Ricky Williams knows what it is like to smoke weed while playing a professional sport and have it turn his career upside down.
During his NFL career, Ricky Williams was suspended repeatedly for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. It eventually led to him becoming an outspoken advocate for allowing athletes to use marijuana.
The conversation surrounding marijuana is back in the news again after the suspension of track star Sha’Carri Richardson, who won the 100-meter dash at the U.S. Olympic trials but will not get to run the event at the Olympics because she tested positive for marijuana.
Williams said on CNN that he hopes Richardson joins him in speaking out against marijuana bans in sports.
“I went from just being an athlete to being an advocate, and I think this is an opportunity for a young athlete to realize sports is a platform,” Williams said. “She has a perfect opportunity with so many people in the world having this conversation. So I think she should be proud of herself.”
He also spoke to ESPN as well:
