The former NBA star Matt Barnes is on a mission. He wants his former teammates and other professional athletes to be able to use marijuana without fear of punishment or the stigma traditionally associated with cannabis. "The old stereotypes are outdated," said Barnes in a special 4/20 edition of Cheddar's CannaBiz. "We all know doing it throughout our careers how it helped us and the benefits it gave us." Barnes, who won an NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors in his final season in the league in 2017, is the executive producer of a new Bleacher Report series called "BR x 420"about marijuana in pro sports. It includes interviews with more than a dozen former NBA and NFL players talking about their support for more tolerant cannabis rules, and smoking up. "The fact that they are speaking on it is huge," said Barnes. "We just hope to continue to grow the momentum." The NBA, NFL, and Major League Baseball have negotiated collective bargaining agreements with their players' unions that include provisions for drug testing and punishments for cannabis use. For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/playing-high-the-role-of-cannabis-in-sports).

Share:
More In Sports
Carbon & Riddell Use 3D Printing to Improve Safety on the Football Field
Millions of people around the world are getting ready for the Super Bowl on Sunday. And while the day is all fun and games, there's still a serious discussion happening about player safety. Now, two leading sports brands have teamed up to design new, state-of-the-art equipment using 3D printing. Joe DeSimone, co-founder and CEO of Carbon, stopped by Cheddar with more on how technology is making football more safe, head to toe.
Actor Luke Wilson Says He's Nervous for His Super Bowl Commercial Debut
Luke Wilson is taking a short break from Hollywood. A commercial break. The "Rushmore" and "Old School" actor is starring in his first Super Bowl commercial, and he says the 30-second Colgate spot will probably get more views than any of his movies. "I think more people will see this than any movie I've ever been in for sure," Wilson told Cheddar on Friday.
Despite a $10 Million Price Tag, Super Bowl Ads Are Still Worth It
Although it has 3 million customers, home security company SimpliSafe isn’t a household name yet. It’s hoping that will change on Sunday after its first Super Bowl ad airs.“In a market where people are trying to lock you in a contract or harvest your data, we’re trying to keep you safe,” brand creative director Wade Devers told Cheddar. “There aren’t really a lot of places you can reach the number of people you can reach like the Super Bowl.”
The Purrr-fect Super Bowl Alternative: Kittens!
On Super Bowl Sunday, the Hallmark Channel will be home to the sixth annual Kitten Bowl, the annual matchup of cat-letes held to benefit the North Shore Animal League. Beth Stern, host of the Kitten Bowl and spokesperson for North Shore (and wife to Howard), brought a pair of 12-week Siamese kittens to Cheddar Thursday to help promote a new event this year: the first-ever Cat Bowl.
Pepsi and Frito-Lay CMOs Going Long on Super Bowl Campaigns
Super Bowl Sunday is the ー well ー Super Bowl of building brand awareness, particularly for food and beverage companies. This year, Pepsi and Frito-Lay, both units of PepsiCO ($PEP), are once again among the snack giants planning to use the 100 million-plus members of the expected television audience to launch new products and elevate brands in their respective portfolios. Frito-Lay CMO Jen Saenz spoke to Cheddar Tuesday alongside Greg Lyons, the CMO for Pepsi, which is known for its Super Bowl ads and social media engagement tied to the Big Game.
Sources Say Apple Planning Subscription Gaming Service
Apple is planning a subscription service that would function like Netflix for games, according to people familiar with the matter. The iPhone maker has also discussed partnering with developers as a publisher, which could signal ambitions to assume distribution and marketing costs for games.
Load More