Jeffress suspended 100 games

[TJ Wrangler]

Was Ponson suspended by the league for drinking? Not that I know of.

How would you like it if your boss saw you after work speeding or running a red light and then decided to suspend you without pay because of it?

The difference here is that speeding and running red lights don't carry the huge negative stigma that smoking marijuana does. Alcohol also isn't listed under banned substances by MLB, so they couldn't suspend him for it.

The difference here is that nobody would release a prospect with the talent of Jeffress, but teams would be more than happy to release Ponson with the way he was pitching.

[TJ Wrangler]

I agree with that sentiment 100%. He knew the rules when he signed the contract. He's definitely the idiot here, I just also think its stupid that they even bother to test for this, and suspend people for it but don't do a damn thing about players who get DUIs which is a far more heinous transgression.

I agree. Considering the Angels lost one of their best pitchers because someone was driving drunk, MLB should be a little tougher on the issue. The same thing could happen when anyone drives drunk. There should be a similar system put in place.

[TyCobb]

The difference here is that speeding and running red lights don't carry the huge negative stigma that smoking marijuana was. Alcohol also isn't listed under banned substances by MLB, so they couldn't suspend him for it.

The difference here is that nobody would release a prospect with the talent of Jeffress, but teams would be more than happy to release Ponson with the way he was pitching.

Who has the "huge negative stigma that smoking marijuana" besides old white guys?

The general public thinks it should be legalize.

[Migrant Redbird]

Who has the "huge negative stigma that smoking marijuana" besides old white guys?

The general public thinks it should be legalize.

That's irrelevant. Marijuana remains illegal and MLB established the principle back in the seventies that players would be suspended for substance abuse.

Personally, I don't believe that society should waste law enforcement resources attempting to prevent people from killing themselves with mood enhancing substances, but I do believe that society has an obligation to enforce the laws currently on the books until they can be removed. The same applies to baseball; they need to enforce their rules or change them.

[The Wedge]

Who has the "huge negative stigma that smoking marijuana" besides old white guys?

The general public thinks it should be legalize.

Eh, I'm a proponent for legalization, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that "then general public" thinks it should be legalized. If that were the case, it probably would have more footing for legalization.

And until it is, it is illegal, and it is illegal in the league by their specific rules. He gets caught, he's gotta take that punch. He made his bed now he has to lay down on it.

[QBsILLEST1]

It is pretty easy, you can get those kits online. But you need several hours notice. If it's a surprise test you're screwed.

Unless you get the Wizinator. That my friends is the best way to pay any test. I have heard many different things to drink to pass the test, asprin, cranberry juice, vinegar, just to name a few.....But regardless, if I ever got to play the game I love as a job and got paid for it, Id quit that instant!

[lovetoaster]

Eh, I'm a proponent for legalization, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that "then general public" thinks it should be legalized. If that were the case, it probably would have more footing for legalization.

And until it is, it is illegal, and it is illegal in the league by their specific rules. He gets caught, he's gotta take that punch. He made his bed now he has to lay down on it.

Well said Wedge. I don't do it, but I couldn't care less if someone smokes weed. But I don't think the majority of America agrees with me at this point. But that is irrelevant.

For right now, and in the forseeable future, it is illegal. He broke the law. Maybe when someone has so much on the line and knows the likelihood of being tested, they should put the weed down.

[QBsILLEST1]

Well said Wedge. I don't do it, but I couldn't care less if someone smokes weed. But I don't think the majority of America agrees with me at this point. But that is irrelevant.

For right now, and in the forseeable future, it is illegal. He broke the law. Maybe when someone has so much on the line and knows the likelihood of being tested, they should put the weed down.

If the economy would have kept sinking at the rate it was in the winter, weed may have been legalized to help stimulate the economy. It probably would have helped, but the tax probably would have forced many users to stick with their illegal suppliers rather than the more expensive taxed government weed....

[TyCobb]

Eh, I'm a proponent for legalization, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that "then general public" thinks it should be legalized. If that were the case, it probably would have more footing for legalization.

And until it is, it is illegal, and it is illegal in the league by their specific rules. He gets caught, he's gotta take that punch. He made his bed now he has to lay down on it.

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/590/california_marijuana_legalization_initiative

There is a good chance California is going to be the first state to legalize it.

I believe the polls are something like 70% of Americans believe medical marijuana should be legalized and 42% of Americans believe it should be legalized nationwide.

I think those polling numbers would actually be a landslide to legalizing it.....if the public was told the truth about the drug.

[TyCobb]

If the economy would have kept sinking at the rate it was in the winter, weed may have been legalized to help stimulate the economy. It probably would have helped, but the tax probably would have forced many users to stick with their illegal suppliers rather than the more expensive taxed government weed....

Government Weed would be way cheaper than the illegal suppliers. It would cut off a large revenue stream to gangs.

[The Wedge]

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/590/california_marijuana_legalization_initiative

There is a good chance California is going to be the first state to legalize it.

I believe the polls are something like 70% of Americans believe medical marijuana should be legalized and 42% of Americans believe it should be legalized nationwide.

I think those polling numbers would actually be a landslide to legalizing it.....if the public was told the truth about the drug.

Well, that would be nice, but to nitpick that, of course 70% back medical marijuana. I bet if you put medical in front of any narcotic and gave convincing medical arguments, you'd get about 2/3 of the people to concede to legalizing it for medical reasons. But the second number is what I meant. Less than half of those asked say no.

[Migrant Redbird]

Government Weed would be way cheaper than the illegal suppliers. It would cut off a large revenue stream to gangs.

That depends upon how stupid legislators are as they structure the tax code. They've actually succeeded in putting taxes high enough on cigarettes and alcohol to make bootlegging them marginally profitable. The gangs probably wouldn't stay in that particular business, though, since most of the profit would be eliminated. There would be a lot of backyard bootlegging.

[TJ Wrangler]

Who has the "huge negative stigma that smoking marijuana" besides old white guys?

The general public thinks it should be legalize.

Point being, it's illegal under U.S. law and under MLB rules. It is also widely regarded as a negative thing to use (using your numbers, more people think it should remain illegal), hence the reason it is unprofessional by MLB standards. I said nothing about legalization in any of my posts, except for the opening statement that my point in no way was meant to represent legalization or anti-legalization.

[TyCobb]

Well, that would be nice, but to nitpick that, of course 70% back medical marijuana. I bet if you put medical in front of any narcotic and gave convincing medical arguments, you'd get about 2/3 of the people to concede to legalizing it for medical reasons. But the second number is what I meant. Less than half of those asked say no.

I still think that 42% is a very large number to actually change a law. That is with a lot of the public actually thinking it is a "dangerous" drug.

[TyCobb]

Point being, it's illegal under U.S. law and under MLB rules. It is also widely regarded as a negative thing to use (using your numbers, more people think it should remain illegal), hence the reason it is unprofessional by MLB standards. I said nothing about legalization in any of my posts, except for the opening statement that my point in no way was meant to represent legalization or anti-legalization.

It is illegal to get a DUI. MLB doesn't suspend those players. I think a lot more people have problems with DUI than smoking weed.

I think it is stupid for MLB to test for weed and I a posters said that MLB doesn't even test for weed. It is only MiLB that test for it.