I won’t dispute that weed is better and less dangerous than opioids and many other forms of recreational drugs or alcohol. I really don’t have a problem with it’s use or with it being legalized. And I don’t want to get into a discussion about whether the current rules are stupid or not, especially within this topic.
However, I do not agree with your closing sentence. My viewpoint is purely anecdotal and based solely on my observations and experiences. I simply have never seen its use as a good thing or beneficial when it comes to sports. It definitely has it’s place and benefits for many things but none of it manifests in better physical or mental performance as related to sports. I have seen it make people more relaxed, lackadaisical, less motivated and the list goes on. I have not ever seen it make anyone better physically or motivated to achieve more. Rather, imo, it has hampered many an athlete who seemingly would’ve had much higher (no pun intended) ceilings if they would’ve/could’ve laid off the bong.
And for reference, I’m not some old fogey who is opposed to the devil’s lettuce. I smoked my share of it back in my college days, voted to legalize it here in Colorado and have recently used some edibles for beneficial purposes (sleep aid and pain) and even very rarely for purely recreational purposes. It’s just not the type of thing that causes a person to go be their best when considered in the context of high level D1 football.