How many times can you test positive for pot and NOT get suspended?

[Smitty77]

JR Smith got suspended 5 games for failing his third marijuana test.

How long before he gets BANNED from the NBA??

Thanks,

Smitty77

[D.o.s.]

Realistically? As many times as you want.

Of the guys that have been banned and never reinstated, most were banned for point shaving and gambling, and the last two guys to get totally banned from the league were banned for drinking.

I mean, Chris Anderson got caught doing meth, and they let him back in eventually. I don't think anyone's losing any sleep over JR Smith smoking up.

Don't know if it's changed in the new CBA, but under the last one, you could only be kicked out of the league after  a fourth positive test for PEDs or one positive for "drugs of abuse;"

The drugs on that list are amphetamine and its analogs, which include methamphetamine; cocaine; LSD; opiates, including heroin, codeine and morphine; and PCP.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3275986

[JSD]

Good God, what a stupid rule. They shouldn't even test for thc in the NBA.

[Eja117]

I'm fine with teams doing it themselves, but I don't see it as necessary league wide. Some guys...I mean do you really need to test M Beasley or a Dennis Rodman? PEDs is a whole nother issue

[Enzzo]

I think it should fall more on the coaches shoulders then the leagues. Seems like something important that a coach should deal with, while also seems like something completely unnecessary for the league to deal with.

We don't need to see test results to know that JR Smith burns...

[CelticG1]

Could really care less about weed or other non peds.

Why don't they do some real serious testing on peds? There are so many cartoon characters playing out there right now

[D.o.s.]

Could really care less about weed or other non peds.

Why don't they do some real serious testing on peds? There are so many cartoon characters playing out there right now

Good article from Ball Don't Lie a couple weeks ago on HGH testing:

This news is indeed not particularly surprising, due to both the broader context of HGH testing in American sports and the form of negotiations required to get it passed in the NBA. Both the league and players union can agree that HGH testing without agreeing on the same standards. in terms of procedure and thresholds. Consenting to any testing at all is actually a pretty early stage in the process.

The timing isn't ideal, but this is a case of the system working as it's supposed to. The union has to protect its members' rights to privacy, ensure that standards are not so strict as to impede their ability to stay in the league, and not get railroaded so badly that it hurts their ability to negotiate other issues in the future. The NBA, meanwhile, wants a testing standard strong enough that it can present a reputable product to the public. These are both valid positions, but it can take a long time to sort out the middle ground

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/nba-nbpa-reportedly-nowhere-close-agreeing-hgh-testing-215603499--nba.html

[Smitty77]

Good God, what a stupid rule. They shouldn't even test for thc in the NBA.

Why not JSD?  Is pot not still illegal in America?  Just because many do it and are naive as to the effects on the brain due to denial or an utter lack of information, does NOT mean that the NBA should not test to see if their players are using illegal substances.

Smitty77

[D.o.s.]

So you'd like to see the NBA adopt contract language similar to the NCAA's current stance on tobacco?

[D.o.s.]

Also, my earlier post was incorrect--here's the language from the new CBA:

The following substances are Prohibited Substances under the Program: amphetamine and its analogs (including, but not limited to, methamphetamine and MDMA), cocaine, LSD, opiates (heroin, codeine and morphine), and PCP (collectively, “Drugs of Abuse”); marijuana; steroids, performance-enhancing drugs and masking agents (collectively, “SPEDs”); and diuretics.

Marijuana: If a player tests positive for marijuana during Random Testing or Reasonable Cause Testing, or he is convicted of, or pleads guilty, nolo contendre or no contest to, the use or possession of marijuana in violation of the law, he will be required to enter the Marijuana Program. A second positive test for marijuana will result in a $25,000 fine and the player’s re-entry into the Marijuana Program. A third positive test for marijuana will result in a five-game suspension and the player’s re-entry into the Marijuana Program. A fourth (or any subsequent) positive test for marijuana will result in a suspension that is five (5) games longer than the player’s immediately-preceding suspension.

http://www.nba.com/.element/mp3/2.0/sect/podcastmp3/PDF/CBA101.pdf

So two. The answer is two. You can test positive twice before being suspended.

[RyNye]

Good God, what a stupid rule. They shouldn't even test for thc in the NBA.

Why not JSD?  Is pot not still illegal in America?  Just because many do it and are naive as to the effects on the brain due to denial or an utter lack of information, does NOT mean that the NBA should not test to see if their players are using illegal substances.

Smitty77

But just because it is illegal, why should they test for it? It's not a performance enhancing drug. Most businesses and workplaces in the US don't do drug tests AT ALL. Really, they should only test players for it on a case-by-case basis; like if it is clearly affecting their performance on the court and/or in the locker room. Otherwise, who cares? I would just about guarantee that almost every NBA player smokes up at some point in the off-season anyway (every basketball player I've ever known at the high school or college levels smoked; though granted none of them made it to the NBA).