Laremy Tunsil mints NFT of infamous NFL Draft gas mask video to help raise money for marijuana law reform

David Suggs

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Laremy Tunsil mints NFT of infamous NFL Draft gas mask video to help raise money for marijuana law reform image

Laremy Tunsil is giving back.

The Texans offensive tackle famously fell to the No. 13 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft after a video emerged of Tunsil appearing to inhale marijuana fumes using a gas mask. It was a low point for Tunsil, who was the target of widespread criticism, much of which was unfair, in retrospect.

Tunsil, now a two-time Pro Bowler, is one of the league's best tackles. And six years after the incident that drew so much of the football world's ire, Tunsil is moving into the NFT business. The reason? To help those incarcerated for weed offenses.

Tunsil is mining a "one of one" NFT of the video of him smoking with the gas mask. A portion of all proceeds received from the sale of the NFT will go to the Last Prison Project, a nonprofit that advocates for criminal justice reform to aid those imprisoned for cannabis offenses.

Weed has become increasingly more socially acceptable in recent years. Once viewed as scourge that resulted in lengthy suspensions across the world of sports, testing protocols have been relaxed in the NFL, meaning players aren't penalized for using marijuana during the offseason.

Former athletes like Matt Barnes, Stephen Jackson, and Percy Harvin have all revealed that they smoked marijuana throughout their careers, further destigmatizing the drug. Retired tight end Martellus Bennett even estimated that nearly 90 percent of NFL players smoke marijuana back in 2018, using it as a way to relieve pain during the grueling slate of a season.

Tunsil has previously mentioned his desire to move on from the gas mask incident, a moment that followed him throughout the early years of his career.

“I don’t want the past to have any control over me,” Tunsil told Complex last fall.  “I’m in a better place, I’m in a better mindset, and, bro, I’m really done with that. And that’s why I’m talking about the situation, because clearly I’m over that.”

David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.