Benzinga | Oct 7, 2021 10:43AM EDT

Kevin Durant On Cannabis: We Want To 'Destigmatize Marijuana Use Among Athletes'

This article was originally published on The Leaflet, a newsletter by Feuerstein Kulick.

The best basketball player on the planet (sorry LeBron) is jumping into the cannabis space. Kevin Durant, the Brooklyn Nets All-Star best known doing things like this . . .

. . . is partnering with Weedmaps (NASAQ: MAPS) (an e-commerce platform that helps consumers find dispensaries) to help "destigmatize marijuana use among athletes."

KD is not the first star athlete to throw his hat into the cannabis ring (retired hoopers Chris Webber and Al Harrington have launched cannabis ventures of their own), but Durant is the most prominent athlete to speak openly about his support for legal cannabis. Durant -- who's invested in two other cannabis-related ventures -- told ESPN that he hopes to help "normalize the conversation" around cannabis consumption for professional athletes and in general.

Loyal Leaflet readers will know that the stigma around cannabis use goes back decades, and has its origins in nativist campaigns to demonize the plant by associating it with people immigrating into the United States. This stigma has played a significant role in the senselessly harsh drug policies imposed by governments (read about the tragic story of Allen Russell below) and private organizations (see our next piece on the NFL's shift in cannabis policy). For all of these reasons, the efforts by Durant and others to destigmatize cannabis consumption are more than just good business -- they're an important part of the country's attempts to end the needless demonization of cannabis and the people that use it.

Who knows -- athletes might one day be competing for cannabis sponsorships the same way they compete for championship trophies and sneaker contracts. That would be a real "slam dunk." (*Leaflet bylaws required the inclusion of at least one basketball pun in this piece).

M?s contenido sobre cannabis en Espa?ol en El Planteo.