Most college football coaches do not support legalizing marijuana nationwide and believe student-athletes should be suspended for positive tests, according to an anonymous survey of 26 FBS head coaches by CBS Sports.
Dennis Dodd, Chip Patterson and Barrett Sallee spoke with one-fifth of the 130 FBS head coaches to get their opinion on the continued legalization of marijuana by various states and how those laws should impact NCAA rules.
Fifty-two percent said marijuana should be legalized nationwide. Thirty-five percent said no and 13 percent had no opinion. Seventy-four percent said student-athletes should still be tested for marijuana and suspended for a positive test. Eighteen percent said they shouldn't be tested or suspended, while eight percent had no opinion.
"No, [it should not be legalized]," said one coach. "I think it's a gateway drug, and I've got kids. Right now, in [my team's state], marijuana and opiates are a bad, bad killer."
Another coach said NCAA rules don't "recognize standards in our society" and that 30 players tested positive after returning from spring break.
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"Our jails are full of people [who have been arrested for marijuana]," said a third coach. "There are people losing their lives, dying every day. I know there are a lot worse things out there including things that are legal, including drinking, that are at the same level if not higher. We have to stop testing for it because it is legalized in states of competing universities. That's not fair for those teams to have to be able to manage those kids when it's legal in those states. I also believe that if it's legalized it doesn't become as cool anymore and the numbers go down."
You can read all the comments at CBS Sports.
