The University of Colorado Boulder once had a storied football program and continually found themselves in the national conversation before a Sexual Violence scandal rocked the school in 2004. Having been heavily sanctioned, the Buffaloes have struggled to compete on a national level ever since. Is there a ray of hope for the Buffaloes in the form of a hemp leaf?
With the legalization of marijuana in Colorado on Tuesday, (keep in mind we have yet to see how this will play out federally) a door may have been opened for football to make a comeback in Colorado. Now not all college football player desire to smoke marijuana, and I am certain none of them would call it ‘smoking marijuana.’ I am also certain the NCAA will not make any exceptions on their drug use and abuse policies with regards to Colorado student athletes. That being said, legalizing weed gives Colorado a recruiting advantage.
The fact of the matter is young athletes often like to smoke weed. In fact we published a great article today about all the NFL stars who may have an inclination to play for the Broncos due to previous marijuana based indiscretions. Athletes smoke weed for fun, to relax, to deal with pain from nagging injuries, and Percy Harvin smoked to deal with migraines he was having trouble controlling. The bottom line is, historically, some of the best player in college football and the NFL have had trouble with weed. Now that weed does not equal trouble in Colorado, young star athletes with an inclination for marijuana use may have to think long and hard about attending a school in that state. Obviously the NCAA will try to limit this from happening, but it already happens beyond their control across the country. If a player is planning on trying to get away with smoking weed while playing in the NCAA, they would have to consider how much easier it would be to get away with in a state where marijuana is legal.
Will a coach in Colorado ever tell a recruit they can smoke weed on his or her team? Hell No. Does this give a backhanded recruiting advantage to schools in Colorado? Hell Yes. 
