The American has been banned for 12 weeks after violating the Tour's drugs of abuse conduct policy
Matt Every Suspended By The PGA Tour For Marijuana Use
Matt Every has been suspended by the PGA Tour for 12 weeks after violating its conduct policy for drugs of abuse.
Every is out until 7th January 2020 and revealed that the drug in question was marijuana, which is legal in his home state of Florida.
“I have been prescribed cannabis for a mental health condition by my physician whom has managed my medical care for 30 years,” the two-time PGA Tour winner told the Golf Channel.
“It has been determined that I am neither an acceptable candidate to use prescription “Z” class drugs nor benzodiazepines.
“Additionally, these classes of drugs can be highly addictive and harmful to the human body and mind. For me, cannabis has proven to be, by far, the safest and most effective treatment."
“I don’t agree with it for many reasons, mainly for my overall well-being, but I’m excited for what lies ahead in my life and career,” Every said of the ban.
“Over the last few years I have made massive strides and I know my best is still in front of me. I can’t wait to come back better than ever in January.”
Every was also suspended by the PGA Tour in 2010 after being arrested in Iowa for possession of marijuana.
He is the second player to fall foul of the PGA Tour's conduct policy for drugs of abuse this year after Robert Garrigus was also banned for marijuana.
Upon his return, Garrigus said that he wants the PGA Tour's stance on marijuana to change.
“I am currently in discussion with the whole drug policies and the whole situation with that, that maybe we can probably get marijuana off that list because it doesn’t help you get it in the hole," he said in July.
“If you are doing marijuana then we should be testing for alcohol, too. If you can buy it in a store, then why are we testing for it? That’s my opinion.”
Every is the seventh player to receive a suspension from the PGA Tour since it began drug testing in 2008, although the Tour has only begun publicly disclosing who had failed since the 2017-18 season.
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