Well, aside from the health effects it has on a high performance athlete, however minimal, the fact that it is a banned stimulant by WADA and players who test positive face a 2 year ban means they shouldn't be risking it....
But thats what I'm really getting at, why is it banned? Doing a line or a cap or a pill or a bong before a game won't help in anyway.
Sooner or later we'll have to ask that question and address it.
Its definitely not performance enhancing, so what is it? At the very core of it its predominantly moralising.
The mainstream Western stance on recreational drugs is somewhat akin to the USA's abstinence based sex-ed teachings. "Don't do it, its bad for you". Black and white, right and wrong.
Coming from a family with severe mental illness problems (perhaps drug induced), I personally don't touch anything but that was I was taught growing up and all it does is promote misplaced shame and fear. So as a 18/19 year old when all my friends starting using anything and everything regularly it was initially quite difficult for me to reconcile their use with what I'd been told.
As it turns out, recreational drug use isn't as black and white as people make it out to be. It hits some people (read: gene pools) pretty badly but for the majority its absolutely ok (in moderation).
I hope a more nuanced view is taught for future generations and I hope a more nuanced view is reflected within both national law and the laws of different governing bodies around the globe (be it sporting or professional).
So I guess thats my problem with it. People cry out "what a plonker" when things like this happen and JOC (James O'Connor) is publicly shamed again when at the end of the day what he's done isn't objectively bad, is very common for someone his age (with his income and even his profession) and has very little consequence on his playing ability.
We're getting worked up because we've been told to be worked up but its all completely inconsequential.
Who cares? Play on.