Modern Athletes, Marijuana And Reefer Madness: Run Ricky Run

On Tuesday evening, April 27, in its heralded 30 for 30 sports documentary series, ESPN will broadcast in prime time the behind-the-scenes story—and tragedy—of Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams’ unfortuitous rise to pro football fame during this prolonged epoch of cannabis prohibition (which began in 1937).

For college and NFL football fans of the late 1990s, no player has grabbed more controversial headlines, over a longer period of time, for really nothing more than preferring cannabis to alcohol, than Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams.

In a fascinating, multi-year documentary by Sean Pamphilon, a former ESPN producer, for the first time the general public and massive NFL fan base can watch the story that tracks Ricky’s amazingly erratic football career in Run Ricky Run, from his unwillingness to cut his dreads to play for the top-ranked and legendary University of Texas Longhorns (where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1998, college football’s top honor) to the New Orleans Saints where he was a top five draft pick, and finally the Miami Dolphins—all the while dogged by Ricky’s personal choice to continue to use cannabis while hugely influential and powerful institutions in American society (NCAA, U of TX, NFL and corporate sponsors) wrestled with his very personal (and consequential) choice, largely punishing him and making him something of a martyr in professional sports.

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing parts of this fascinating documentary in the past and recommend this final production’s viewing as a way for us all to better understand the intersection of professional athletes, morality, the law and corporate public relations.

*Premieres Tuesday Apr 27 8PM ESPN

-Tuesday Apr 27 (11pm ESPN 2)

-Wednesday Apr 28 (4:30pm ESPN U)

-Wednesday Apr 28 (11pm ESPN U)

-Thursday Apr 29 (7:30pm ESPN 2)

-Thursday Apr 29 (11pm ESPN Classic)

Profiles in Cannabis: Mark Stepnoski

NORML is proud to confirm that Mark Stepnoski
will be speaking at the 2009 NORML National Conference in San Francisco, CA.

Mr. Stepnoski is a decorated pro athlete. Mark played for thirteen years in the National Football League, during which he won two Super Bowl rings (with the Dallas Cowboys) and was nominated for the Pro Bowl on five occasions. Mark was also named second team center on the NFL ‘All-Decade team’ for the 1990s.

Since retiring from pro football in 2001, Mark has dedicated much of his energy to reforming America’s antiquated and draconian marijuana laws. He is a former President of Texas NORML and presently serves on NORML’s national advisory board. "I took great pride in my performance on and off the field, and often questioned why our culture embraces alcohol while simultaneously stigmatizing those who choose to consume a less harmful alternative, marijuana," he says. "[It] is inconsistent, both legally and socially, for our laws to punish adults who make the ‘safer’ choice."

Mark will be leading an all-star panel discussion at this year’s conference pertaining to the use of cannabis among top athletes. "Since I was a kid, I wanted to play in the NFL," says Mark. "Even though I occasionally used marijuana, it never prevented me from attaining my goals."

Mark says, "Yes we cannabis" and so should you! Meet Mark and hundreds of other likeminded people at NORML’s 38th annual conference, taking place September 24-26 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown San Francisco. For registration information, please visit: http://www.norml.org/conference.

More about Mark Stepnoski:

New York Daily News: Smoking Is NORML

Reason.com: Lineman for Liberty — Former Cowboys center Mark Stepnoski tackles prohibition

Valley Advocate: Tokers Got Game