will also get dedicated space on the Weedmaps site.<\/p>\n

Durant told<\/a> Forbes the new deal allows him to move out front in advocating for the use of cannabis for health and wellbeing among athletes and everyone else. He said that\u2019s a switch from years past, when use of cannabis happened as \u201ckind of an undercover thing\u201d in the sports world. That\u2019s changed, and now he hears conversations around cannabis more and more from people within the league.<\/p>\n

Former NBA player Matt Barnes, who said he used cannabis during his 14-year career, told ESPN that Durant\u2019s move will make an impact both inside and outside the league.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s a shifting culture and it takes a superstar like KD to embrace this and help others not be afraid to discuss the benefits,” he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a new deal, Durant plans to help remove the stigma around using cannabis for health and wellbeing, taking a step beyond what most active stars are willing to do.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":4216,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17],"tags":[630,885,1161,203,574,150],"yoast_head":"\nNBA Star Kevin Durant Takes Marijuana Advocacy to the Next Level<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Durant plans to help remove the stigma around using cannabis for health and wellbeing, beyond what most active stars are willing to do.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dispensaries.com\/blog\/kevin-durant-takes-marijuana-advocacy-to-next-level\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" 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