When you hear the words "
marijuana bowl" what comes to mind is most probably the image of the bowl-shaped reservoir of a
pipe, filled with
those leafy green buds, waiting to be burnt and their smoke inhaled. But as of today, and for the next few weeks, it means something different. You see, for the most part imbibing in this relatively harmless substance--even for
purposes beneficial to one's health-- is
against the law in the United States of America. Oh, but not
everywhere in America.
You see, there are two states where the people made their voices heard, and through the political process, have upended the draconian regimes which previously laid down pillars in the so-called "
War on Drugs." And these states are
Colorado and
Washington. Now perhaps it is purely
coincidence, or perhaps some kindly
karmic force is smiling upon their bold decisions, for of all the states with teams who play in the
National Football League, it is these two--proud homes of the
Denver Broncos and the
Seattle Seahawks--who have today won berths in the 2014
Super Bowl. Interestingly, in order to make it to that point, the Broncos needed to defeat the
New England Patriots, who hail from
Massachusetts, where efforts towards marijuana legalization are strong, but have so far been unsuccessful; and the Seahawks had to best the
San Francisco 49ers, hailing from a state where medical usage of marijuana is now widely permitted, but where recreational use remains forbidden (at least, on the books--in practice it remains quite prevalent, and neither the local police nor the more feared federal officers have given much care lately to stomping out Joe Pot-fellow
growing a plant in his yard or lighting up in his living room).
Now, naturally, it can not be imagined that marijuana directly played a role in either team's performance, since the NFL has been noted to have especially strict rules against the use of marijuana,
even where it is legal!! Most sports are concerned about athletes using drugs to enhance their performance, not drugs to help them get laid back on a Friday night (or whatever night football players get laid back on -- Tuesday, maybe?) And yet at the same time, sports players of every type are free to drink all the
beer,
wine, and
hard liquor they can gulp down. And more than that every sport, though none more strikingly than football, is used to sell alcohol, practically sponsored by the beersellers.
But maybe legal marijuana had an indirect effect on the success of these teams, since much has been made of the power of the "twelfth man," the chanting fan. And fans in Denver and Seattle have some extra reasons to be happier, possibly translating into more positive energy directed at their local sportsmen. The fact that two teams from marijuana-happy states are vying for the championship in the first ever Marijuana Bowl (and surely the first of many as more states shed their misguided prohibitions) may well spur some realization that, hey, legal marijuana is not at all a bad thing. It's simply a
bud thing. And maybe, fans across the country will
get together with friends for a different kind of "Bud Bowl," and be
half-baked by
halftime.