Karl-Anthony Towns defends the benefits of medical marijuana (WEED).

Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns believes the NBA should allow players to use marijuana for medical purposes.

The topic came up recently with the young star during a broad question and answer session with ESPN. In it, Towns was asked what change it would make if it were commissioner Adam Silver.

"I agree with David Stern with marijuana," Towns told ESPN. "You do not have to do it 'Mary J' [or] 'Half Baked.' You do not have to do that, but you could use the [chemical] properties to improve many people.

"That's something Adam Silver has to do, that's out of my control, but maybe it's legalizing marijuana, not totally legal, where people are chimneys, but they use [marijuana] as a beneficial factor as an athlete, as a person who lives daily. "

Towns' comments echoed those of former NBA commissioner David Stern, who recently told the former NBA player and marijuana advocate / entrepreneur Al Harrington during a documentary about Uninterrupted that would eliminate marijuana from the list of prohibited substances.

For Towns, the issue of medical marijuana is personal. His girlfriend's nephew is autistic, and Towns has seen how some of the new treatments involving properties of marijuana have helped the child and his family cope with the disease.