Auburn Football: CJ Harris’ walk-on denial creating controversy
After a social media storm, Auburn football walk-on candidate CJ Harris was denied a walk-on opportunity to play for the Tigers.
The reason for his being stricken from the roster? Epilepsy.
Auburn University rescinded its offer to safety CJ Harris because of a preexisting medical condition. Initially, WGXA-TV reported that Harris was denied his spot due to his usage of cannabis oil to alleviate his medical condition. Harris takes the oil every six hours for help with epileptic seizures. Harris claims that he has been seizure-free since he started on the treatment.
The Tigers’ medical staff did not clear Harris due to his epilepsy, but when the story initially broke, reporters stated that Harris was ineligible because of NCAA rules that prohibit players from marijuana use.
Right now, 29 states allow marijuana use. Some states solely restrict marijuana to medical use, while some states, like Alaska, allow marijuana for personal, recreational use. More than half of Americans–some 60 per cent–believe that marijuana should be legalized, so when the story came out of Auburn it became viral.
The story, originally on WGXA-TV, interviewed Harris’ father, who had this to say: “You’re taking something away from a kid who’s worked so hard in his life to get there. And you’re just taking it away because he’s taking a medication that’s helping with his disability.”
The reason for his dismissal was reported incorrectly, however. Auburn’s team physician did not clear Harris due to his medical conditions. Since football is a full-contact sport and he could feasibly get injured, the team doctors felt that allowing Harris to play could exacerbate his condition, particularly if he sustained a head injury. Harris’ dismissal had nothing to do with his use of cannabis, although the NCAA strictly prohibits marijuana use of any kind.
Next: Auburn players making their mark in 2018
What this story exposed, more than anything else, is that marijuana laws will continue to be in the spotlight. According to SB Nation, the NCAA’s Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports has discussed medical marijuana and CBD products before and the topic will be discussed again in June.