California voters legalized cannabis during the 2016 election. The possession and cultivation provisions of the successful initiative went into effect the day after the election. However, the industry portion of the initiative did not get implemented until the first day of 2018.

Adult-use cannabis sales started in California on January 1, 2018, and by all accounts, the launch was a success. California has now proven that a regulated system for adult-use sales can be implemented without any issues, just as Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Nevada have already done.

Many people have weighed in on the start of adult-use sales in California, including current NBA coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors. When asked about the recent launch in California, Kerr had the following to say per The Mercury News:

“I’m a proponent of it,” Kerr said after Tuesday’s practice.

“I do feel strongly that [marijuana] is a much better option than some of the prescription drugs and I know that it’s helping a lot of people, which is great.”

This is not the first time that Steve Kerr has expressed support for cannabis. Kerr has admitted to having used cannabis after back surgery to help deal with the pain associated with the surgery, and last October stated that he thinks that the NBA will eventually end cannabis prohibition. On both occasions coach Kerr expressed support for cannabis reform in professional sports.

With so many professional sports teams being located in California and other legal states, and the expressed public support from a growing number of professional sports community members such as Steve Kerr, the Uncle Cliffy team is hopeful that pro sports leagues will listen and free the plant!

image via Flickr