A man named Serge called in to Lee “Hacksaw” Hamilton’s sports radio show yesterday and actually supported the use of marijuana. Serge was calling about Randy Moss’s interview with Bryant Gumbel on HBO because he wanted to express his solidarity. Moss admitted using marijuana since he has been in the National Football League and said that he uses it “once in a blue moon”. His agent immediately when into spin mode by calling HBO a dying network and insisting that Moss was talking about his past but, of course, his client was talking about past and current habits.

Hacksaw (where does that name come from?) asked Serge the usual question: “What if your children saw you smoking marijuana? Do you want them to do what you do?” I find this amusing. Most sports show hosts have at least three flat screen televisions lined up in their den so they can sit back and watch all the games simultaneously and throw back a few beers. Serving beer to minors is illegal. Alcohol can be addictive. In 2002 there were 150,000 A.A. groups in 150 countries. Do you want your children to grow up and do alcohol?

Hacksaw then asked the other common question about marijuana. “Doesn’t marijuana lead to taking other drugs?” The better question might be: “Is marijuana addictive?” A 1999 study of medicine and marijuana by the Institute of Medicine, an affiliate of The National Academy of Sciences, found that marijuana users were forty percent less likely to become dependent than alcohol users.

A 1999 study of medicine and marijuana by the Institute of Medicine, an affiliate of The National Academy of Sciences, found that marijuana users were forty percent less likely to become dependent than alcohol users.

This is a tough time for marijuana users. Marijuana has medical benefits for certain medical conditions. Californians can obtain marijuana legally to deal with such problems as nausea, dizziness and migraine headaches. One of the ways they distribute marijuna to patients is by giving them marijuana chocolate bars. How great is that? And yet the Supreme Court ruled that federal anti-drug laws overrule state anti-drug laws effectively ending California’s medical marijuana program. It seems that state’s rights are more important at the moment unless the issue is drugs. Then it’s important to take away state’s rights.

Research into the benefits and dangers of steroids has been limited because of anti-drug laws banning steroids. There has been a lot of research into marijuana, though, because of it’s medical benefits. Even if you don’t think marijuana should be legalized, taking it away from medical patients seems punitive if not just plain crazy.

I bet there are a lot of quiet, non-controversial NFL players who are very pissed off at Randy Moss right now. They’ve been kicking back and toking up in the off-season with no fears because the league tests for marijuana in-season only. After Moss’ interview, the league, and even congress the way they’ve been going, might decide to expand testing to off-season.

It seems silly for Moss to bring attention to an illegal activity he indulges in when he’s tested positive before, though he’s never been suspended from the league. Why tempt fate? I can’t help but think that Randy was tired of Terrell Owens taking up all the attention and wanted to direct some of it his way.