A new report has claimed that Randy Orton was an integral part of WWE changing a section of their wellness policy.
On April 20th, or 4/20 Day as it’s known to millions of marijuana users and advocates around the world, saw WWE launch a series of cannabis themed RK-Bro t-shirts.
As the shirts hit WWE’s online store, Randy Orton shared the link on social media, writing that it took a lot of work to get the special edition merchandise made.
Meanwhile, it has now been revealed that Orton has been far more instrumental in WWE’s changing stance on marijuana than simply getting new t-shirts printed.
The report from Fightful Select, notes that they had been told that no one had been suspended for using the substance in “years.” Although WWE didn’t traditionally suspend people over using cannabis, they were known to issue hefty fines. However, one unnamed wrestler confirmed that the company no longer test for it, and that aspect of the wellness policy has been quietly removed, although it still appears on WWE’s corporate website.
Many WWE stars both past and present had previously pushed back over WWE’s stance on marijuana. This included criticism from Bret Hart as far back as the 1990’s. Hart surmised that the drug was a better alternative to coping with life on the road than many of the substances that wrestlers were using instead.
In modern WWE, Randy Orton and Riddle picked up that baton, while Kona Reeves also pushed for change while with the company. One “higher-up” confirmed that the rules around marijuana in WWE had been relaxed.
“I haven’t even heard anyone as much as gossip over one of the boys or girls smoking weed in years, much less a fine being handed down for it. A lot of the perception has changed, and a lot of what Bret was talking about way back when ended up ringing true. I don’t expect us to come out with WWE themed cannabis incense any time soon, but the policy has been relaxed and we’ve used a lot of that culture in our storylines.”
Celebrate #420day and grab yourselves an #RKBro T shirt! Took some work to get this in #wweshop and it is for TODAY ONLY https://t.co/IeZyPA1ybP
— Randy Orton (@RandyOrton) April 20, 2022
Riddle and Randy Orton are currently preparing to face the Usos at WrestleMania Backlash, in a match to crown the Undisputed Tag Team Champions.