Colorado is now Mile High in more ways than one. On Friday, the Patriots will be heading there for the first time since the legalization of recreational marijuana resulted in the ability of residents and visitors to buy some buds and blaze.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick was asked about the topic on Friday. As usual, he said as little as possible.
Asked if there has been any specific advice to players about smoking pot, Belichick said, “I think we know what the NFL policy is on that.”
Belichick then was asked a couple of follow-up questions by reporters who apparently don’t realize that the NFL hasn’t created an exemption for marijuana in the states that have legalized it. And, as usual, he said as little as possible.
Quarterback Tom Brady was asked about it, too. As usual, he said a little more. And he was a little more charming. (Bill sets a fairly low bar.)
Here’s the exchange.
Q: This is the first time you’ll be visiting an NFL city where recreational marijuana use is legal.
TB: Are you excited about that?
Q: Has anyone advised the young players against it?
TB: We haven’t talked about that. Maybe you guys [can] tell me what that’s all about.
Q: I was just wondering if it would be a temptation.
TB: Hopefully not. This is a very important game for us and it’s a business trip.
While the league’s policy against marijuana applies even in a place where everyone else of legal age can legally buy it and legally smoke it, players who aren’t currently in the substance-abuse program have a very low risk of getting in trouble. For them, the testing window doesn’t open again until April 20 (yes, 4/20).
Thus, unless a bag of pot falls out of their pocket or duffel bag or fanny pack other device for carrying stuff, there’s no way of getting in trouble, since the typical way of getting in trouble (getting arrested for marijuana possession) can’t happen.
The only problem could be finding a place to smoke it. The law doesn’t permit marijuana to be smoked publicly, and it’s probably not a good idea to smoke it in the player’s room at the team hotel, with or without a wet towel at the bottom of the door.
Either way, someone from the Patriots surely will buy some legalized pot and smoke it at some point before Sunday’s game. And then they’ll inevitably buy a pizza from one of the various Papa John’s franchise owned by Peyton Manning in the Denver area.