The former NBA star Matt Barnes is on a mission. He wants his former teammates and other professional athletes to be able to use marijuana without fear of punishment or the stigma traditionally associated with cannabis.
"The old stereotypes are outdated," said Barnes in a special 4/20 edition of Cheddar's CannaBiz. "We all know doing it throughout our careers how it helped us and the benefits it gave us."
Barnes, who won an NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors in his final season in the league in 2017, is the executive producer of a new Bleacher Report series called "BR x 420"about marijuana in pro sports. It includes interviews with more than a dozen former NBA and NFL players talking about their support for more tolerant cannabis rules, and smoking up.
"The fact that they are speaking on it is huge," said Barnes. "We just hope to continue to grow the momentum."
The NBA, NFL, and Major League Baseball have negotiated collective bargaining agreements with their players' unions that include provisions for drug testing and punishments for cannabis use.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/playing-high-the-role-of-cannabis-in-sports).
William Karlsson, William Carrier and Jonathan Marchessault are finally getting another chance in the Stanley Cup Final, after the first one that came so quick for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Tenzing Norgay, who shares the honor of first ascent with a New Zealander he guided, was honored with Kami Rita, who submitted the mountain for the 28th time this summer, and Sanu Sherpa, who has twice climbed all of the world's 14 highest peaks.
NFL player R.K. Russell made history in 2019 when he was the first ever active player in the league to come out as bisexual. He's also an accomplished poet and writer and his new book The Yards Between Us: a Memoir of Life, Love and Football is out. Russell sat down with Cheddar News anchor Hena Doba to talk about his experiences.
Carmelo Anthony, the star forward who led Syracuse to an NCAA championship in his lone college season and went on to spend 19 years in the NBA, announced his retirement on Monday.
