This could be a big time suspension for the gators. Looks like he might miss the LSU game and the AU game: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/spor...006,0,1563668.story?coll=orl-sports-headlines University of Florida defensive tackle Marcus Thomas spent part of today in meetings with school officials, including Athletic Director Jeremy Foley, to appeal a five-game suspension he received earlier this week for marijuana use. Thomas' mother, Sheila Mote, said her son tested positive twice for marijuana between the middle of July and the end of August. But she and her son believe both results indicate only one use of the drug. "Basically, we think he's being hit with double-jeopardy," she said in a phone interview this afternoon. "He's being hit twice with the same mistake. "I'm behind him 100 percent." Mote said her son's "mistake" was ingesting marijuana at a mid-summer party. When he returned to campus in mid-July, he failed a first test. That prompted the school, in accordance with its substance-abuse policy, to suspend him for the season opener. A second test, which Mote said came three to four weeks after the first, also came back positive. Again, in accordance with school policy, the school suspended Thomas for 50 percent of his team's season. "After the incident in the summer, we talked and I thought we had gotten past this," she said. "I don't think it was enough time for him to... get [the drug] out of his system." On the Southeastern Conference coaches teleconference this morning, UF Coach Urban Meyer declined to confirm the punishment and said he would comment on the matter at an appropriate time. The policy allows a sanctioned athlete to appeal his punishment to Foley. The athlete is allowed to present circumstances that might have influenced the test. Under the policy, Foley then makes a recommendation to the Substance Abuse Committee -- which handed down the original suspension -- about whether to change the conditions of the punishment. The committee is appointed by school President Bernie Machen and is made up of UF faculty and staff plus personnel from the University Athletic Association. The majority of voting members on the committee must be from the faculty and staff. In 2001, Florida cornerback Lito Sheppard had been suspended for the season-opener, but the suspension subsequently was challenged and overturned.
While I personally don't smoke weed, I really don't see why this warrants a suspension. Chiefing a blunt every now and then isn't a big deal. I know I don't care.
Not only is it a big deal, it's illegal. Yet another example of a mother not making her son take responsibility for his actions. "I'm behind him 100%". Complete BS.
THC is fat-soluble; smoking 1 bowl takes about 2 weeks before you can pass a piss test. Regardless, UF sucks, and I hope they loose the rest of their games.
Marijuana is fat soluble, thus fat people do take longer to clear the drug. That being said a football player running everyday in the heat should clear the drug fairly quickly.
I am sure his Mom has done extensive research into this subject. In case she needs a little help, I found this on the Norml site: http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6821 [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Marijuana Detection Time Shorter Than Previously Assumed[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]February 23, 2006 - Columbia, MO, USA Columbia, MO: The length of time cannabis metabolites may be detected, on average, on a standard urine screen is typically no longer than ten days for chronic users and between 3-4 days for infrequent users, according to a literature review published in the current issue of the journal Drug Court Review. "Recent scientific literature indicates that it is uncommon for occasional marijuana smokers to test positive for cannabinoid [metabolites] in urine for longer than seven days" at 20 ng/ml or above on the EMIT (Enzyme Multiplied Immunoassay Technique) test, the author concludes. "Following smoking cessation, chronic smokers would not be expected to remain positive for longer than 21 days, even when using the 20 ng/ml cannabinoid cutoff." When tested at the 50 ng/ml cutoff threshold, infrequent users typically test negative for the presence of marijuana metabolites within 3-4 days, while heavy users typically test negative by ten days after ceasing use, the study found. [/FONT]
In my mind weed should be about as illegal as jaywalking or driving 10 mph over the speed limit. That being said, the country and the NCAA do not agree with me and every athlete knows it. You get high, you put your eligibility in danger. I don't really feel sorry for a player who can't say, "No thanks, I play on the football team and I could get suspended."
Although I think weed is harmless try telling your boss that smoking is no big deal and see how fast you get tested and if positive shown the door. He knew the penalties and now should have to pay the price.
