NCAA Removes Cannabis from Banned Substances List
NCAA Removes Marijuana from Banned Substances List for College Athletes
- What happened: The NCAA has voted to remove marijuana from the list of banned substances for college athletes.
- History: In 2022, the NCAA raised the THC threshold for a positive test, signaling a shift in its stance on marijuana use.
- What it matters: This change reflects evolving attitudes toward marijuana and aims to align NCAA policies with broader societal views.
- What is next: The NCAA will implement the new policy starting from the 2024-2025 academic year.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has voted to remove cannabis from its banned substances list for Division I players, effective immediately. This policy shift marks a progressive move towards treating cannabis similarly to alcohol, emphasizing that it is not a performance-enhancing drug.
The reform, proposed by the NCAA’s Division I Council five months ago, was officially adopted on Tuesday. “The NCAA drug testing program is intended to focus on the integrity of competition, and cannabis products do not provide a competitive advantage,” Josh Whitman, chair of the council, said in a press release and first reported on Marijuana Moment. This new stance builds on a 2022 rule change that increased the allowable THC threshold for college athletes, aligning the NCAA’s rules with those of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The newly adopted rule amends the NCAA’s drug testing policies for student sports championships and postseason participation in football. It will be retroactively applied, discontinuing any penalties players are currently facing for cannabis-related violations. “Cannabinoids will be addressed like other non-performance enhancing drugs like alcohol,” the NCAA said in a social media post.
Anthony Varrell, co-host of the “Trade to Black” podcast, remarked on the change, “This is a sensible move by the NCAA. Recognizing that cannabis does not enhance performance but instead should be regulated similarly to alcohol is a step towards modernizing outdated views.”
This decision follows a preliminary recommendation last June from the NCAA’s Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS). The committee had urged all three of the organization’s governing bodies to remove marijuana from the banned substances list. While Divisions II and III have yet to vote on the proposal, the Division I decision sets a precedent.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, expressed his support, stating, “Slowly, surely, America is coming to its senses after 50 years of the failed war on drugs. It is only fitting that the NCAA remove cannabis from its list of banned substances as Sha’Carri Richardson qualifies for the 2024 Olympics—an accomplishment she earned four years ago but was wrongly taken away.”
Historically, college athletes have been subject to testing during postseason play, with positive tests potentially resulting in a season’s loss of eligibility. Officials have indicated that the changes aim to focus more on addressing problematic use rather than penalizing players for a single mistake. The NCAA committee’s formal recommendation last September highlighted the ineffectiveness of existing policies, stating that the ban “acknowledges the ineffectiveness of existing policy (banning, testing, and penalizing)” and affirms that cannabis is not a “performance-enhancing drug.” Instead, the committee emphasized the importance of moving towards a harm-reduction strategy.
Anthony Varrell noted, “These are common sense amendments that should have been implemented long ago. The focus should be on student-athlete health and well-being rather than outdated punitive measures.”
This policy change by the NCAA is part of a broader trend among sports organizations revising their marijuana testing policies. For instance, the NFL and its players union agreed to end the suspension of players over marijuana or other drugs as part of a collective bargaining agreement in 2020. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) also removed marijuana from its banned substances list in December, although state-level penalties can still apply in some cases.
As Anthony Varrell observed, “The shift in policy across various sports organizations reflects a growing recognition of the need to modernize drug policies. This alignment towards harm reduction and away from punitive measures is essential for the well-being of athletes.”
The NCAA’s decision underscores a significant shift in the perception and regulation of cannabis in sports. By treating marijuana similarly to alcohol and focusing on harm reduction, the NCAA is paving the way for a more sensible and health-focused approach to cannabis use among college athletes.
